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NUMERIA!
Creative Director
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1. Is being nice to a Metallic Dragon always a good idea?
2. What do you think of an Adventure Path prominently featuring Andoran?
3. Speaking of which, will we ever see more stuff involving Andoran?
4. Would you describe Taldor as Byzantium meets Blackadder III? ;)
5. If you honestly could, would you create Hardcover Compilations/Anniversary Edition of Curse of the Crimson Throne and Second Darkness? (I'm not saying will you do it, but do you wish it was possible?)
6. What would you think of calling the above two Adventure Paths plus Rise of the Runelords the Holy Trinity?
1) No.
2) Meh.
3) Yes. There's an entry for Falcon's Hollow coming up in a few months in Towns of Golarion, for example.
4) Hmmm... not familiar with Blackadder, so I can't say.
5) Shrug. That's a lot of extra work, frankly, and I would kind of want to focus that work on NEW stuff.
6) Don't like it.
So I'm running a Kingmaker campaign, and we're a good portion of the way through book two. My wizard player took one look at Candlemere (from a safe distance) and declared that he was going to build himself a tower there. Once the island has been cleared of threats, he plans to build a city there, with a Caster's Tower and various academic and magical institutions.
This is, of course, an amazing opportunity to play with some Old God influence. The obvious ideas are things like a Yog-Sothoth themed dungeon hidden under the city, or a cult event similar to the cult of Gyronna. Before I do that, though, I'd like to start with something more subtle and insidious. If you were GMing this; what would you do? The player is a pretty good sport, so ideas requiring his active involvement are fair game.
Thanks!
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Creative Director
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So I'm running a Kingmaker campaign, and we're a good portion of the way through book two. My wizard player took one look at Candlemere (from a safe distance) and declared that he was going to build himself a tower there. Once the island has been cleared of threats, he plans to build a city there, with a Caster's Tower and various academic and magical institutions.
This is, of course, an amazing opportunity to play with some Old God influence. The obvious ideas are things like a Yog-Sothoth themed dungeon hidden under the city, or a cult event similar to the cult of Gyronna. Before I do that, though, I'd like to start with something more subtle and insidious. If you were GMing this; what would you do? The player is a pretty good sport, so ideas requiring his active involvement are fair game.
Thanks!
I'd let the player clear out the site but NOT find any dungeons. Then, after a while, when he has started building stuff, start having him have weird and creepy dreams. Start having the player make Perception checks now and then, and randomly tell him that he catches a spiral shape out of the corner of his eye. Or just take pains to mention increasingly that he's seeing spirals in things (a spiral being Yog-Sothoth's symbol). Eventually, if you want to be REALLY crazy, have a spawn of Yog-Sothoth attack his home and as it does, call out "BROTHER!" to him, and have the spawn have the character's face on its body... you can do that especially if you set it up several sessions before hand by having the player make a Will save and no matter what he rolled, tell him he has a freaky dream about walking into the woods and having a romantic encounter with a beautiful dryad. Then tell him, "When you woke up this morning... it was actually almost noon—you really slept in. And your feet were covered in pine needles and mud, like you'd been out walking in the woods..."
ETC.
I'd love to have this situation in one of my games.
NUMERIA!Not seeing a question there...
NUMERIA?!?
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What is the thought process behind Soconbenoth having a quarterstaff and the Travel domain? I'm interested to know how those 2 fit that particular demon lord thematically.Quaerterstaff: Because it's a phallic symbol.
Travel Domain: Because he gets around, and goes a lot of places to indulge in his exotic lusts and interests. And because giving him that domain gave him a unique spin among demon lords, who don't normally give that domain out.
Hmmm, hadn't thought of the travel domain that way for him. Like it, makes for some interesting concepts for a character. How does this reconcile with worship becoming something in vogue amongst jaded nobility? Is this an aspect of his faith that would be downplayed amongst those individuals and if not how do you see them reconciling that with their normal lifestyle?
also may I ask why not a greatclub then?
lol on a side note, I now have this horrible image of the main character from saints row 3 and that games infamous melee weapon and my mind is trying to turn that into a follower of Soconbenoth stuck in my head.
James: When are we gonna see a great Pathfinderized version of Cenobites themed monsters from Hellraiser books?
i saw one of Golarion´s Phanteon looks like one of them, and in ISWG at Nidal entry, theres other one... but, i really love see them Pathfinderized, with mythic and so...
