1. Then can I assume aboleths would not particularly hate those adventurers with divine class levels or mythic tiers?
2. Aboleths are huge. But veiled Masters are large. I was curious, because veiled masters, who are the masters of the aboleths, are smaller than aboleths. Is it a typo, and veiled masters should have been huge in the first place?
3. Now I understand it. Aroden's primary focus was the human civilization and the glory of humanity, so other races worshipping him would be weird. But in the case of Calistria, Torag, Apsu and Dahak, although they are clearly elven, dwarven, and draconic gods themselves, their primary focuses are not the glory of their own kind, so other race worshipping them would be appropriate, right?
4. So logically there can be a sizable number of elves that worship Iomedae, right? I thought elves are too proud to worship a goddess who was originally a human.
5. Was mythic power prevalent in Azlant? In other words, were there many mythic characters in Azalnt?
6. What would be the appropriate way used by those few humans who know about the Vault Builders to gain that knowledge? Befriending a good aboleth and pleading ofr ancient secrets? Or excavating the rins of an abandoned aboleth city and finding out sound materials regarding the Vault Builders?
7. You said that Paizo deliberately changed the name 'alternate form' into 'change shape' to standardize a lot of powers. It's a good idea, but I found out in Bestiary 4 that the Colossi have alternate form ability. Is it some kind of typo and they should be changed into change shape?
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8. Mythic Realms said that Old-Mage Jatembe rose to prominence in the Age of Anguish. Is it safe to assume that he was born in the Age of Anguish?
9. It is said that Jatembe was the first among humanity to redisover the art of wizardry and written magic, and did much to redeem these arts in the eyes of a superstitious people. I don't understand this clearly. Does that mean, after Azlant destroyed and humanity underwent the Age of Darkness, the wizards on Golarion all died without leaving any apprentice, and Jatembe was the last remaining one who knew the arts of wizardry? Thus if Jatembe died early, there would be no wizard in current Golarion?
10. Who taught Jatembe the wizardry? Maybe an Azlanti wizard?
11. Was Jatembe a Garundi or a Mwangi?
12. Riddleport is located between Bakrakhan and Cyrusian. Exactly to which nation did this city belong? I ask this because I'm not sure if the Cyphergate in Riddleport belonged to Bakrakhan or not.
13. Maybe I misunderstood, but can I assume the Cyphergate as a time machine? And since Paizo said all it wanted to say about the Cyphergate, is it safe to assume that the Cyphergate will not be the center of an adventure path or module anymore?
14. Was Jorgenfist located in Shalast, the realm of Karzoug?
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J.J. A few easy questions.
My gaming group and I are in Humboldt, and one of my players is from the town of Mendocino. We're about to start the Anniversary edition of Rise of the Runelords, and it is the first time in this AP for the whole group (with my exception). I'm the GM.
1. Was the Lost Coast Road named for the Lost Coast of Northern California? I see some similarities (and a few differences) in the surrounding flora and fauna to our area. Was that also an inspiration? Obviously Sandpoint has a lot of forestland nearby, as does Point Arena.
2. We're considering taking a "Pilgrimage to Sandpoint" to visit Point Arena. Any time of year in particular we should go; places we should visit?
3. Is there anything else that someone so geographically close to Mendocino might recognize that was inspiration for Sandpoint, or anywhere else in Golarian for that matter?
4. For the matter, are any of the Golarian Gods/major NPCs based on people you knew growing up?
PS. If you're ever visiting home, and want to crash a Pathfinder game, we're only a few hours away!
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Lich isn't all that appropriate since that's something a wizard should WANT and should be intentional.
Juju zombie is what you're looking for I think.
How does this square with Geb forcing lichdom on Arazni? If you had your druthers, would Arazni instead be a juju zombie or some other type of undead? Or is she an exceptional circumstance?
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How long does it take for a petitioner to be come an outsider? Archon spicificly
It varies greatly. It could happen instantaneously, or it could take forever, or anywhere in between. This allows each and all of us to tell different stories as needed, and also speaks to the weirdness of time and space breaking down once death and the like are involved.
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Favorite iconic is Merisiel, because she's awesome and probably the closest of all our iconics to the type of character I enjoy playing the most.
Second favorite is Kyra, because clerics have long been one of my favorite classes, and I'm particularly proud of the deities I've helped create for Golarion, among which Sarenrae is one of my favorites.
That makes me happy because those are my two favorite as well! (And also really happy about the two in the comics as well, though I need to get the other comics soon.)
Also, a question! Putting in spoiler just in case.
** spoiler omitted **
I wouldn't count that as a spoiler; Merisiel and Kyra being a thing has been a part of Pathfinder lore for years and years.
Merisiel would probably take her somewhere super pretty but kind of dangerous to get to, like a cliff where the view of the sunrise was super romantic, but getting to the cliff involved fighting through a pack of monsters. Barring that, some sort of fancy tavern/eatery/performance that costs as much gold as she could manage at the time. Fancier the better.
Kyra would probably take Merisiel to a comfy tavern/eatery/performance that was low-key and sort of quiet, or maybe to some lovely park or other public works area, or perhaps a breakfast picnic in the hinterlands.
