Now available at Paizo!!!
Overpriced
Ok on this one point I cannot stay quiet, and I will passionately disagree and defend LPJ.
If you look at Paizo's Pathfinder Chronicle Gazetteer which is a 69 page PDF; it prices out at just under .19 cents per page, while when I look at this book at 168 pages prices out it prices out at just under .10 a page.
This is a pdf so the option is there for the publisher to make the conversion changes.
Ok on this one point I cannot stay quiet, and I will passionately disagree and defend LPJ.If you look at Paizo's Pathfinder Chronicle Gazetteer which is a 69 page PDF; it prices out at just under .19 cents per page, while when I look at this book at 168 pages prices out it prices out at just under .10 a page.
Oh i agree, the book is beautiful, and the concept is novel, and if there were more fluff in the actual book than rules text it might not be such a big deal that the rules text isn't fully pathfinder compatible, or balanced, or that it breaks from pathfinder design goals in several places. But that's not what the book is; what it is is a BEAUTIFUL ball of potential that was slapped together with what i honestly believe was either not enough play testing, or none at all.
I can elaborate, but the point i am trying to make here is not that PDF's should never be 15$, its that art alone cant make a pdf worth 15$. You compare it to the Pathfinder Gazetteer, which is fully pathfinder compatible, has few to no typos, and being supported by Paizo, i am sure it will be or already has been updated with errata. How long has Obsidian Twilight been out?
When a new, pathfinder compatible, play tested and well edited Obsidian Twilight comes out, i would even BUY IT AGAIN to give it a second chance, but as it stands i spent 15$ on a pdf filled with overpowered spells, pigeonholed races and underpowered prestige classes with a scant few pages about the actual setting, that IN THE END, isn't even fully pathfinder compatible. AND EVEN IF he updates it to be compatible, he still has psionics rules in there, without a WORD OF WARNING at the point of purchase. Like it or not, Psionics aren't for everyone, and his is something that would effect someones purchase. Something they should be informed of. Whats worse is that Psionics are NOT pathfinder material, which means that he has even violated his Paizo compatibility Publishing License. (though i don't think that Paizo is likely to care)
Price to Value is what Determines if something is overpriced, and at the end of the day, i just didn't see enough material i could use to justify the 15$ price tag. Like i said, if he Updates his PDF with play tested changes to his balance issues, and makes it pathfinder compatible, then ill be happy to revisit this review.
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You compare it to the Pathfinder Gazetteer, which is fully pathfinder compatible, has few to no typos, and being supported by Paizo, i am sure it will be or already has been updated with errata. How long has Obsidian Twilight been out?
The gazetteer was published before the PFRPG was released, which makes it a 3.5 product.
Still, the gazetteer is a PFRPG compatible product because the PFRPG is backwards compatible with 3.5. Don't forget one of the MAIN selling points of PFRPG is backwards compatibility with 3.5, some people seem to forget that a lot.
Also, I like Psionics and don't mind one bit this book has support for them. it's hard to please everyone.
You compare it to the Pathfinder Gazetteer, which is fully pathfinder compatible, has few to no typos, and being supported by Paizo, i am sure it will be or already has been updated with errata. How long has Obsidian Twilight been out?
We updated Obsidian Twilight at Lulu, RPGNow and Paizo. Have you not recieved an updated version yet?
There might be an issue with RPGNow's notifications, because I haven't received an update notice from them for Obsidian Twilight so far. Thanks for mentioning it's been updated.
We updated Obsidian Twilight at Lulu, RPGNow and Paizo. Have you not recieved an updated version yet?
You compare it to the Pathfinder Gazetteer, which is fully pathfinder compatible, has few to no typos, and being supported by Paizo, i am sure it will be or already has been updated with errata. How long has Obsidian Twilight been out?
No sir i have not. I redownloaded the one listed in my downloads on paizo, and jumped straight to the monsters, which are still using Grapple bonuses, so i assume it isnt the updated version.
What exactly has changed in the new update?
Also, Perhaps you should update the description to remove any mention of "regions" since this product describes none, and maybe add that the product features Psionics, Just in the spirit of accuracy.
Any chance of having a PDF + hardcover special price bundle?