Every Kyton has some cenobite in them...
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How do you deal with players who hate starting at 1st level? You mentioned that you like starting at the beginning and advancing to high levels through the story. I like the same setup, but one of my best roleplaying friends absolutely hates starting at 1st level because the builds he likes to use often don't start being effective until they're at a higher level.
For example, he wants to play a gunslinging paladin for Wrath of the Righteous, but since the Holy Gun archetype is somewhat difficult to utilize when comparatively to a character who has 1 level of Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger and 4 levels of Divine Hunter Paladin will ultimately do the same thing the archetype does better. I recommended this build to him, but he stated that as a result he wouldn't be able to start the game as a paladin, because I'm such a putz for always making the characters start at first level. In his mind, the game doesn't start being fun until about tenth level or so, arguing that the kinds of characters you see in TV shows and movies never start out at 1st level (with the exception of Luke Skywalker, but he was always more partial to Han Solo anyway).
We've argued about this before, and I'd really like to work things out with him, but unless we come to an agreement, he's probably going to ditch the concept.
Hi James. I realise you aren't the rule guy, etc, but I would like your take in this one. Mythic surge is written up as:
Surge (Su): You can call upon your mythic power to overcome difficult challenges. You can expend one use of mythic power to increase any d20 roll you just made by rolling 1d6 and adding it to the result. Using this ability is an immediate action taken after the result of the original roll is revealed. This can change the outcome of the roll. The bonus die gained by using this ability increases to 1d8 at 4th tier, 1d10 at 7th tier, and 1d12 at 10th tier.
Let's say you use this on an attack roll, and get a 16 on the d20 and a 4 on the d6. My reading is that you effectively rolled a 20 and you therefore crit. Conversely, you can never miss due to a 1 since the minimum is a 2. I am making this assumption since the wording is "increase any d20 roll" rather than referring to a bonus of some sort. Do I have the right of this?
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Hey James, couple of questions.
1) Can you reveal if/and or who of the demon lords that are gonna be statted up have CRs of 30?
2) Could a CR 30 demon lord (or any being of that power level, for that matter) conceivably threaten a deity? I ask because of Pazuzu's and Lamashtu's long standing feud, and in the The Lords of Chaos it says that the fact Lamashtu hasn't destroyed Pazuzu speaks greatly of his tenacity. But I would imagine that it also speaks about his level of power. I'm sure in an open fight Lamashtu would destroy Pazuzu, but would it be totally lopsided? Or could Pazuzu put up a decent fight?
1) So far, only Nocticula and Pazuzu will be CR 30.
2) Yes. A demon lord or creature of equivalent power can threaten a deity. After all... Lamashtu murdered a god in order to become one herself! If Lamashtu and Pazuzu got in a fight... Lamashtu would PROBABLY win... but she'd likely have to use a lot of her power against him and that would leave her open to attack from other demons or even uprisings from her own minions...
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1) So, of the Advanced Class Guide classes revealed thus far, are you particularly interested or intrigued by any of them beyond the swashbuckler?
2) What is it thematically that appeals to you about the Cthulhu mythos, in general?
3) Do you have any real world mythologies that you particularly like? If so, which ones, and what do you like about them?
1) The swashbuckler's the number 1 class in the book for me.
2) The fact that it's an incredibly detailed mythos of alien cosmic horror that wasn't built on existing supernatural mythology. It's not werewolves or vampires or ghosts. It's NEW*. It's uniquely American horror. It's got a sense of the weird and cosmic in it, but it's also got an awesome sense of primal power in it as well... and it's complex too—it's not just a remorseless evil force that seeks to destroy humanity. In fact, in some cases, the mythos forces act in ways that aren't totally unlike the way we would act if we found a weird new bug living in our carpet. And on top of that, Lovecraft is an incredibly fascinating person even without delving into the mythos, and I just really really like his style of writing. I could go on, but that should work for a starter.
*By which I mean it was new at the dawn of the previous century, when Lovecraft got it rolling. Today, it's a genre on its own. How many people can say they invented a genre? How many people can say their name became an adjective?
3) I'm pretty fascinated by Central American mythology, since it's a pantheon of deities worshiped as much out of fear as out of respect, with entire buildings being built for the use of human sacrifice, but there are aspects of all the worlds' mythology that intrigues me.