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Hi James, I'm running a Jade Regent campaign (and my players are having a TON of fun!) One of my newer players (joined during the Hungry Storm) is playing a Half-Orc Witch with the Time Patron. She doesn't know who exactly her patron is. I thought one of the Eldest would be good, in particular Shyka who has a vested interest in time.
However, before I reveal that, is there perhaps a powerful Kami or Oni patron I've overlooked who might tie into the Tian cultures more than Shyka?
Would First World figures be known to the Kami, or considered powerful Kami or Oni by such spirits?
She is happy to let me decide who the Patron for her is, and discovering who has been granting her magic is part of her story. I'd really like to tie into both her choice of a Time patron, and where the story is headed (Tian-Xia, Forest of Spirits and Minkai).
The game rules for patrons are frustratingly vague to me. If it IS a creature or entity that actually serves as a patron, what happens if that entity is killed or loses interest in the witch? Does the witch loose her spells? If not, why does she invest any of her time in a patron in the first place, if the patron's support is incidental? My preference is to rename the word "patron" to "Area of study" instead, and keep every rule the same. THis way, a witch isn't so much a "patron of trickery" as she is a "scholar of trickery" and thus doesn't have to worry about the implications of something beyond that. She can still certianly seek out other scholars of trickery to study under and learn spells from, in much the same way a wizard or magus can.
If you want to stick with actual creatures as patrons, then feel free to pick something that you think the player would appreciate, or even better, just let the player decide who her patron is. The rules don't care (unlike with deities and clerics) so pick whoever you want to be the focus of the story and the focus of the witch.
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If Sera from the Dragon Age series were in Golarion, which God would she worship? My bets on either Cayden Cailean or Calistria.
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1. Then can I assume aboleths would not particularly hate those adventurers with divine class levels or mythic tiers?
2. Aboleths are huge. But veiled Masters are large. I was curious, because veiled masters, who are the masters of the aboleths, are smaller than aboleths. Is it a typo, and veiled masters should have been huge in the first place?
3. Now I understand it. Aroden's primary focus was the human civilization and the glory of humanity, so other races worshipping him would be weird. But in the case of Calistria, Torag, Apsu and Dahak, although they are clearly elven, dwarven, and draconic gods themselves, their primary focuses are not the glory of their own kind, so other race worshipping them would be appropriate, right?
4. So logically there can be a sizable number of elves that worship Iomedae, right? I thought elves are too proud to worship a goddess who was originally a human.
5. Was mythic power prevalent in Azlant? In other words, were there many mythic characters in Azalnt?
6. What would be the appropriate way used by those few humans who know about the Vault Builders to gain that knowledge? Befriending a good aboleth and pleading ofr ancient secrets? Or excavating the rins of an abandoned aboleth city and finding out sound materials regarding the Vault Builders?
7. You said that Paizo deliberately changed the name 'alternate form' into 'change shape' to standardize a lot of powers. It's a good idea, but I found out in Bestiary 4 that the Colossi have alternate form ability. Is it some kind of typo and they should be changed into change shape?
1) They would hate divine spellcasters more than others, and would consider those with mythic tiers to be more dangerous than others. In both cases, they would focus their violence against either option, but for different reasons.
2) Not a typo. Size doesn't mean that you're better. I made veiled masters Large for several reasons, most of which have nothing to do with game lore. They're large so they'll fit in dungeons or on battlemats better in combat (the bigger a creature is, the harder it is to use in encoutners due to size restraints). As large creatures they're harder to hit than huge creatures, and harder to flank. Since they spend so much time in human form, making their size closer to human size makes for less weird transitions. The idea of them being smaller than their more powerful minions (aboleths, omnipaths, etc.) is a delightful reversal of expectations. As large creatures, we were able to make pre-painted miniatures of them (Huge minis are in a weird size category where we make very very few of them).
3) Correct.
4) Correct. Elves aren't "too proud." That's D&D lore, not Pathfinder lore, and even in D&D elves aren't "too proud" to limit their options in that way.
5) Not prevalent, but more common then than it is in modern Golarion. It was still rare.
6) Magic, exploring Orv, researching ancient texts, interrogating creatures that have had Vault Builder/Keeper contact, traveling to the elemental planes or other worlds where Vault Builders and Keepers are active still. Basically, all the same ways adventurers learn about ANYTHING by going on adventures.
7) It's not a typo. Colossi have the ability to assume one different form, like a transformer. Change shape is not appropriate for them. And since we didn't use "alternate form" already, we got to use it for Colossi where it's more appropriate.
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So this is this question is gonna take a bit of explaining and it's a little scary, so bare with me. So it's thought that our roughly 14 billion year old universe is in fact quite young. With the knowledge that we live in a universe that is ever expanding at a increased rate, (based on the current scientific model of the universe) there are some things we can project to happen. The first is that over the course of 200 billion years we wont be able to see light from distant galaxies any more. Over 100 trillion years the last stars will go out and no new stars will form. In the next 10^40 years matter will decay and become energy. And finally over the next 10^100 years even black holes will evaporate and it's thought that the universe will finally be done.
