Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 5 (OGL)

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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 5 (OGL)
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Beyond the veil!

Creatures strange beyond imagining and more terrifying than any nightmare lurk in the dark corners of the world and the weird realms beyond. Within this book, you'll find hundreds of monsters for use in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Face off against devils and dragons, deep ones and brain moles, robots and gremlins, and myriad other menaces! Yet not every creature needs to be an enemy, as whimsical liminal sprites, helpful moon dogs, and regal seilenoi all stand ready to aid you on your quests—if you prove yourself worthy.

Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 is the fifth indispensable volume of monsters for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and serves as a companion to the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook and Pathfinder RPG Bestiary. This imaginative tabletop game builds upon more than 10 years of system development and an Open Playtest featuring more than 50,000 gamers to create a cutting-edge RPG experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of fantasy rules into a new era.

Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 includes:

  • More than 300 different monsters.
  • New player-friendly races like caligni dark folk, deep one hybrids, plant-bodied ghorans, and simian orang-pendaks.
  • Psychic creatures both benevolent and terrifying, from the enigmatic anunnaki and faceless astomoi to the howling caller in darkness and insidious, alien grays.
  • New familiars, animal companions, and other allies, such as clockwork familiars, red pandas, and many-legged wollipeds.
  • New templates to help you get more life out of classic monsters.
  • Appendices to help you find the right monster, including lists by Challenge Rating, monster type, and habitat.
  • Expanded universal monster rules to simplify combat.
  • Challenges for every adventure and every level of play.
  • ... and much, much more!

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-792-5

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

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Rulebook Subscription.

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Average product rating:

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My Favourite So Far

5/5

Don't have really anymore to add beyond that, love all the eldritch and occult flavor being pumped in ^w^


The weakest of the bunch

2/5

On the one hand, there are a good couple of gems and some very inspired entries throughout this book and, in truth, two stars is somewhat unfair, especially for the PDF. But, personally, I feel they're warranted, as this book seems to signal a shift in Pathfinder's direction, and one that I'm not happy about in the least.

First off, while Occult Adventures is readily available for consultation online in the SRD, I did not like to see a sizable number of monsters using rules from that book. It's one thing to have spells or feats from, say, Advanced Player's Guide or Mythic Adventures, as those are books that complement the game as a whole and present options for all classes, whereas Occult Adventures is a very specific niche that not all players will want to incorporate in their campaigns.

Secondly, I did not like the muddled product identity Paizo is showcasing here, with monsters such as the Android, Gray (Roswell), Reptoid (Reptilian) and Robot. Even the Annunaki seems more at home as the antagonist of, say, a Legion of Super-Heroes comic book. It's one thing to want to provide the tools for varied and diverse fantasy campaigns - in which constructs, space aberrations and even clockwork creatures can easily work without sticking out like sore thumbs - but quite another one to insert borderline hard-SF or contemporary conspiracy theorist creatures on a lark. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks this is not, and let's endeavor to keep it that way, please.

Thirdly, snake-bodied weasels with boar tusks? Serpentine bulls? Shark-headed sea serpents? Wolf-headed sea serpents? A chinchilla with a bat wing on the tip of its tail? An octopus with three shark heads? Really? Unless you have an absolutely amazing hook or a compelling campaign seed, why bother putting out this silly, uninspired dross? You can do much better than this, Paizo.


Monsters Galore

4/5

Read my full review on Of Dice and Pen.

I like Bestiary 5 a great deal. On an initial look-through before reading it more thoroughly, there were numerous monsters that drew my attention, that made me want to know more about them, and screamed to be included in one of my games sometime down the road. There's a wide variety of monsters present, with every type represented and the spread between them being fairly even. Ooze is a monster type that is often under-represented, but there are quite a few new oozes in this book. Along with that there are lots of magical beasts, constructs, undead, vermin, fey, and so on. In addition, there are several mythic monsters, and Bestiary 5 is the first hardcover book to contain monsters using the occult rules from Occult Adventures. The monsters cover a wide variety of challenge ratings as well, from 1/6 to 24. The bulk of the creatures are in the low- to mid-CR range, but there are also a sizeable number of high-CR monsters as well.


Grim Reapers, Deep Ones, and Greys Oh My!