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James: When are we gonna see a great Pathfinderized version of Cenobites themed monsters from Hellraiser books?
i saw one of Golarion´s Phanteon looks like one of them, and in ISWG at Nidal entry, theres other one... but, i really love see them Pathfinderized, with mythic and so...
Kytons. And their master/overlord/prisoner Zon-Kuthon.
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Creative Director
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What is the thought process behind Soconbenoth having a quarterstaff and the Travel domain? I'm interested to know how those 2 fit that particular demon lord thematically.Quaerterstaff: Because it's a phallic symbol.
Travel Domain: Because he gets around, and goes a lot of places to indulge in his exotic lusts and interests. And because giving him that domain gave him a unique spin among demon lords, who don't normally give that domain out.
Hmmm, hadn't thought of the travel domain that way for him. Like it, makes for some interesting concepts for a character. How does this reconcile with worship becoming something in vogue amongst jaded nobility? Is this an aspect of his faith that would be downplayed amongst those individuals and if not how do you see them reconciling that with their normal lifestyle?
also may I ask why not a greatclub then?
lol on a side note, I now have this horrible image of the main character from saints row 3 and that games infamous melee weapon and my mind is trying to turn that into a follower of Soconbenoth stuck in my head.
Said jaded nobility is all about taking long voyages to strange ports of call. They can certainly afford it.
Greatclubs aren't as graceful in combat, and also don't look as cool when someone like Socothbenoth carries them around. A staff though... that can be all sorts of awesome, and combines with some cool fighting style possibilities.
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How do you deal with players who hate starting at 1st level? You mentioned that you like starting at the beginning and advancing to high levels through the story. I like the same setup, but one of my best roleplaying friends absolutely hates starting at 1st level because the builds he likes to use often don't start being effective until they're at a higher level.
For example, he wants to play a gunslinging paladin for Wrath of the Righteous, but since the Holy Gun archetype is somewhat difficult to utilize when comparatively to a character who has 1 level of Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger and 4 levels of Divine Hunter Paladin will ultimately do the same thing the archetype does better. I recommended this build to him, but he stated that as a result he wouldn't be able to start the game as a paladin, because I'm such a putz for always making the characters start at first level. In his mind, the game doesn't start being fun until about tenth level or so, arguing that the kinds of characters you see in TV shows and movies never start out at 1st level (with the exception of Luke Skywalker, but he was always more partial to Han Solo anyway).
We've argued about this before, and I'd really like to work things out with him, but unless we come to an agreement, he's probably going to ditch the concept.
I guess I'm lucky. I've never had a player who hates starting at 1st level, so I've never had to figure that out.
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Hi James. I realise you aren't the rule guy, etc, but I would like your take in this one. Mythic surge is written up as:
Surge (Su): You can call upon your mythic power to overcome difficult challenges. You can expend one use of mythic power to increase any d20 roll you just made by rolling 1d6 and adding it to the result. Using this ability is an immediate action taken after the result of the original roll is revealed. This can change the outcome of the roll. The bonus die gained by using this ability increases to 1d8 at 4th tier, 1d10 at 7th tier, and 1d12 at 10th tier.
Let's say you use this on an attack roll, and get a 16 on the d20 and a 4 on the d6. My reading is that you effectively rolled a 20 and you therefore crit. Conversely, you can never miss due to a 1 since the minimum is a 2. I am making this assumption since the wording is "increase any d20 roll" rather than referring to a bonus of some sort. Do I have the right of this?
Nope. Only the actual number on the d20 matters when determining if something threatens a critical hit or not. And you ALWAYS miss when you roll a natural one on the d20, unless you take that mythic power that removes that restriction.
So I'm running a Kingmaker campaign, and we're a good portion of the way through book two. My wizard player took one look at Candlemere (from a safe distance) and declared that he was going to build himself a tower there. Once the island has been cleared of threats, he plans to build a city there, with a Caster's Tower and various academic and magical institutions.
This is, of course, an amazing opportunity to play with some Old God influence. The obvious ideas are things like a Yog-Sothoth themed dungeon hidden under the city, or a cult event similar to the cult of Gyronna. Before I do that, though, I'd like to start with something more subtle and insidious. If you were GMing this; what would you do? The player is a pretty good sport, so ideas requiring his active involvement are fair game.