So my question is this, do you like the idea that this is the long term plan of the Great Old Ones and Elder Gods? That they are the one responsible for the for an ever expanding universe so they might bring it to its end?
Or if not, do you think that being responsible for an increasingly expanding universe might be beyond even their power?
I apologize if this question might have made you feel small. It can be a little intimidating to learn about this stuff sometimes.
Finally as a more light question. Do you watch the show South Park, and if so what did you think about the last season?
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8. Mythic Realms said that Old-Mage Jatembe rose to prominence in the Age of Anguish. Is it safe to assume that he was born in the Age of Anguish?
9. It is said that Jatembe was the first among humanity to redisover the art of wizardry and written magic, and did much to redeem these arts in the eyes of a superstitious people. I don't understand this clearly. Does that mean, after Azlant destroyed and humanity underwent the Age of Darkness, the wizards on Golarion all died without leaving any apprentice, and Jatembe was the last remaining one who knew the arts of wizardry? Thus if Jatembe died early, there would be no wizard in current Golarion?
10. Who taught Jatembe the wizardry? Maybe an Azlanti wizard?
11. Was Jatembe a Garundi or a Mwangi?
12. Riddleport is located between Bakrakhan and Cyrusian. Exactly to which nation did this city belong? I ask this because I'm not sure if the Cyphergate in Riddleport belonged to Bakrakhan or not.
13. Maybe I misunderstood, but can I assume the Cyphergate as a time machine? And since Paizo said all it wanted to say about the Cyphergate, is it safe to assume that the Cyphergate will not be the center of an adventure path or module anymore?
14. Was Jorgenfist located in Shalast, the realm of Karzoug?
8) I suppose so, but "safe to assume" is not the same as "confirmation."
9) After Azlant was destroyed and Thassilon went dark, the inhabitants of the Inner Sea Region went into a dark age where magic was thought by many to be bad (as magic essentially tried to end the world). It was Old Mage Jatembe who got humanity thinking that magic could be good, and it was his actions that triggered magic's rebirth and recrudescence in the Inner Sea Region as a positive and productive force that was not to be feared. There were VERY few arcane spellcasters in the Inner Sea Region immediately after Earthfall, with those who survived being inhuman or hermits driven into exile for fear of being killed or so on. If Jatembe died before he was able to redeem and reform arcane magic, SOMETHING would have eventually come along to reintroduce magic eventually, but it might have taken years or centeries or longer, and it would likely have been in a different format. Since Jatembe is good, he introduced magic in a positive way, but had the person to reintroduce magic been a force of evil, it could have ended very poorly for the Inner Sea Region. The realm could be, today, a slave nation to arcane overlords, for example... or it could have NEVER recovered from Earthfall and just died out. Jatembe, in many ways, saved the region from death or worse.
10) He was self taught. The idea that he had to be taught magic by someone else is distasteful and weakens him.
11) He's Mwangi.
12) The region that is Riddleport today was once a part of Cyrusian, but it wasn't a city in that time.
13) The Cyphergate is
14) Jorgenfist was in Shalast, yes.
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How does this square with Geb forcing lichdom on Arazni? If you had your druthers, would Arazni instead be a juju zombie or some other type of undead? Or is she an exceptional circumstance?Lich isn't all that appropriate since that's something a wizard should WANT and should be intentional.
Juju zombie is what you're looking for I think.
For every person, there is a single specialized and personalized ritual to transform into a lich. If a person is subjected to this ritual, they become a lich, whether they want it or not, and in so doing become evil, whether or not they were evil before. That's what happened to Arazni. This forced lich transformation is also a plot element key to the Carrion Crown Adventure Path.
And since we've thus had that plot element show up twice, I'm leery about suggesting it happen a third time. It's supposed to be a VERY rare exception to the rule, after all.
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Are Apostate Devils (Deimavigga) supposed to have regeneration that isn't overcome by anything?
Most of the evil outsider bunch that have regeneration and DR are overcome by the same things. The Deimavigga has DR/10 good and silver, but regeneration with nothing after it.
You could still end it with a death effect, flesh to stone, and some others, but never from pure damage.
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J.J. A few easy questions.
My gaming group and I are in Humboldt, and one of my players is from the town of Mendocino. We're about to start the Anniversary edition of Rise of the Runelords, and it is the first time in this AP for the whole group (with my exception). I'm the GM.
1. Was the Lost Coast Road named for the Lost Coast of Northern California? I see some similarities (and a few differences) in the surrounding flora and fauna to our area. Was that also an inspiration? Obviously Sandpoint has a lot of forestland nearby, as does Point Arena.
2. We're considering taking a "Pilgrimage to Sandpoint" to visit Point Arena. Any time of year in particular we should go; places we should visit?
3. Is there anything else that someone so geographically close to Mendocino might recognize that was inspiration for Sandpoint, or anywhere else in Golarian for that matter?
4. For the matter, are any of the Golarian Gods/major NPCs based on people you knew growing up?
PS. If you're ever visiting home, and want to crash a Pathfinder game, we're only a few hours away!