Is there just a fluff version of this? I am not interested in a rules heavy version since I don't play/run 3E or 4E. So if you guys did a fluff heavy version for a rules lighter RPG I am interested in knowing about it.
Is there just a fluff version of this? I am not interested in a rules heavy version since I don't play/run 3E or 4E. So if you guys did a fluff heavy version for a rules lighter RPG I am interested in knowing about it.
I lold. If you trimmed this book down to fluff only, youd have maybe 10 pages, most of which is just a timeline. The book is like, 165 pages of written material, and id say maybe 5% of that or so is fluff.
* 8 new races usable as player characters or NPCs
* Over 100 new feats, over 140 new spells and 6 new prestige classes
* New equipment, weapons and magic items
* New monsters and monster templates
All that is true, except there are no new weapons, or equipment as far as i could tell. Im not even sure i saw any magic items? Can someone tell me if i am wrong? A page number?
* Highly detailed regions and history, with new organizations to launch your campaign
Aside from a timeline, the rest is Patently False^^ No information on regions is included, especially not "Highly detailed" information, and i dont recall seeing any organizations, though i guess its possible that they consider prestige classes information on organizations.
Still, LPJ has implied that there is an updated version coming out, and while i only expect it to remedy the compatibility issues, maybe it will have more information as well!
Is there just a fluff version of this? I am not interested in a rules heavy version since I don't play/run 3E or 4E. So if you guys did a fluff heavy version for a rules lighter RPG I am interested in knowing about it.
Well if you wanted a "fluff version" of the setting, you could take a look at the World of Obsidian Twilight (PRPG) Preview or any of the other free previews that are available to download. You could use them to build your RPG with.
Any chance of having a PDF + hardcover special price bundle?
Yes there will be some time in the NEAR future.
Any chance of having a PDF + hardcover special price bundle?Yes there will be some time in the NEAR future.
Okee dokee. Seeing that Jon Brazer Enterprises had it available on here for one of their products, I figured why not ask. Thanks!
Seeing that Jon Brazer Enterprises had it available on here for one of their products,
2 actually. Mech Tech 'n' bot: Mech Squadrons is also part of our PDF Guarantee as well. And the fine folks at Paizo help to make that available through their webstore. We plan to do the same with the d66 Compendium when it is released.
We updated Obsidian Twilight at Lulu, RPGNow and Paizo.I've just verified that the only version of this PDF we've ever had is the one you originally uploaded on July 3.
Vic just informed me there was an issue with the system when I attempted to upload the new updated Obsidian Twilight PDF. They expect the issue to be resolved by today and I will update the original file when it is completed.
Chief Technical Officer
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Vic just informed me there was an issue with the system when I attempted to upload the new updated Obsidian Twilight PDF. They expect the issue to be resolved by today and I will update the original file when it is completed.We updated Obsidian Twilight at Lulu, RPGNow and Paizo.I've just verified that the only version of this PDF we've ever had is the one you originally uploaded on July 3.
It has been updated. Those of you who have the PDF can download the new version in the usual place.
I have a question about the fluff in the product summary.
Is there any explanation how there is life on this planet?
Without the sun plants would die, which would mean herbivores would die out, then carnivores. There would be very little oxygen.
Then there is temperature. Now the warmth of the planet's core could keep the deep oceans warm for thousands of years, but the surface of the world would freeze over quickly.
I know it's a fantasy game, but I am still logical person.
I am trying to get this pdf and it just keeps going to the downloads section and not letting me download. Are there still problems with the upload of it?
while i am glad that it was updated, my download hasnt worked yet either. I think there is likely still a technical issue.
I did get a notification email saying it was updated though, and it said that the update description provided was this:
"Updated monsters to Pathfinder rule system"
I hope the update did more than just this, since several feats (Arcane rage,bane of evil,blessed touch, and channel divine healing) were not pathfinder compatible.
The thing that is really bothering me though, is that your description is still so inaccurate.
untrue:
- New equipment, weapons and magic items
- Highly detailed regions and history, with new organizations to launch your campaign
omitted:
- requires use of the 3.5 expanded psionics handbook
I have a question about the fluff in the product summary.
Is there any explanation how there is life on this planet?
Without the sun plants would die, which would mean herbivores would die out, then carnivores. There would be very little oxygen.