5/5

I have always loved Bestiaries and Paizo has yet to disappoint in department. Now with a 5th hardcover bestiary they continue with quality and variety. I will list the good and the bad of this fine product.
The Good
-Dragons, 5 great new true dragons, along with a variety of "lesser" dragons such as jungle drake, rope dragon, vishap, and awesome shen.
-Fey, a variety of ranging from low to high CR such as the house spirits and the glaistag.
-Giants, we finally get the Firbolg, been waiting to see this one for a long time.
-New 0HD races like the Astomi, Caligni, and Reptoid.
-Aliens such as greys and the Anunnaki.
-Elementals such as aether, the wysps and the awesome anemos.
-Interesting oozes such as animate hair, apallie, and living mirage.
-New clestials and aeons.
-Robots!
-Creatures from mythology.
-Old school monster such as moon dogs, muckdwellers, brain moles, and thought eaters.
-Some interesting undead like bone ship and death coach.

The Bad
-Some minor design issues.
-Some art issues.
-The Sahkil, another evil outsider group, could have used this space for Oni, Azura, or Rakshasa.
-Continued use of the mythic rules that to me should be a completely optional rule.


3 STARS?????

5/5

I can't agree with the below rating of 3 stars. (Read Below) This is on-par with any other bestiary piazo has produced. Although i cant speak of quality due to just buying a pdf, this bestiary has the best range of monster selection in my opinion. It adds some technology driven ideas, unique story driven monsters and my favorite: A BoneShip, literally the pcs can fight an undead ship!!!! The complaint of no new monster over CR25 is a lazy lie, using templates the Esoteric Dragons can be over CR25 with other CR20+ monsters utilizing templates provided can increase above CR25. This book contains ideas for familiars, companions, and constructs for many classes and pairs amazingly well with content from the Occult Adventures. I Love this book, and pathfinder in general due to the wealth of information it has for both a PC and a DM. Cant wait for more!!!


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Silver Crusade Contributor

2 people marked this as a favorite.

In related stories, a Tumblr post from the devs that kind of explains the art. ^_^


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Oh, that makes sense, they aren't in ANY myth-lists online, and i'm mostly not really interested in aliens.

Still like the real myth though, not so much the pathfinder version with the laptop.

Anyway I really can't wait to find out how many of these critters from my own game I can scrap off the list after i've seen Bestiary 5!, so please November, hurry the abyss UP!

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I would very much like an Aniwye - a skunk-based monster appeals to me ;3


Well there is a lot monsters I would like to see so chances are I will find stuff in this book I like. Sure I have had disappointments or monsters I just didn't like. But such creatures were a very, very small percentage of the book, like 12 monsters or less.

Liberty's Edge

I was hoping for more fey too.


I am sure we will be getting more fey, though how many I have no idea.


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Myth Lord wrote:

Was there recently a show in America about Annunaki or aliens or something?

Why everybody knows about them except for Myth Lord here? (And I know many myths)

Must be a show in America recently.

Like bigfoot and mothman, the aliens presented in Pathfinder are usually less StarTrek and more "what the hell was that thing". Something unexplained that you encounter in the wilderness. Hence why they're so similar in tone to English folklore from the 1600s like spring heeled jack or the ghost zeppelins; they're just American version of the same thing. People contextualize older stories of demons using new buzzwords but the same idea. So in the 1900s it would be ridiculous for an American to claim to have been possessed by the devil, so they explain their encounter in the woods with something they saw on the Twilight Zone.

Annunaki is this in reverse. American television tries to project their belief in aliens backwards onto the stories and myths of the past directly. Claiming old folklore was actually aliens, as though this is more likely or makes it more realistic. It doesn't because their own believe in aliens is the same sort of mysticism. They're just throwing on a new coat of paint.

Given what they did with elohim and mi-go, I suspect Paizo will be making aliens as a blend of old and new myths. With some of the visual elements and particular behaviors of the newer alien urban legends, while keeping their older mythological roots as the core theme.


So far I like the monsters shown in the previews. I'm hoping to see some of the Taino and Native American monsters I have statted up in my thread. Still banking for the hupia!


From past APs I hope to see...
Danse Macabre
Buraq
Calikang
Stygia
Calathgar
Blodeuwedd
Dweomer Cat
Skirk Nettle
Biloko
Gare Linnorm
Oni(all)
Kami(all)
Gargiya
Addu
Mezlan
Domovoi
Dvorovoi
Ovinnik
Cynosphynx
Shasalqu
Elder Sphinx
Ammut
Mummy Lord
Raiju
Coral Capuchin
Tidepool Dragon
Aspidochelone

There are more that is what comes to mind.