YAY HUMBOLDT!!!! YAY MENDOCINO!!!! YAY LOST COAST!!!!
Neat!
1) The Lost Cost is indeed named for the Lost Coast of Northern California. Since I grew up in Point Arena, I really wanted to bring that whole region to life in Golarion. Not EXACTLY, and the exceptions you see are generally things that were introduced by other writers who helped develop the region initially (particularly Richard Pett, Wes Schneider, Nick Logue, and James Sutter).
2) HA! Pilgramage to Sandpoint! Hmmm... I'd suggest going to Point Arena during the 4th of July weekend, since traditionally there's a big fireworks display down at the pier (the biggest in the region, in fact... it's a REALLY impressive display, with the fireworks going off shockingly close and echoing impressively off the cliffs that surround the cove), along with a cute little quaint parade down the town's main street on the 4th itself. The exact dates of the parade and fireworks vary. But going down there in the Summer is better too because the weather in the winter can get pretty rainy, and if the wetlands just north of Point Arena flood, the journey from the north gets a 4 hour detour added to the trip when instead of taking highway 1 south to Point Arena you have to take 101 through Ukiah, down to Santa Rosa, and then cross to the coast there and head back up the coast for 2 hours. As for places to go and see... the pier and the lighthouse come to mind immediately. There's also a wildlife preserve right outside of town where you can check out zebras and giraffes and antelopes and stuff. And then there's the public access lands that were recently made national parklands between the pier and the lighthouse where you can go for a really beautiful walk along the tops of the coastal cliffs. And there's a real Schooner Gulch Road that winds through the mountains between the coast and the ridge road just south of Point Arena.
And there's always the website!
3) The coastline views for sure. Simply driving south on highway 1 gives you an EXCELLENT feel for the terrain of the region; just imagine goblins and the like lurking in the woods and along the river banks, or the Sandpoint devil flapping down from the mountains. The lighthouse for sure as well, although Point Arena's lighthouse is still standing and functional. And redwoods, of course.
4) Ameiko and the Kaijitsu presence in Sandpoint was inspired by the fact that in Point Arena's early days, a sailing ship from Japan made landfal at Point Arena after sailing across the Pacific from Japan, but that's about it for real-world people inspiring deities or NPCs in Golarion for me, although a LOT of the personality types helped me come up with personalities in Sandpoint; many of the NPCs in Sandpoint would fit right in to Point Arena, and vice-versa. (I love taking inspiration from the region, but I've always felt a bit weird putting actual versions of people I know into print.)
PS: Every time I drive south I'm tempted to stop in and check out Lost Coast Games in Eureka; I drive right by it. But alas, usually when I drive by it's late at night or I'm too focused on making the 15 hour drive in one day to want to stop for even a short 15 minute break. Thanks for the invite though!
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So this is this question is gonna take a bit of explaining and it's a little scary, so bare with me. So it's thought that our roughly 14 billion year old universe is in fact quite young. With the knowledge that we live in a universe that is ever expanding at a increased rate, (based on the current scientific model of the universe) there are some things we can project to happen. The first is that over the course of 200 billion years we wont be able to see light from distant galaxies any more. Over 100 trillion years the last stars will go out and no new stars will form. In the next 10^40 years matter will decay and become energy. And finally over the next 10^100 years even black holes will evaporate and it's thought that the universe will finally be done.
So my question is this, do you like the idea that this is the long term plan of the Great Old Ones and Elder Gods? That they are the one responsible for the for an ever expanding universe so they might bring it to its end?
Or if not, do you think that being responsible for an increasingly expanding universe might be beyond even their power?
I apologize if this question might have made you feel small. It can be a little intimidating to learn about this stuff sometimes.
Finally as a more light question. Do you watch the show South Park, and if so what did you think about the last season?
I see the universe's life cycle as being something beyond even the control of the Great Old Ones, but that some of the Outer Gods will survive its death to go on in whatever comes after, and that perhaps some of the Outer Gods have already gone through universe cycles like this. I don't see them as being responsible for it, because the idea of ANYTHING being responsible for the creation of the universe implies something CARED to create it, and that kind of goes against the concept of the mythos to a certain extent. AKA: I think it's bleaker and more grim if the universe just happened and even the outer gods aren't responsible for it, and thus that fits with the mythos themes better.
This question doesn't make me feel small at all, after having spent 30 some years realizing that this is the way things are in the first place it's hardly news to me. :P
I don't watch South Park. The animation style is not for me.
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Are Apostate Devils (Deimavigga) supposed to have regeneration that isn't overcome by anything?
Most of the evil outsider bunch that have regeneration and DR are overcome by the same things. The Deimavigga has DR/10 good and silver, but regeneration with nothing after it.
You could still end it with a death effect, flesh to stone, and some others, but never from pure damage.
That sounds like a typo to me, but I've never really looked into them. I suspect that the designer/developer/editor combo just missed it and it crept into print that way, and that it should have its regeneration turned off by something akin to what turns of the regeneration for other devils.