My feeling on this was that the necromantic energy of the planet also infuse everything slightly so while sunlight is not high, plants still get "energy" to grow and live.
Then there is temperature. Now the warmth of the planet's core could keep the deep oceans warm for thousands of years, but the surface of the world would freeze over quickly.
But you have to think what kind of effect an impact event like a meteor would have on the planet. Overnight mass extinction and of hit landed in a area of major sorce of water, instantaneous vaporization of the largest water supply. Plus the real interesting point is Abaddon has a "black hole" effect on teleport error and that kind of dimensional movement so an lot of the life that gets dumbed there is from some where else. This new life interacts with the life or unlife already on Abaddon and your get a very unique microcosm.
I know it's a fantasy game, but I am still logical person.
Just because you may not understand it does not mean it is not logical in the large scheme of things.Or better but, God does not play dice -- Albert Einstein.
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I can abandon logic for a good fantasy / Sci-fi feel, but I need more fluff and less rules. The rules are good, but some serious fluff and description of the world, the factions, the locations, and so on are really needed for me to dive into this. It sounds like an awesome concept, but some of the reviews have me holding back a little. Any thoughts on this Louis? And CONGRATS for getting something like this pulled together.
I can abandon logic for a good fantasy / Sci-fi feel, but I need more fluff and less rules. The rules are good, but some serious fluff and description of the world, the factions, the locations, and so on are really needed for me to dive into this. It sounds like an awesome concept, but some of the reviews have me holding back a little. Any thoughts on this Louis? And CONGRATS for getting something like this pulled together.
I put it this much, it is not a perfect book. Could I have added things and made the grammar better ? You bet your ass I could. And if these are any short comings in the book you can blame me for them. I am the boss, I am in charge and the buck stops with me.
BUT....
Even with all that said. IT IS STILL A KICK ASS setting. If you Ravenloft or Dark Sun you will like it. While it will remind you of them both it is some thing different. But if you are still not sure talk a look at the World of Obsidian Twilight (PRPG) Preview for FREE of the rest of the Obsidian Twilight product line (some for free) right here. If you don't like these products, then you will not like the setting. I hope this helps make you decide.
I have a question about the fluff in the product summary.
Is there any explanation how there is life on this planet?
Without the sun plants would die, which would mean herbivores would die out, then carnivores. There would be very little oxygen.
My feeling on this was that the necromantic energy of the planet also infuse everything slightly so while sunlight is not high, plants still get "energy" to grow and live.
Then there is temperature. Now the warmth of the planet's core could keep the deep oceans warm for thousands of years, but the surface of the world would freeze over quickly.But you have to think what kind of effect an impact event like a meteor would have on the planet. Overnight mass extinction and of hit landed in a area of major sorce of water, instantaneous vaporization of the largest water supply. Plus the real interesting point is Abaddon has a "black hole" effect on teleport error and that kind of dimensional movement so an lot of the life that gets dumbed there is from some where else. This new life interacts with the life or unlife already on Abaddon and your get a very unique microcosm.
I know it's a fantasy game, but I am still logical person.Just because you may not understand it does not mean it is not logical in the large scheme of things.Or better but, God does not play dice -- Albert Einstein.
Thank you very much.
I threw the logical bit in there only because I didn't want the answer to simply be it's a fantasy game. There are many settings I dig that aren't scientifically sound, but there is a reason to how the world works.
Cheers
I am trying to get this pdf and it just keeps going to the downloads section and not letting me download. Are there still problems with the upload of it?There was a problem preventing a few people from getting proper access to the updated PDF. Can you give it another try, and if you are still having problems, send an email to webmaster@paizo.com and we'll make sure that you are taken care of.
There was a problem preventing a few people from getting proper access to the updated PDF. Can you give it another try, and if you are still having problems, send an email to webmaster@paizo.com and we'll make sure that you are taken care of.
Thanks Ross!