Silver Crusade Contributor

Dragon78 wrote:

From past APs I hope to see...

Danse Macabre
Buraq
Calikang (ISWG)
Stygia
Calathgar
Blodeuwedd
Dweomer Cat (B4?)
Skirk Nettle
Biloko
Gare Linnorm
Oni(all)
Kami(all)
Gargiya
Addu
Mezlan
Domovoi
Dvorovoi
Ovinnik
Cynosphynx
Shasalqu
Elder Sphinx
Ammut
Mummy Lord
Raiju
Coral Capuchin
Tidepool Dragon
Aspidochelone (B3?)

There are more that is what comes to mind.

Pretty sure you should check Bestiaries 3 & 4... ^_^

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Speaking of UFO myths, I hope they include Dover Demon one day if they are going to include more aliens and cryptids

Since that thing is so creepy


Agreed. Should be called a Mannegishi, though.


None of those monsters are in any of the hardcover bestiaries available right now.

Editor-in-Chief

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Joe Hex wrote:
Really glad to hear about a playable "Dark Folk" race. I'm honestly surprised we haven't got one before now. (I did make my own with the Advanced Race Guide, but the more the merrier!)

Right? I've kind of adopted this race in the last year or two and have a few schemes.

Schemes a half-breed is important too.

Schemes that probably exceed a single monster write-up's word count in scope.

But that's for later...

Editor-in-Chief

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Kalindlara wrote:
I do find it interesting that the sakhil are appearing right around the same time as an AP article on Mahathallah, fallen psychopomp. ^_^

Another good catch by Kalindlara.

Almost like there's going to be connections.

Almost like I'm working on both. ;)

Editor-in-Chief

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Dragon78 wrote:

Considering I do not like psychopomps, I have no interest in the Sahkil, like this game needs another evil outsider group. Now those Manasaputra guys sound interesting, we could use another good outsider group though CN, LN, and N(non-psychopomps) outsiders are so unloved.

Any info you can give about this book that nobody has asked yet?

Yes, but that feels soooo much like cheating.

Turns out the closed door Paizocon Art Preview was full of good stuff. I think that seminar's going to be a must-see for spoiler addicts next year!

Editor-in-Chief

KaiserBruno wrote:
The Sahkil sound cool. Wondering what there deal is. And to Mr. Schneider are there going to be normal psychopomps in Bestiary 5? They and the proteans are my favorite outsider races.

We certainly haven't mentioned either race yet, so I can't confirm nor deny.

Editor-in-Chief

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Kalindlara wrote:
In related stories, a Tumblr post from the devs that kind of explains the art. ^_^

Good eye, Kalindlara. I never sneak any teases in there or compile spoilers I find. ;)

Editor-in-Chief

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Qstor wrote:
I was hoping for more fey too.

REJOICE! You will get more of the thing you like! :D


F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
Kalindlara wrote:
In related stories, a Tumblr post from the devs that kind of explains the art. ^_^
Good eye, Kalindlara. I never sneak any teases in there or compile spoilers I find. ;)

You're a Sin-Eater? Who's your geist?

Silver Crusade Contributor

Dragon78 wrote:
None of those monsters are in any of the hardcover bestiaries available right now.

Sorry - been up all day and night. I could have sworn that the latter two got Bestiaried. Must be wishful thinking. ^_^

If it helps, though, I'm looking at the Calikang entry in the Inner Sea World Guide right now.


I have a list somewhere of creatures in APs that haven't been put in a hardcover bestiary excluding heralds of course;)

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

0HD dark folk race is awesome btw, do they share the whole "face covered by cowl/bandages/something" thing that is cool? :D


I really hope there will be some new inevitables and proteans. Though with the devils getting additions I doubt it.

Liberty's Edge

Any chance for some tiny elementals that could be used as familiars?


I'm calling it... Annunaki will be on the cover, seeing everybody being even more happy to see this creature than Chtulu himself.

Rather confused that this creature will be the Diamond in Bestiary 5, as its Science-Fiction.


Familiar or not, some tiny elementals would be nice.