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Hello James
We are having a bit of a hard time to figure out the Kinetic blade infusion ...
it says ''You can use this form infusion once as part of an attack action, a charge action, or a full-attack action in order to make melee attacks with your kinetic blade. Since it's part of another action (and isn't an action itself), using this wild talent doesn't provoke any additional attacks of opportunity.''
This means that if I have 2 attacks from my base attack and 1 from haste, this means that I can make all 3 attacks has my full attack action under the effects of Kinetic blade? have you ever played one or seen someone playing a kineticist with kinetic blade?
You can use it once as part of a (whatever) action, and therefore no matter how many actual attack rolls you make, it applies to only one of those attacks.
That's how I read it, in any event, based purely on the words you put into your post since I'm not sure where the Kinetic Blade infusion comes from or exactly what it is (I assume it has something to do with a kineticist since you mention them).
I've not only never played a kineticist or seen one played, but I've actually never even read the class rules and have had nothing to do with them from the start. If, some day, some one plays one in a game I'm running or an author puts one into an adventure I'm developing, I'll read the rules then.
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I have yet another question ;)
Why can the wolf and tiger companions grow to Large, but the bear companion cannot? I'm asking this because you can essentially get a dire wolf or dire tiger companion, you cannot get a grizzly bear or dire bear companion, not to mention that the standard bear is Large, not Medium. I get that the wolf starts Medium since it's the standard size and that the tiger starts Medium and then grows Large (its standard size), but the bear is literally undersized. Same goes with the polar bear BTW.
Ok, maybe it's a design choice to avoid unbalanced companions, but it does beg the... question :P Bear with me XD
Hi James
How many class levels could a trumpet archon (CR 14, 14 HD) take?
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Question that I think hasn't been stated directly and if this is been left vague intentionally or expanded upon in the future, I certainly understand.
It states in the "Awaken Construct" spell that the target gains something that closely resembles a true soul. Would such soul be something that would be judged by Pharasma?
Do Wyrwood who pass on get judged?
Hi James
When a neutral good soul becomes a petitioner does out go to Nirvana?
Which type of outsider does it become, angel or agathoin?
In the pfsrd it says that angels are native to all the good plains, are all angels neutral good? Or can they be any good alignment?
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I have yet another question ;)
Why can the wolf and tiger companions grow to Large, but the bear companion cannot? I'm asking this because you can essentially get a dire wolf or dire tiger companion, you cannot get a grizzly bear or dire bear companion, not to mention that the standard bear is Large, not Medium. I get that the wolf starts Medium since it's the standard size and that the tiger starts Medium and then grows Large (its standard size), but the bear is literally undersized. Same goes with the polar bear BTW.
Ok, maybe it's a design choice to avoid unbalanced companions, but it does beg the... question :P Bear with me XD
I honestly have no idea at all.
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Question that I think hasn't been stated directly and if this is been left vague intentionally or expanded upon in the future, I certainly understand.
It states in the "Awaken Construct" spell that the target gains something that closely resembles a true soul. Would such soul be something that would be judged by Pharasma?
Do Wyrwood who pass on get judged?
"Resembles" a true soul is not a true soul. It's unclear whether or not they'd be judged, but if they do, Pharasma wouldn't mind.
Wyrwoods do get judged.
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James, how do Hellkinght's determine their ranking. I Have a level 15 Inquisitor of Asmodeus; Hellknight Signifer order of the Scorge 4; Mythic tier 4. This is much higher level wise than even the Lictor so what do you think his Rank with in the order would be?
A combination of age, skill, political clout, and bureaucracy, I suspect. Personal power is not the only quantifier.
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Hi James
When a neutral good soul becomes a petitioner does out go to Nirvana?
Which type of outsider does it become, angel or agathoin?
In the pfsrd it says that angels are native to all the good plains, are all angels neutral good? Or can they be any good alignment?
Yes.
Depends on the nature of the soul and the life it lived.
Angels can be any good alignment, but neutral good is the norm.
1. Krune was the high priest of Lissala. Which means he was the supreme leader of the church of Lissala. But the Great Temple of Lissala was in the middle of the sea in Bakrakhan. Shouldn't it be in the realm of Krune? And why is the Great Temple of Lissala in the middle of an ocean? Lissla is not a sea goddess, after all.
2. How should I pronounce Krune? Should I pronunce the Last E?
3. How should I pronounce protean? Pro-teen? Pro-te-an?
4. Why did Paizo name the chaotic neutral outsiders proteans? Protean is a real word. It means pertaining to Proteus(a god of the ancient Greece). Are proteans related to a god from Earth?
5. Paizo has a tradition of publishing a campaign setting book before publishing an adventure path regarding that particular setting. That's why I anticipated an Andoren adventure path after seeing the Andoran, Birthplace of Freedom. But there wasn't. I also found out that there is a Qadiran campaign setting scheduled: Qadira, Jewel of the East. But the next adventure paths are already scheduled: Strange Aeons, Ironfang Invasion, and Ruins of Azlant. I'm really confused. Where is the Andoren and Qadiran adventure paths? Am I missing something?