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While I can certainly see the point of some of those who have complaints, I found the setting itself to be a very interesting and worthwhile thing (I picked it up over at RPGNow, then picked it up again in the free talk like a pirate day promotion, just because)
Anyway, it reminds me a bit of some of the small press RPGs like Burning Wheel in that the setting is largely implied rather than expressed. That's actually a cool thing, as far as I'm concerned, though if LPJ wants to release more material about the world, I'll likely pick it up. The core idea of the setting is a unique and refreshing departure from the typical fantasy RPG setting, and I think that's the thing I most appreciated about it. The designers seem to draw on Fallout, Mistborn (The Khymer seem like an homage to the Kandra), and zombie fiction rather than Lord of the Rings and Earthsea. That's pretty cool, in my book.
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Anyway, it reminds me a bit of some of the small press RPGs like Burning Wheel in that the setting is largely implied rather than expressed.
I've come to think of Obsidian Twilight as less of a true setting, and more of a template that could be laid on top of any other existing setting. Since no maps or other setting material are given, this could be the future of Oerth, Golarion, or any other campaign world that you choose.
I've come to think of Obsidian Twilight as less of a true setting, and more of a template that could be laid on top of any other existing setting. Since no maps or other setting material are given, this could be the future of Oerth, Golarion, or any other campaign world that you choose.
Well we do have a map for the setting and personally I like seeting that give me an over view of the world and I can place in what I want. I never like setting that give me too much detail like Ptolus. To me, I like to be able to add to the world not just adventure in it.
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I've come to think of Obsidian Twilight as less of a true setting, and more of a template that could be laid on top of any other existing setting. Since no maps or other setting material are given, this could be the future of Oerth, Golarion, or any other campaign world that you choose.Well we do have a map for the setting and personally I like seeting that give me an over view of the world and I can place in what I want. I never like setting that give me too much detail like Ptolus. To me, I like to be able to add to the world not just adventure in it.
Mr.Porter, I am becoming increasingly convinced that you are an alternate version of me, only more creative, and with a more fun job.
Mr.Porter, I am becoming increasingly convinced that you are an alternate version of me, only more creative, and with a more fun job.
Hey forget that Mr. Porter stuff. My dad is Mr. Porter, I am LPJ.
I'm considering buying this in a couple of months. I'm curious if I do buy the physical product, will it be from the updater fully Pathfinder compatible PDF.
I'm considering buying this in a couple of months. I'm curious if I do buy the physical product, will it be from the updater fully Pathfinder compatible PDF.
We have updated the PDF version and there are a "few copies" of the original version laying around which I think Paizo does have some. I am planning to get this product reprinted in the next few months as we are planning to get Obsidian Twilight and the upcoming A Place Beyond Hell into the local gaming store retail channels. So what I would tell you to do is wait until you heard about the new printed version just in case. I would hate for you to get not what you wanted. Thanks for the support.
Chapter 3 contains new spells found on Abaddon. (39 pages) 6 pages contain spell lists by class.
I liked most spells and for the sake of me completing this review this century, I'm just going into extremely cool spells or problems.
-Blood Tentacles summons tentacles from dead or dying people (killing them) that grapple enemies. cool idea, however, no CMB is given in the spell description.
-Bone construct: Makes it possible for a Necromancer to make moving things from bones. Great spell to get creative and create/amplify undead. I love "roleplaying" spells like this one, though I think that the spell should have a monetary component to balance out the fact that it's permanent. As it stands, it conflicts with PFRPG crafting.
-Bones of Adamantine has a casting time of "One kill round". Not sure whether that's a typo or if there is something like a kill round.
-Chains of Antimagic: Great idea, I've been using a spell like this in my homebrew for years.
-Consume Man: One of my favorite spells (Cuigna Arthanath or something like that) from the complete book of eldritch might, this insta-kills one enemy, violating PFRPGs retake on Instakill-spells.
-Corpse Storm: 4 corpses per level of the caster bombard an area, propelled by a black cloud of negative energy and bludgeon and panic the poor guys in the area. 'Nuff said.
-Curse of Warts: Cover the target in warts from head to toe. Great way to humiliate cocky PCs.
-De-vein is a lvl 6-Insta-kill spell and thus does not conform with PFRPG design philosophy.
-Disintegration Field works like a mass 3.5.-Disintegrate. It should be revised to conform to PFRPG disintegrate.
-Healing Interdiction: Cool high-level curse that prevents healing.
-Identify Scrier: Mechanically ok, I hate this spell. It identifies the name of a scrier. This could break many an adventure plot.