Thanks!
I'd let the player clear out the site but NOT find any dungeons. Then, after a while, when he has started building stuff, start having him have weird and creepy dreams. Start having the player make Perception checks now and then, and randomly tell him that he catches a spiral shape out of the corner of his eye. Or just take pains to mention increasingly that he's seeing spirals in things (a spiral being Yog-Sothoth's symbol). Eventually, if you want to be REALLY crazy, have a spawn of Yog-Sothoth attack his home and as it does, call out "BROTHER!" to him, and have the spawn have the character's face on its body... you can do that especially if you set it up several sessions before hand by having the player make a Will save and no matter what he rolled, tell him he has a freaky dream about walking into the woods and having a romantic encounter with a beautiful dryad. Then tell him, "When you woke up this morning... it was actually almost noon—you really slept in. And your feet were covered in pine needles and mud, like you'd been out walking in the woods..."
ETC.
Good stuff, thanks! I'm definitely planning on saving the dungeon for later. Once the players eventually figure out what's going on and want to remove the evil from the island for good, then they can find the dungeon and destroy whatever creature/artifact is allowing Yog-Sothoth to influence minds in the area.
Is a spawn of Yog-Sothoth (or of other Old Gods) statted up somewhere, or is that something I would need to build myself?
I'd love to have this situation in one of my games.
Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it. If you're struck with any more bouts of inspiration/madness, don't hesitate to share.
James, could an alchemist use a Magic Jar infusion to give the other members of his party the benefit of the Eternal Potion discovery? I know, this is kind of a rules question. However, I'm having a hard time finding something specific about precisely how Permanency works through Magic Jar, so it's kind of an concept/idea thing as well as a mechanics thing.
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Is a spawn of Yog-Sothoth (or of other Old Gods) statted up somewhere, or is that something I would need to build myself?
The Spawn of Yog-Sothoth is currently statted up in the module "Carrion Hill," which is a pretty good thing to pick up if you're considering doing a lot of Lovecraft stuff in your game, even if you don't intend to run the adventure. "Wake of the Watcher" and "Into the Nightmare Rift" are good choices as well, since there's lots more Lovecraftian monsters and support articles in those installments of their respective adventure paths.
There'll be several Lovecraftian monsters statted up in the upcoming Bestiary 4 as well, including Cthulhu and (Spoiler!) the Spawn of Yog-Sothoth.
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James, could an alchemist use a Magic Jar infusion to give the other members of his party the benefit of the Eternal Potion discovery? I know, this is kind of a rules question. However, I'm having a hard time finding something specific about precisely how Permanency works through Magic Jar, so it's kind of an concept/idea thing as well as a mechanics thing.
That'd be up to you as the GM, I'd say. I would let it work, since I'm actually quite partial to the concept of permanent mind-switching or possession elements in stories, as seen in Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep" or the movie "Being John Malkovitch."
Contributor
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James, could an alchemist use a Magic Jar infusion to give the other members of his party the benefit of the Eternal Potion discovery? I know, this is kind of a rules question. However, I'm having a hard time finding something specific about precisely how Permanency works through Magic Jar, so it's kind of an concept/idea thing as well as a mechanics thing.That'd be up to you as the GM, I'd say. I would let it work, since I'm actually quite partial to the concept of permanent mind-switching or possession elements in stories, as seen in Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep" or the movie "Being John Malkovitch."
Hmm. Any chance of a Curwen-style foe in any upcoming adventures? In fact, a nod to the Case of Charles Dexter Ward would be fun. I'm trying to recall a PF or D&D adventure along those lines but currently my head is a bit congested. James - do have a suggestion?
What sort of presence do demons and devils have in Tian Xia? Are Demon Lords and/or Archdevils worshiped there?
I can't imagine Asmodeus would focus entirely upon Avistan/Garund; he's certainly got plans for Tian Xia, right?