6. Paizo published many player companion books: Osirion, Taldor, Qadira, Cheliax, Andoran, and Varisia... At first I thought these books herald the relevant adventure paths, but it wasn't. Then again, Serpent's Skull was published after Sargava: the Lost Colony. And there was no campaign setting about Sargava. I'm confused. Shouldn't the Sargava book be published as a campaign setting?
7. Strange Aeons is about Mythos creatures, not about aeons. So why did Paizo name this adventure path as Strange Aeons? It can't be a typo, right?
8. When did Paizo first create the idea of the Dominion of the Black? In other words, when did the Dominion of the Black first mentioned in the publihsed materials?
9. It seems that Paizo loves its original monsters more than non-origianl monsters. For example, I think archons, agathions, and azatas are more loved than angels. Also daemons and qlippoth are more loved than devils and demons. Maybe that's why Paizo don't use inevitables often. Cthulhu Mythos is not Paizo original, but the Dominion of the Black is. So do you and Paizo like the Dominion more and want to write about the Dominion more than the Mythos?
10. Do you think the Horror Adventures is apppropriate for a Dominion themed adventure?
11. Before the death of Aroden, did Cheliax use halfling slaves very much? Was there the Bellflower Network even before the Age of Lost Omens?
12. Was the worship of Asmodeus and other devil cults legal in Cheliax before the death of Aroden?
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Hello James. Long time listener, first time caller.
I was reading the article about Gorum in part 5 of Kingmaker, and it describes Gorum as feuding with Pharasma. Gorum wants his worshippers to die in glorious combat, regardless of what Pharasma decides their fate should be, and he intervenes to thwart her designs on his champions.
In Inner Sea Gods, this feud is replaced by a similar one with Urgathoa. Gorum is offended by Urgathoas propensity for inflicting inglorious "unsportsmanlike" deaths upon his followers through diseases and withering afflictions.
Personally I find the feud with Pharasma much more interesting. The concept of warriors powerful enough to defy destiny, to assert themselves against the natural order of things (or at least try) is compelling. By contrast, the Urgathoa rivalry seems tacked on... Gorum could easily take issue with any number of other duplicitous deities who don't try to defeat their enemies in open combat.
My questions:
Can you shed any insight on why this change to Gorum was made?
Is Gorums antagonistic relationship with Pharasma still canon?
Is it just easier to tell stories involving Gorumites if they oppose evil deities rather than neutral ones?
I've been enjoying this thread for months now. Thank you for the time and thought you put into answering all these questions!
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James,
Hope you're having a good weekend!
I got a few questions:
1)Was Azlant a single, continental nation?
2)When Aroden fought Deskari in the Lake of Mists and Veils, did he send his Avatar or was it the god himself?
3)Of the core 20, which deity is more likely/has more often mated with mortals?
4)Did the humans that populate different planets, like Androffa, Golarion and Earth, come from a single place, or was it some kind of parallel development?
5)Is evolution a thing in Golarion?
Up to 20.Hi James
How many class levels could a trumpet archon (CR 14, 14 HD) take?
So a 20th level paladin trumpet archon would have 34 hit dice, a 34/29/24/19 BAB?
If yaniel from wrath of the righteous were to die and become an outsider which one would her would become, angel otr archon, and which type off angel or archon?
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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The Shin Godzilla movie page has a theater locator at the bottom of the page for when it shows Oct 11—18 in the U.S.A. Are you aware of this?
How do I know when I've lived long enough to become the bad guy?
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Creative Director
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1. Krune was the high priest of Lissala. Which means he was the supreme leader of the church of Lissala. But the Great Temple of Lissala was in the middle of the sea in Bakrakhan. Shouldn't it be in the realm of Krune? And why is the Great Temple of Lissala in the middle of an ocean? Lissla is not a sea goddess, after all.
2. How should I pronounce Krune? Should I pronunce the Last E?
3. How should I pronounce protean? Pro-teen? Pro-te-an?
4. Why did Paizo name the chaotic neutral outsiders proteans? Protean is a real word. It means pertaining to Proteus(a god of the ancient Greece). Are proteans related to a god from Earth?
5. Paizo has a tradition of publishing a campaign setting book before publishing an adventure path regarding that particular setting. That's why I anticipated an Andoren adventure path after seeing the Andoran, Birthplace of Freedom. But there wasn't. I also found out that there is a Qadiran campaign setting scheduled: Qadira, Jewel of the East. But the next adventure paths are already scheduled: Strange Aeons, Ironfang Invasion, and Ruins of Azlant. I'm really confused. Where is the Andoren and Qadiran adventure paths? Am I missing something?
6. Paizo published many player companion books: Osirion, Taldor, Qadira, Cheliax, Andoran, and Varisia... At first I thought these books herald the relevant adventure paths, but it wasn't. Then again, Serpent's Skull was published after Sargava: the Lost Colony. And there was no campaign setting about Sargava. I'm confused. Shouldn't the Sargava book be published as a campaign setting?