-Knotting the Cord: Another 3.5-favorite of mine from Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia - nice to see it back in print.
-Maggot Infestation: A very cool spell that unfortunately suffers from 3.5-Insta-death-syndrome. Needs to be updated to PFRPG.
-Mark of Death: Another Insta-death-itis-spell that needs to be updated to PFRPG.
-Realign the Heavens: Powerful spell that does just that - very nice.
-Tendrils of Eternal Night: Iconic spell, unfortunately lacks a CMB for your convenience.
In conclusion one can say that this chapter contains several appropriately dark spells, most of which are somewhat useful or cool. Unfortunately there has been some serious recycling of spells from 3.5-sources (I would have preferred new spells), but this per se is no problem. The fact that several spells still use 3.5.-mechanics, though, is a serious problem, somewhat limiting the usability of this chapter and giving you the impression of a cut-copy-paste-job. Plus: They are NOT new spells as advertised.
Chapter 4 contains new prestige classes and feats (25 pages).
-Blade Witch (d8, 4+Int skills, medium BAB, good Ref-save): A gish-like class that can empower her blade via the sacrifice of spell-slots and regain spells by killing foes. My main gripe here is: The PrC has no capstone ability for 10th level. The final level of the class is a "dead" level: BAB +1, +1 Ref, +1 level spellcasting. Who'd go for that? Besides, it violates PFRPG design philosophy: No more dead levels, at least get access to a new level of spells. That is not ensured by +1 spellcasting level in a PrC.
-Blood Duelist (d10, 4+Int skills, good BAB, medium Ref-save): Khymer warriors that use their blood-body to enhance their combat prowess. The 4th level ability grants DR 5/Fire and reduces all piercing attacks against the Khymer to 1 point. Oo Op, anyone? Apart from this ability, though, the class rocks. I'd suggest amping the DR up to 10 and canceling out the piercing damage-negating ability.
-Dark Overseer (d6, 4+Int skills, slow BAB, medium Will-save): Leader-type Character, demoralizes foes and uses fear. I can't see my players picking this class, it feels rather weak. The level 10 capstone is cool, though: You get a lich-like phylactery. All in all, a nice class for charismatic mastermind antagonists.
-Demon Seeker (d10, 2+Int skills, good BAB, irregular Fort + Will saves [both +6 at 10th level]): "Evil" Paladin-like Anti-infernal zealots. Ok class, I guess, but nothing to write home about.
-Headhunter (d8, 4+Int skills, irregular BAB [+9 at 10th level], irregular Fort + Will saves [both +6 at 10th level]: Very cool class that uses shrunken heads of slain enemies to bolster their own combat prowess.
-Reaper (d10, 2+Int skills, good BAB, good fort-save):This class is utterly and completely over-powered. Reapers may attack more than one square with one hit, up to all 8 around them at 10th level. Why take whirlwind attack again? If that was not enough, they learn to ignore ANY DR a undead creature may have. At the second level of the class. Which means that a level 8 character can wade through the DR of ANY undead creature. This is a stellar example of "cool idea - lacking execution". I'd rather eat my dice than allow this class in my game.
I'm not going into details on the feats that make up the rest of this chapter and just comment on the ones where I see problems or that I consider especially well-thought out.
-Cannibalism [Lykian]: I think Halflings should also be able to do this, at least from the sparse fluff I read. Apart from that, eating a slain enemies heart to restore 1d8+1/HD HP is not that much. Useful at lower levels, but I think it should scale accordingly.
-Casting out the Unclean: Turn evil outsiders. I don't know, I think clerics should be able to turn undead first as a prerequisite to this feat, which is no longer a given in PFRPG.
-Death Touch: Clunky mechanics taken straight from the cleric ability in 3.5. Needs revision.
-Erupt[Khymer]: Lets a Khymer burst his body vessel in a toxic explosion. Great idea, but I think the damage should scale with the levels - 4d4 is rather laughable at medium and high levels.
-Fade out [Genesai]: While powerful, the loss of actions and the usage of their shattersoul blade makes this ability to cease to exist (and become immune to damage) for a short amount of time quite interesting. Strong, yes, but it can be handled.