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Hmm. Any chance of a Curwen-style foe in any upcoming adventures? In fact, a nod to the Case of Charles Dexter Ward would be fun. I'm trying to recall a PF or D&D adventure along those lines but currently my head is a bit congested. James - do have a suggestion?James, could an alchemist use a Magic Jar infusion to give the other members of his party the benefit of the Eternal Potion discovery? I know, this is kind of a rules question. However, I'm having a hard time finding something specific about precisely how Permanency works through Magic Jar, so it's kind of an concept/idea thing as well as a mechanics thing.That'd be up to you as the GM, I'd say. I would let it work, since I'm actually quite partial to the concept of permanent mind-switching or possession elements in stories, as seen in Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep" or the movie "Being John Malkovitch."
There's ALWAYS a chance of that.
Is a spawn of Yog-Sothoth (or of other Old Gods) statted up somewhere, or is that something I would need to build myself?
The Spawn of Yog-Sothoth is currently statted up in the module "Carrion Hill," which is a pretty good thing to pick up if you're considering doing a lot of Lovecraft stuff in your game, even if you don't intend to run the adventure. "Wake of the Watcher" and "Into the Nightmare Rift" are good choices as well, since there's lots more Lovecraftian monsters and support articles in those installments of their respective adventure paths.
There'll be several Lovecraftian monsters statted up in the upcoming Bestiary 4 as well, including Cthulhu and (Spoiler!) the Spawn of Yog-Sothoth.
Awesome! I've got Wake of the Watcher and Into the Nightmare Rift. I'll definitely consider Carrion Hill.
Thanks again!
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What sort of presence do demons and devils have in Tian Xia? Are Demon Lords and/or Archdevils worshiped there?
I can't imagine Asmodeus would focus entirely upon Avistan/Garund; he's certainly got plans for Tian Xia, right?
They have a relatively minor presence there, but they are indeed known of. Not all of them are worshiped there, and their cults are pretty minor and localized. Most of the evil outsider stuff in Tian Xia is handled by oni, rakshasa, and other stuff.
Hi James, I know this has come up prior to the release of Mythic Adventures, but now that the product is out (and silent about it), what are your thoughts about how the Simulacrum Spell would interact with Mythic Tiers? I love the spell, but it sure creates complications (or fun, depending on where at the table you are sitting. Also, I've already house ruled that a piece of the creature is required as a material component).
Would you favor:
1) No interaction - there is no mythic version of Simulacrum and the spell cannot duplicate Mythic Tiers a creature/character might possess.
2) Some interaction - since a Sim is half strength in many regards, the spell gives a simulacra of a mythic tiered creature/character HALF the mythic tiers of the original.
3) Full blown duplication - a simulacra of a mythic tiered target has ALL the mythic tiers of the original.
4) Something else entirely? Like researching a mythic version of the spell (that perhaps requires a piece of the creature, expending points and gives the sim 1/4, 1/2 or full tiers)?
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What sort of presence do demons and devils have in Tian Xia? Are Demon Lords and/or Archdevils worshiped there?
I can't imagine Asmodeus would focus entirely upon Avistan/Garund; he's certainly got plans for Tian Xia, right?
You should read Master of Devils. It's not the best of the Jeggare/Radovan books, but it features Devils in Tian.
James, could an alchemist use a Magic Jar infusion to give the other members of his party the benefit of the Eternal Potion discovery? I know, this is kind of a rules question. However, I'm having a hard time finding something specific about precisely how Permanency works through Magic Jar, so it's kind of an concept/idea thing as well as a mechanics thing.That'd be up to you as the GM, I'd say. I would let it work, since I'm actually quite partial to the concept of permanent mind-switching or possession elements in stories, as seen in Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep" or the movie "Being John Malkovitch."
Not the OP, but I think he was asking if an Alchemist could use Magic Jar, then while in another person's body, use the Eternal Potion discovery to give that body permanent potions. For instance, Magic Jar the parties Fighter, then drinks a potion of Haste and make it permanent, then returns to the Alchemist's body, and now the Fighter has a permanent haste.
The question also expands to using the spell Permanency in another's body as well. Could a Wizard do the same thing, but Permanency things in someone else's body, then cancel Magic Jar, therefore giving the possessed body the benefit of the personal spell, while the original body remains unaltered? For instance, Magic Jar an archer, then use Permanency to give the archer's body See Invisibility, then return to the Wizard's body.
They have a relatively minor presence there, but they are indeed known of. Not all of them are worshiped there, and their cults are pretty minor and localized. Most of the evil outsider stuff in Tian Xia is handled by oni, rakshasa, and other stuff.What sort of presence do demons and devils have in Tian Xia? Are Demon Lords and/or Archdevils worshiped there?