I would love some new proteans and inevitables.


Myth Lord wrote:

I'm calling it... Annunaki will be on the cover, seeing everybody being even more happy to see this creature than Chtulu himself.

Rather confused that this creature will be the Diamond in Bestiary 5, as its Science-Fiction.

We have only a small handful of creatures whose name we know and who have had artwork done for...


I really hope to find Zitiron (the armored merman) in these pages, those creatures lack any good art elsewhere.


Mark Seifter wrote:
F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
Barachiel Shina wrote:

Hmm...not really fond of a huge Alien theme. Robots I could use. Mythic monsters are fine as long as they don't overload this book. I thought we got that back in Bestiary 4?

Also not caring about the new "occult monsters" in this, as I have no interest in Occult Adventures. I thought that was the purpose of the Occult Bestiary?

I would not say the book has either an aliens "theme," per say.

There are aliens, there are occult monsters, there are even mythic monsters, but I wouldn't say their presence overshadows the book's goal: present a @#$%-ton of cool new monsters! :)

Yeah, it's got a whole lot of awesome no matter what creature type is your favorite. Even if your favorite is oozes or plants or something! Guess how many CR 20 plants are in the book, Bestiary fans? There's even some bedeviling and powerful fey that dethrone the norn and erlking as our most powerful yet!

Ok, I'm sold :D


I'd guess the flying monkeys will be on the cover. Usually they put iconic monsters and, well, that's pretty iconic of us Oz lovers.

Man, has it really been almost two years since Bestiary 4? Yikes time flies. Hopefully Paizo will put in some of the creatures I have statted in my Arcadia thread (*cough*hupia*cough*)

;)


The Hupia would make an interesting 0HD undead race.

The flying monkeys(Hsingo) would be a good small creature to have multiple of on the cover.

Dark Archive

Dragon78 wrote:
I have a list somewhere of creatures in APs that haven't been put in a hardcover bestiary excluding heralds of course;)

Do you by any chance have a list of what 3.5 ones from Pathfinder products never got updated to PF rules officially (mostly from APs, but also modules and sourcebooks)? I was considering going through my old books and trying to put one of those together, but it sounds like there's a chance you might already have one.

Currently the ones I'd most like to see brought back are the Danse Macabre and the Havero.

=================================================

Having said that, I'm also looking forward to the new monsters. The aliens and fallen Psychopomps excite me. I echo the request for more Inevitables / Proteans.

Silver Crusade Contributor

If Dragon78 doesn't, let me know and I'll put one together. ^_^


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Are there any plans to make a flatwoods monster entry into any upcoming bestiaries? That beast comes up all the time in my friend's japanese tabletop games, but I don't think I've seen it in a western game outside of Conspiracy X.


Alex Smith 908 wrote:
Are there any plans to make a flatwoods monster entry into any upcoming bestiaries? That beast comes up all the time in my friend's japanese tabletop games, but I don't think I've seen it in a western game outside of Conspiracy X.

If it looks like this then I'm set.


There actually is a plant monster based on that in one of the Shattered Star AP volume bestiaries...


No, I only have the AP bestiary creatures listed. Page 62 of the B5 wish list has a multiple lists of creatures in the APs, modules, etc. that haven't made into a hardcover bestiary.


MMCJawa wrote:
There actually is a plant monster based on that in one of the Shattered Star AP volume bestiaries...

Which book/monster?

Paizo Employee Developer

It was in Pathfinder #61.

Link


The Melfesh Monster has the Sandpoint Devil problem, though, in that's it's named after a specific location in Golarion, which probably means it won't be seen in a setting neutral Bestiary. Which is a shame, as I'd like to see both included.


The AP monsters I still love to see in Bestiary 5 are: (bold are favorites)

***Rise of the Runelords***
- Jersey Devil / Sandpoint Devil / Whatever Devil you call it in a neutral book.
- Skull Ripper

***Curse of the Crimson Throne***
- Danse Macabre (other art)

***Second Darkness***
- Swamp Barracuda

***Legacy of Fire***
- Black Jinn
- Azi, SRUVARA (but this is ALL WRONG, should be a YELLOW dragon, not a green/blue one, other art needed, with old art I don't like it at all.)
- Azi, Zahhak (with other art)