-Final Revenge[Rajin]: even if you die, the spirit within keeps you around as a stronger Zombie for one final bid for revenge. Cool idea, especially due to still being able to be resurrected.
-Ghost blooded [Harrowed]: Can turn incorporeal for lvl/rounds per day. Can break adventures and is VERY strong at lower levels.
-Lace spells: Originally from the Book of Eldritch Might, I considered them OP then and still do so.
-Poltergeist[Rajin]: Use telekinesis BAB times per day as a free action. DC is 10+level+Wis-mod, only one telekinetic attack per round, but can use normal attacks in addition. Ähem. This is OP. Srsly. You can grapple with telekinesis. You need Wis and Con 14+ and a BAB of 3+, but nevertheless: This feat is broken.
-Prehensile Tail [Infernal]: Get a second off-hand for a light weapon with your tail. No. Just no. OP. I don't even have to do the math, just think about it.
-Torch Fighter: Now this is a cool feat: Use a torch as unarmed attacks and set enemies on fire.
-Unscry: Great feat, but why doesn't it have a captivating fluff text? Just two lines could have inspired awesome adventure ideas.
To sum it up: Apart from the blood duelist and the headhunter, the PrCs didn't wow me and the feats didn't either. Some racial feats are very cool, most are standard fare - good, but nothing to write home about. I was kinda irked by the amount of material from the Book of Eldritch Might I've seen so far - there is serious recycling going on when some of the original ideas show that the authors can deliver cool original concepts and I want more NEW material.
Chapter 5 describes the dangers of Abaddon (25 pages).
The chapter kicks off with 2 new monsters (with two versions each, normal and paragon) as well as a template for necromantic infused creatures.
The monsters are:
-Boneshard Golem (CR8)
-Paragon Boneshard Golem (CR 11)
-Souleater (CR 8)
-Paragon Souleater (CR 11)
Both the monsters and the template get their own, drop-dead gorgeous artworks. The fluff for the creatures is both plentiful and aptly written and I'm glad they have been updated to PFRPG - in my first version of the pdf, they still had been 3.5..
After that, we move on to the major players of Abaddon:
-Asi Magnor: Asi Magnor is a CR 30 mummy-king with a quite complex stat-block befitting of such a big baddy. The entry comes with a short history of the villain as well as some magic items of his regalia.
While I really do like complex stat-blocks, I am not too great a crunching numbers myself. One of the things that struck me as a bit strange was the creatures speed of 25 ft., when a normal mummy has 20 feet. Oh well.
The regalia of Asi Magnor unfortunately does not live up to his cool premise and the component weapons, while featuring cool names, seemed quite weak to me or at least not befitting a CR 30 endgame villain.
-Calix Sabinus: Calix Sabinus, the CR 35 vampire-lich lord is quite possibly the most powerful entity in the blasted, cataclysmic land of the Obsidian Twilight setting. While I vastly prefer this stat-block to e.g. the one of Asi Magnor, Calix's melee capabilities somehow left something to be desired for me. Yes, his vast arsenal of spells and abilities make him deadly and his nature makes him almost unkillable, but he is a fragile enemy and I'm not entirely sure he should be.
Once again, his magic items, while this time iconic, are nothing to write home about at this power-level.
-Zebadiah: Zebadiah (CR 30) is the crippled angel and progenitor of the exalted race. Once a mighty and perhaps the last force of celestial good in the lands of Obsidian Twilight, the angel Zebadiah has been crippled, defeated and mutilated by Calix Sabinus, forever roaming the lands with his half-scarred form, seething with righteous anger for his humiliation.
His statblock is great and actually makes him a credible threat for high-level PCs (or Npcs) and for once, his magic items are befitting in power-level of such a high-level creature.
It should be noted that all three legends have been updated to PFRPG and DO have CMB/CMD etc. While the artwork for Asi Magnor left me unimpressed, the other two ones are simply stunning. If you already own the "Fallen of Obsidian Twilight"-series, though, you'll already know them.
After that, we get 8 new diseases, ranging from DC 14 to DC 20. The fluff of the diseases is actually quite cool and tells you something about Abaddon, while the mechanics are not that imaginative. They don't suck either, though.
We also get 20 new environments & hazards, one of which actually takes up more than a single page! There are some more typos here, which somewhat impedes the enjoyment of the otherwise captivating descriptions of the hazards.