I can't imagine Asmodeus would focus entirely upon Avistan/Garund; he's certainly got plans for Tian Xia, right?
Do the more eastern fiends keep the demons and devils out (planar turf wars, if you will), or is there another reason that they (demons/devils) aren't as numerous/active?
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James, could an alchemist use a Magic Jar infusion to give the other members of his party the benefit of the Eternal Potion discovery? I know, this is kind of a rules question. However, I'm having a hard time finding something specific about precisely how Permanency works through Magic Jar, so it's kind of an concept/idea thing as well as a mechanics thing.That'd be up to you as the GM, I'd say. I would let it work, since I'm actually quite partial to the concept of permanent mind-switching or possession elements in stories, as seen in Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep" or the movie "Being John Malkovitch."Not the OP, but I think he was asking if an Alchemist could use Magic Jar, then while in another person's body, use the Eternal Potion discovery to give that body permanent potions. For instance, Magic Jar the parties Fighter, then drinks a potion of Haste and make it permanent, then returns to the Alchemist's body, and now the Fighter has a permanent haste.
The question also expands to using the spell Permanency in another's body as well. Could a Wizard do the same thing, but Permanency things in someone else's body, then cancel Magic Jar, therefore giving the possessed body the benefit of the personal spell, while the original body remains unaltered? For instance, Magic Jar an archer, then use Permanency to give the archer's body See Invisibility, then return to the Wizard's body.
OH! That's an entirely different story.
Magic jar is one of the most complex and strange spells in the game. It's up there with wish and simulacrum, and really does need a LOT of GM adjudication when it comes in to play. I"d say that no, you couldn't give another creature's body permanent potions, though, because you're just "borrowing" the body.
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Do the more eastern fiends keep the demons and devils out (planar turf wars, if you will), or is there another reason that they (demons/devils) aren't as numerous/active?
It's a cultural reason, really. The types of outsiders and faiths and religions in a region are pretty much determined by the faiths and beliefs and societies that live there. Devils and demons in Pathfinder are for the most part heavily inspired by eurocentric myths, from Christianity back to really ancient myths like Babylonian and Akkadian and so on, and as such their presence is more common in parts of Golarion that draw upon those regions for inspiration—AKA, the Inner Sea Region. Tian Xia draws instead from Asia, where there are other beliefs and traditions, and as such the outsider/deity influence is adjusted appropriately.
The nature of outsiders in a region is really determined by the nature of the peoples living there.
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But pretty much every society and culture in Golarion knows of celestials and fiends in general, correct?They have a relatively minor presence there, but they are indeed known of. Not all of them are worshiped there, and their cults are pretty minor and localized. Most of the evil outsider stuff in Tian Xia is handled by oni, rakshasa, and other stuff.What sort of presence do demons and devils have in Tian Xia? Are Demon Lords and/or Archdevils worshiped there?
I can't imagine Asmodeus would focus entirely upon Avistan/Garund; he's certainly got plans for Tian Xia, right?
In that religion is an inevitable result of the formation of a society, and outsiders (aka celestials and fiends and more) are inexorably tied to religion, yes.
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Which Iconics have accounts set up on the forums, BTW?
I know that I represent Merisiel. Tim Nightengale represents Kyra. Sara Marie represents Feiya, Crystal Frasier represents Imjrika. That is pretty much it... I think. There may be a few others. I'm honestly not sure who jumped in to rep Lem.
Do the more eastern fiends keep the demons and devils out (planar turf wars, if you will), or is there another reason that they (demons/devils) aren't as numerous/active?It's a cultural reason, really. The types of outsiders and faiths and religions in a region are pretty much determined by the faiths and beliefs and societies that live there. Devils and demons in Pathfinder are for the most part heavily inspired by eurocentric myths, from Christianity back to really ancient myths like Babylonian and Akkadian and so on, and as such their presence is more common in parts of Golarion that draw upon those regions for inspiration—AKA, the Inner Sea Region. Tian Xia draws instead from Asia, where there are other beliefs and traditions, and as such the outsider/deity influence is adjusted appropriately.
The nature of outsiders in a region is really determined by the nature of the peoples living there.