1) I'm not sure where you're seeing the "Great Temple of Lissala" is in Bakrakhan; that doesn't really make sense to me since Bakrakhan is Alaznist's land and is mostly demon worship, not Lissala worship. Sounds to me like that bit might just be an error. That said, back in the time of Thassilon, much of what is now the Varisian Gulf was above water and was dry land of Bakrakhan; Earthfall sunk much of Bakrakhan into the sea.
2) One syllable. Rhymes with "rune."
3) Protean is a real word. Click here for the word on dictionary.com, then click the little speaker icon next to the word to hear your computer say the word out loud.
4) Because "protean" is kind of the perfect word for a primeval race of shapechangers, especially when taken in the context of Proteus, an ancient sea god (and remember, the proteans live in what's sort of a "sea" of extraplanar chaos called the Maelstrom, and look aquatic, and have the heads of prehistoric sea monsters). It's really not all that different from using real words like "inevitable" or "aeon" for the name of an outsider race.
5) That's not always the case. We sometimes publish the campaign setting book that ties into an Adventure Path AFTER we start the Adventure Path. The Cheliax book and Hell's Rebel's is a great example there. Furthermore, we do nearly a dozen campaign settings a year, and only two Adventure Paths, so it's only natural that over time we'll outpace the Adventure Paths. There are no Andoran or Qadira adventure paths, and there were never intended to be; the publication of an Andoran and Qadira book have more to do with us FINALLY getting around to publishing 64 page books for the five original regional factions for the Pathfinder Society when we launched that campaign nearly a decade ago. The only one left to do is Taldor, which we haven't announced yet and I'm not 100% sure when/if we'll do it anyway... but we'll see.
6) The first third of Serpent's Skull actually takes place in Sargava, so the player companion DOES have relevance there. That said, whether or not we publish a regional book in a 32 page format or 64 page format depends on our schedule, the interests of our developers, the needs of the line, how we want to support other products, how we want to support Pathfinder Society, what books customers are asking for, and what books a writer wants to write. The result is that we don't really have a predictable pattern for what regions we publish books about in what format.
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Creative Director
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7. Strange Aeons is about Mythos creatures, not about aeons. So why did Paizo name this adventure path as Strange Aeons? It can't be a typo, right?
8. When did Paizo first create the idea of the Dominion of the Black? In other words, when did the Dominion of the Black first mentioned in the publihsed materials?
9. It seems that Paizo loves its original monsters more than non-origianl monsters. For example, I think archons, agathions, and azatas are more loved than angels. Also daemons and qlippoth are more loved than devils and demons. Maybe that's why Paizo don't use inevitables often. Cthulhu Mythos is not Paizo original, but the Dominion of the Black is. So do you and Paizo like the Dominion more and want to write about the Dominion more than the Mythos?
10. Do you think the Horror Adventures is apppropriate for a Dominion themed adventure?
11. Before the death of Aroden, did Cheliax use halfling slaves very much? Was there the Bellflower Network even before the Age of Lost Omens?
12. Was the worship of Asmodeus and other devil cults legal in Cheliax before the death of Aroden?
7) We called it "Strange Aeons" because one of the most famous H. P. Lovecraft quotes introduced that phrase nearly 100 years ago: "That which is dead can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die." The word "aeons" in "Strange Aeons" has nothing to do with the outsider race of aeons.
8) Very early on. I think probably in an early volume of Rise of the Runelords, or perhaps in one of the first modules. I don't remember for sure, since it was an idea we came up with at the start, and where exactly it "landed" in print wasn't the same point we made it up. If I had to make a guess, it'd be in the Varisia gazetteer in Pathfinder #3... I'm pretty sure that it was James Sutter who coined the phrase, and he wrote the Varisia gazetter.
9) No. You'll note we have an entire AP about the mythos, and not about the Dominion of the Black. Furthermore, archons and agathions are not "Paizo inventions" at all; they've been in D&D for decades. And while we did invent the word "azata" the monsters that are azatas like lillends and ghales have been in D*D since late 2nd edition or more. Our monsters are actually a pretty healthy mix of traditional monsters brought in from D&D via the open game license, monsters form mythology and other real-world sources, and monsters we've made up. In some cases, all three (such as when we make up a new demon that has ties to a D&D concept but pulls from mythology).
10) Yes, since the Dominion of the Black is basically code for "This is where space horror comes from."
11) I'm not sure off the top of my head. There's a six page article about the Bellflower Network in the 4th Hell's Vengeance that might say (I've not read it). I suspect that halfling slaves aren't new as of the Age of Lost Omens, but strongly suspect that the rise of Thrune and their control over the nation changed halfling slavery from a minor thing to a full-on business, since before them Cheliax was probably lawful neutral (and thus had slavery but not all that openly like it is today in lawful evil Cheliax).
12) No.
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Creative Director
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How come Hongal hasn't built a massive horde and swept up Lung Wa's successor states into an empire of its own and then rampaged through Casmaron and Iobarian to threaten Avistan the way their historical counterparts, the Mongols, did?
Because they haven't. Despite the similarity in name and other similarities, they're not meant to lock-step mimic everything real-world Mongols did.
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Creative Director
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Hello James. Long time listener, first time caller.