The final page of the pdf is a full-color map of Abaddon.
Conclusion:
For 15 bucks, you get an awfully beautiful book. That's the first thing you'll notice. Apart from some artwork that has been recycled from other LPJ books, most of it is original and stunningly beautiful. The layout of the book is on par with this beauty. However, the book loses some of this appeal if you already own the "Races of Obsidian Twilight" and "Fallen of Obsidian Twilight"-pdfs, as the artworks for e.g. the races have been used in both. Unfortunately, editing is subpar at best with typos, double paragraphs etc. This book deserved a better editing and some of the abilities and spells go against some of the revisions of PFRPG. (Insta-death, looking at you...)
To understand my final verdict, you have to understand something: I saw this setting and immediately wanted to love it. I'm a Ravenloft-DM and have always loved Dark Sun.
Why then, has this book left me feeling somewhat confused and irritated?
The answer is quite simple one of sub-par advertisement of the setting: Obsidian Twilight has almost nothing in common with Ravenloft, there is no psychological, subtle gothic horror anywhere in sight. In fact, you'll probably play such an inhumane race that it will be hard to create the subtle traumas and effects on sanity etc.
I'd also disagree with regards to Dark Sun, there are not enough survival aspects as of yet.
Do I like the premise of OT? Yep, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. Can I tackle it on its own, without these two frames of reference? Yes. It is a setting of high-powered races and powerful villains - Epic Fantasy in a dark, post-apocalyptic setting. In the end, this is closer to Midnight than it will ever be to Ravenloft, which is not bad, as I love that setting, too.
Would I buy it again? Hard to tell. Why? Well, I already owned the "Fallen of OT"-series and the "Races of OT"-book. This "Campaign setting" does not feature THAT much new content. Many of the spells I already knew from the complete "Book of Eldritch Might, "Magic of Arcanis" and other sources. The same goes for non-racial feats. This disproves that the spells are all new. Which is a pity, as I really like some of the concepts and especially the powerful Rajin has captured my interest.
I didn't notice the new magic items and equipment either, so that's false advertisement.
The central problem of this book and what really, truly irritated me though, was: Even after reading the book, I know almost nothing about Abaddon. Highly detailed?
Ähem. No. Sorry, but just: No.
There is no sample town, no sample nation, no political landscape, no sample NPCs apart from the big three, nothing. There is the chronology in the beginning, granted, but THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO QUALIFY AS A CAMPAIGN SETTING.
All I know about the world, I had to pierce together from the sparse fluff throughout the book and that makes me crave for more. But there isn't any more. Instead of a developed world or at least a broad overview, I got a sketch of an interesting setting that actually contains far less information that e.g. the Gazetteer for Golarion. Or just about every other campaign setting or even Player-friendly book I ever read. Heck, I've read short stories that tell you more about the world they are set in.
This book, at least for me, is a prime example of squandered potential - the world HAS potential and I WANT to know more about it. I don't want x pages of spells that have been cut-copy-pasted from 3.5-books without heeding design changes in Pathfinder. I don't want x pages of tokens with Calix' face that either detract from his horror or just plain don't work for other creatures. What I want is, what this book is advertised as - a CAMPAIGN SETTING for this cool and unique world. As it stands, the book unfortunately falls terribly short of this premise.
That being said, I so desperately WANTED to give this book a good review. It's beautiful. It makes me yearn for more. I can't. There are several typos (-1 star). There are some design-issues with the races and PFRPG (-1 star). There is A LOT of recycled material that takes up the space that could have been used for...A friggin' campaign setting. Or the Information from the product description LIKE EQUIPMENT, MAGIC ITEMS OR HIGHLY DETAILED REGIONS; HISTORY AND ORGANIZATIONS (-1 star). Damn, this depresses the hell out of me. My final verdict will be 2 stars. HOWEVER: If you can live with the sketchy backdrop of the setting, the design-incompatibilities with PFRPG, if you only want some inspiration: Go for it. The artwork is gorgeous and you'll surely be able to scavenge some parts. I really hope for OT to succeed and get the careful, caring treatment its potential deserves. As it stands, it unfortunately leaves much to be desired.