Since you referenced Babylonian and Akkadian myths, does that mean that demons and devils will be active in Casmaron as well?
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Since you referenced Babylonian and Akkadian myths, does that mean that demons and devils will be active in Casmaron as well?Do the more eastern fiends keep the demons and devils out (planar turf wars, if you will), or is there another reason that they (demons/devils) aren't as numerous/active?It's a cultural reason, really. The types of outsiders and faiths and religions in a region are pretty much determined by the faiths and beliefs and societies that live there. Devils and demons in Pathfinder are for the most part heavily inspired by eurocentric myths, from Christianity back to really ancient myths like Babylonian and Akkadian and so on, and as such their presence is more common in parts of Golarion that draw upon those regions for inspiration—AKA, the Inner Sea Region. Tian Xia draws instead from Asia, where there are other beliefs and traditions, and as such the outsider/deity influence is adjusted appropriately.
The nature of outsiders in a region is really determined by the nature of the peoples living there.
Absolutely. A huge number of demons, in particular, come from Akkadian myth and the like. Lilitus, Gallus, Pazuzu, Lamashtu... there's a lot of demon stuff going on in the region, I suspect.
Which Iconics have accounts set up on the forums, BTW?I know that I represent Merisiel. Tim Nightengale represents Kyra. Sara Marie represents Feiya, Crystal Frasier represents Imjrika. That is pretty much it... I think. There may be a few others. I'm honestly not sure who jumped in to rep Lem.
That'd be me, so I'd not consider anything that Lem says to be official. He may be an impostor.
By chance, would that mean that their would be new evil outsider race(s) in Arcadia or Garund? Sub-Sarahan Africa, has some similarities with the middle east due to Islam, so I could see maybe divs and demons being present at least there, but not sure if any existing Outsider group really reflects Pre-Columbian North America
Is there an in-world/game reason why demons and devils aren't more active in the eastern regions of Golarion (and vice versa with Oni and the like in the west)? Thematically it makes sense that they aren't as common outside the Inner Sea, but realistically--why would demons respect the cultural divide? Wouldn't they be just as interested in Tian Xia as any other region?
Is there an in-world/game reason why demons and devils aren't more active in the eastern regions of Golarion (and vice versa with Oni and the like in the west)? Thematically it makes sense that they aren't as common outside the Inner Sea, but realistically--why would demons respect the cultural divide? Wouldn't they be just as interested in Tian Xia as any other region?
Outsiders are highly reliant on mortals for transport to the Material Plane.
In a region without Devil-summoners, you don't have a lot of Devils.
That makes a fair amount of sense.
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Creative Director
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By chance, would that mean that their would be new evil outsider race(s) in Arcadia or Garund? Sub-Sarahan Africa, has some similarities with the middle east due to Islam, so I could see maybe divs and demons being present at least there, but not sure if any existing Outsider group really reflects Pre-Columbian North America
It's possible, yes.
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Creative Director
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Is there an in-world/game reason why demons and devils aren't more active in the eastern regions of Golarion (and vice versa with Oni and the like in the west)? Thematically it makes sense that they aren't as common outside the Inner Sea, but realistically--why would demons respect the cultural divide? Wouldn't they be just as interested in Tian Xia as any other region?
Yes. Outsider interest in a region is a reflection of that region's society.
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Contributor
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By chance, would that mean that their would be new evil outsider race(s) in Arcadia or Garund? Sub-Sarahan Africa, has some similarities with the middle east due to Islam, so I could see maybe divs and demons being present at least there, but not sure if any existing Outsider group really reflects Pre-Columbian North AmericaIt's possible, yes.
Frustratingly, I find few Mesoamerican cognates to the notion of demons. The Nahuatl name for devil is "diablo" - clearly borrowed. Tlacatecototl also means demon, literally - "owl person." The Quencha word is "Aya," but it can also mean "ghost, spirit," as in ayahuasca.
I like the idea that Tlacatecototl might be a word for Syrinx, which clearly derived from the Greek Strix + Siren, and hence might be the Avistani word.
I think having a separate "native" race of Outsiders would be useful for explaining the sociological and religious differences (whatever they might me, but perhaps focused on placating evil spirits at least in the Mesoamerican analogue) in Arcadia. So I am very interested in this idea. Arcadia, after Vudra, is my second-favorite undescribed part of Golarion.