I was reading the article about Gorum in part 5 of Kingmaker, and it describes Gorum as feuding with Pharasma. Gorum wants his worshippers to die in glorious combat, regardless of what Pharasma decides their fate should be, and he intervenes to thwart her designs on his champions.
In Inner Sea Gods, this feud is replaced by a similar one with Urgathoa. Gorum is offended by Urgathoas propensity for inflicting inglorious "unsportsmanlike" deaths upon his followers through diseases and withering afflictions.
Personally I find the feud with Pharasma much more interesting. The concept of warriors powerful enough to defy destiny, to assert themselves against the natural order of things (or at least try) is compelling. By contrast, the Urgathoa rivalry seems tacked on... Gorum could easily take issue with any number of other duplicitous deities who don't try to defeat their enemies in open combat.My questions:
Can you shed any insight on why this change to Gorum was made?
Is Gorums antagonistic relationship with Pharasma still canon?
Is it just easier to tell stories involving Gorumites if they oppose evil deities rather than neutral ones?I've been enjoying this thread for months now. Thank you for the time and thought you put into answering all these questions!
Gorum is cranky, first of all, as warmongers tend to be. He has multiple feuds, and the shift of focus from Pharasma to Urgathoa between his original article and Inner Sea Gods isn't meant to replace, but to show an additional conflict. Both of Gorum's feuds still exist. I'm not sure why the change was made, unless whoever wrote the Gorum entry in Inner Sea Gods was bored with a fight against Pharasma and wanted something different. I wasn't involved in that process, but again... it doesn't mean that the Pharasma feud goes away just because he feuds with someone else.
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Creative Director
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James,
Hope you're having a good weekend!I got a few questions:
1)Was Azlant a single, continental nation?
2)When Aroden fought Deskari in the Lake of Mists and Veils, did he send his Avatar or was it the god himself?
3)Of the core 20, which deity is more likely/has more often mated with mortals?
4)Did the humans that populate different planets, like Androffa, Golarion and Earth, come from a single place, or was it some kind of parallel development?
5)Is evolution a thing in Golarion?
1) Yes.
2) Unrevealed, but I'm pretty sure he would have sent a powerful avatar.
3) Lamashtu.
4) Unrevealed. That's one of the big mysteries of the universe, and not one we're in any hurry to spoil by giving an answer.
5) Yes.
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Creative Director
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Up to 20.Hi James
How many class levels could a trumpet archon (CR 14, 14 HD) take?
So a 20th level paladin trumpet archon would have 34 hit dice, a 34/29/24/19 BAB?
If yaniel from wrath of the righteous were to die and become an outsider which one would her would become, angel otr archon, and which type off angel or archon?
If that's what the math says, yup. Of course, when you stat up a creature like that, you need to double-check the final numbers against the expected values on table 1–1 in the appendix to the bestiary to determine what CR works best. In certain combinations, you may well go above the limit of CR 30, in which case you've broken the soft cap and should drop levels until you at least go to CR 30. In the case of a trumpet archon, it looks like that'd in theory put the creature at CR 34 by the basic math (CR 14 plus 20 key levels = CR 34), in which case I'd very VERY likely revise my statement to say that no, you can't have a 20th level paladin trumpet archon; the highest you could probably go would be 16th level, which should end up with a CR 30 creature. (You can of course go above CR 30 if you want, but that's more or less the top tier we'll ever publish or deal with in print, and has been set aside as "the highest CR a creature can have" before it transcends rules and breaks things.)
As for Yaniel... not sure. Probably a lawful good angel of some sort.
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Creative Director
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The Shin Godzilla movie page has a theater locator at the bottom of the page for when it shows Oct 11—18 in the U.S.A. Are you aware of this?
Yup. Bought my tickets for a showing on the 11th several weeks ago. Will be seeing it in Bellevue, about a 10 minute drive from my home.
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Creative Director
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What is the purpose of the River Styx?
It flows through all the planes, but I don't see what purpose it is serving.
Traditionally, the purpose of the Styx was to wipe away memories of life so that the dead can go on to do their thing in the afterlife. In Golarion, that role is performed by Pharasma, and thus that leaves the River Styx instead as a sort of thematic connection between the three evil planes. It's purpose is mysterious, but it has something to do with uniting the three forms of evil while allowing Charon some influence across all three planes (Hell, Abaddon, and the Abyss). We may have said more about the Styx here and there in various products... I think we talked about it in the first and third Books of the Damned so that might be a good place to go for more research.
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Creative Director
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How do I know when I've lived long enough to become the bad guy?
When you have more enemies than friends, I guess. Or when a group of people who you recognize as good people are offended with what you're doing and have come to your house with pitchforks and torches.
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James,how does a devil become an infernal duke?That can vary from devil to devil (as the GM/writer/story demands), but all things being equal it's most likely the result of being rewarded with a "promotion" from an archdevil or Asmodeus.
Has there ever been a change amongst the Archfiends? Has it always beem Baalzebul, Belial, Dispater, Geryon, Mammon, Mephistopheles, and Moloch, with Barbatos showing up at some point?