***Council of Thieves***
- Devil, Ukobach (other art)
- VRYKOLAKAS

***Kingmaker***
- Drekavac (But rather see Acheri)
- Bog Strider
- Hail Lily
- SKRIK NETTLE

***Serpent's Skull***
- Eurypterid
- BILOKO (But renamed Eloko)
- CHEMOSIT (the nandi bear)(other art)
- CAMULATZ
- MOKELE-MBEMBE (other art)
- IMPUNDULU (other art maybe)
- Obambo
- Inkanyamba
- Umdhlebi (but with other artwork only)

***Carrion Crown***
- Vilkacis

***Jade Regent***
- Demon, Hala
- Oni, Yamabushi Tengu
- Oni, Nogitsune (9-tail fox art, puppy eyes)
- CHON CHON
- Kijimuna (but rather see the Brazilian Curupira)
- RAIJU (most important creature for me)

***Skull & Shackles***
- Dunkleosteus (other art)
- Black Spot Urchin
- Coral Capuchin
- Addu (other art)
- Gigas Clam (other art)

***Shattered Star***
- WOLPERTINGER (other art)
- Bogwid (other art)
- Polevik
- Mezlan (with other artwork)

***Reign of Winter***
- Frost Fir
- Domovoi
- OVINNIK (but on it's own page with artwork)
- AZGENZAK (but as Butatch-Ah-Illgs and with other artwork)
- Kokogiak
- Sangoi
- URSIKKA
- POLUDNICA (oh, please put other art on that poor creature)

***Wrath of the Righteous***
- LAMHIGYN (Also known as Water Leapers)
- Corpse Lotus

***Mummy's Mask***
- AHKHAT
- Shasalqu
- Scarab Swarm
- SHA (one of my favorites)
- Giant Assassin Bug
- Giant Walking Stick
- SERPOPARD
- LIVING SANDSTORM
- Elder Sphinx
- AMMUT (crazy when this is not in bestiary 5)

***Iron Gods***
Don't know, don't care

***Giant Slayer***
None, as for now (only seen two bestiaries though)

***FROM OTHER PRODUCTS***
- Phasmadaemon
- The Blood Daemon, forgot it's name, looks like fly made from blood.
- Delgeth
- Tizheruk
- Thin Man
- Whirlmaw (please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, that awesome thing shouldn't be in Inner Sea Bestiary, its more fit for any land)

All others arent'really my thing, I fear many of Iron God and Wrath of the Righteous make it in Bestiary 5, those were my least favorite bestiaries.


I was actually hoping the Eloko would be a different monster. The mythical creature has two names (Biloko and Eloko) and two descriptions (Evil carnivorous dwarves and giant lumbering crocodile giants.) I was hoping they could be two separate monsters.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Maybe we can get some Gigas stuff? Those guys always interested me.


Yes, but Eloko is mostly the carnivorous dwarf, the Biloko is the croc/baboon thingy, so that's why I want them renamed.


Fair enough, Sincubus. I'm a big fan of the cartoon Secret Saturdays, (Which no one seems to remember.) I'd really like something like the Biloko from that show as well, though I like the one we have. Pretty sure they said we'd be getting some Gigas related stuff in the new AP, so it seems they're on their minds. Maybe we'll get the Abyss and Hell Gigas in the bestiary, though any new ones from Giantslayer we'll probably have to wait for. The Gigas are awesome though, I agree.


F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
Joe Hex wrote:
Really glad to hear about a playable "Dark Folk" race. I'm honestly surprised we haven't got one before now. (I did make my own with the Advanced Race Guide, but the more the merrier!)

Right? I've kind of adopted this race in the last year or two and have a few schemes.

Schemes a half-breed is important too.

Schemes that probably exceed a single monster write-up's word count in scope.

But that's for later...

Darkslayers are one of my favourite monsters. I imagine them as these jittery little psycopaths with shrill voices and barely controlled fury.

Whoever did the art did an outstanding job.

So here's hoping the playable race is a dark slayer.

Silver Crusade Contributor

I think Serpent's Skull uses the name Eloko for spriggans, somewhere in Racing to Ruin. I'll have to check again, though. ^_^


This would make the perfect artwork for the POLUDNICA, not the holy housewives that are shown in on AP Bestiary


The Poludnica are supposed to be seductive, though, right? Or am I misunderstanding the myth? I'd still like them to have a few nonhuman features though.

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