Announcing Bestiary 4!

BTW is that Grendel on the cover?

The only thing that worries me are the Demon Lords, does that mean that there are many unique creatures in bestiary 4? I really hope not, I think uniques and lords/gods would be better off in their own books like they have been in the past, but that is just me.

There's not a lot of unique creatures in Bestiary 4. I ended up writing most of the unique creatures, I think, between the demon lords and the kaiju and the Great Old Ones.

Unique creatures in a monster book, and in particular demon lords in a monster book, is a fine tradition from AD&D's first edition Monster Manual that I'm really really REALLY happy we can finally honor in our Bestiaries, in any event.

ALSO:

Whew... Am I glad I can finally start talking about this book! Keeping a lid on Cthulhu is not easy.

Announcing...MY EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously...I...can't...wait.

Oinodaemon or other new daemons?

I wish it were Fall. Not just because of this, because I hate Summer. But this mostly.

Are there many new fey and plants in there?

Did the Sea Cat make it into this book. I miss this beast from the old days. Nice middle of the road sea encounter.

I didn't think you could sell me another Bestairy. Consider me wrong, again.

At last! Maybe we'll finally see monsters above the mid-20 CR range. heh heh heh ... *weg*

Does this mean that we will not get an NPC Codex 2? Or is it likely that it will just come out in 2014?

Sorry, we have a strict policy about announcing only one hardcover per day. Info on more will have to wait for another day. :)

Are there many new fey and plants in there?

Yes. But I can say that about every creature type.

Did the Sea Cat make it into this book. I miss this beast from the old days. Nice middle of the road sea encounter.

We've mentioned a bunch of monsters already and will be talking about more closer to this book's release, but for now we're not getting too deep into specifics about content.

Patience. We'll have tons more as things get closer to Fall! :)

Whoa! I'm getting way too stoked

/me hopes for a comprehensive summon monster / nature's homey list

This looks so awesome! I don't know if this is at all possible but, I would like to submit a monster for this please!

Hell yeah, more exotic skulls to add to the Hall of Fame.

LSJEricV wrote:

Did the Sea Cat make it into this book. I miss this beast from the old days. Nice middle of the road sea encounter.

We've mentioned a bunch of monsters already and will be talking about more closer to this book's release, but for now we're not getting too deep into specifics about content.

Though, if folks do want some hints as to what might be in this book, the Bestiary 4 Wishlist thread had pages of great discussions and monster suggestions. Quite a few made it onto my initial lists and finally into the book. So check the thread out and take your guesses at what made it in!

/me hopes for a comprehensive summon monster / nature's homey list

While we'll be doing more in-depth previews later in the year, the Department of Managed Expectations wanted me to note that this book will NOT have a comprehensive summon monster/nature's ally list. We don't intend to do something like that. We intend instead to expand those options by either making new spells (such as some of the ones you've seen in the Books of the Damned or Rival Guide), or by making access to a few additional creatures be a perk of worshiping a deity (as you see in each of Sean's deity articles in Pathfinder).

Constantly expanding the summon lists does several things we don't want:

1) power creep for an already very useful spell.

2) option creep for an already very versatile spell.

3) wordcount creep for an already very wordy spell.

4) built in obsolescence each time we print a new monster.

SWEET! ^_^

Consider it bought on day 1 :)

EDIT: Wait... "Fall" as in "September", or "Fall" as in "November"? That can make a different here y'know ;)

Evil Midnight Lurker wrote:

I'm seeing two nosferatu. (Nosferati? Nosferatodes?)

We just ran into this for the first time yesterday... We hate irregular plurals, so you might be seeing "nosferatus," but we've got kaiju in here as well, and "kaijus" doesn't seem right at all. Ooof. Well, we'll got a few weeks before the editing starts to figure it all out!

Well, if Nosferatu is a Romanian word (that's debatable), it's plural, as a masculine word ending in -u, would be Nosferati.

MONSTAAAAAAAARS!

It sounds like they're taking the best of the AP monsters and compiling them for this product. Nice, for those of us who don't always get the APs.

Every Bestiary has included a small percentage of monsters that debuted in Adventure Paths; this one is no exception.

Artanthos wrote:

Looks good.

How soon before the new stuff starts showing up in PFS scenarios?

As soon as the book is available to our authors content from it will be fair game for them to include in their adventures.

YAY!

We were much more tenuous with B3, this is welcome news.

I have been sick with the flu all day...seeing this announcement has really helped! Consider this an instant buy!

Axial wrote:

Does Cthulhu eat 1d4 player characters per round?

Kinda, yeah. You'll see.

But not right before dinner!!! :p

(roleplaying Cthulhu's Jewish mother...)

ALSO:

Whew... Am I glad I can finally start talking about this book! Keeping a lid on Cthulhu is not easy.

Cthulhu shall have his revenge.

So if there are going to be demon lords in this, will there also be archdevils for use devil lovers? :D

Also surprised to see the Al mi'raj in here. I thought there was a general aversion to using things like the jacklelope.

Wait, I'm surprised by the comments about these creatures showing up in PFS scenarios. I thought every creature encountered in a PFS scenario had to have a miniature from the pawns/battles line associated with it, and not every monster does yet (to the best of my knowledge) and typically the pawns/battles minis aren't made available right away when a bestiary is released.

Am I misunderstanding what kinds of monsters can make it into a PFS scenario?

Wait, I'm surprised by the comments about these creatures showing up in PFS scenarios. I thought every creature encountered in a PFS scenario had to have a miniature from the pawns/battles line associated with it, and not every monster does yet (to the best of my knowledge) and typically the pawns/battles minis aren't made available right away when a bestiary is released.

Am I misunderstanding what kinds of monsters can make it into a PFS scenario?

I believe you're thinking of the Pathfinder Society Open Call, which does place that stipulation on what can be included in a submission. When we're dealing with an author we've already vetted or who we trust with a full scenario (rather than a Quest), there are more options available to them to tell the stories they want to tell. Everything goes through approval and development, though, so it's not like every monster after this book's release is going to be from Bestiary 4.

I hope there will be an entry for Vorpal Bunnies such as Aslan.

archmagi1 wrote:

/me hopes for a comprehensive summon monster / nature's homey list

While we'll be doing more in-depth previews later in the year, the Department of Managed Expectations wanted me to note that this book will NOT have a comprehensive summon monster/nature's ally list. We don't intend to do something like that. We intend instead to expand those options by either making new spells (such as some of the ones you've seen in the Books of the Damned or Rival Guide), or by making access to a few additional creatures be a perk of worshiping a deity (as you see in each of Sean's deity articles in Pathfinder).

Constantly expanding the summon lists does several things we don't want:

1) power creep for an already very useful spell.

2) option creep for an already very versatile spell.

3) wordcount creep for an already very wordy spell.

4) built in obsolescence each time we print a new monster.

All valid points.

But I still wish an exception would be made for any monsters in the 3.5e summon monster list that didn't make the Bestiary 1 cut-off (looking at the badger/ dire badger specifically. My 3e conjurer loved that fuzzy guy).

o.O FOUR?!?! I had to sign up and tell you how much you are killing me that now I have to wait until Fall... Errgh...

Seriously though, my fiance and I love Pathfinder. We don't have everything... but we are getting there. 27 books, two on order and waiting for the May release of Ultimate Campaign.

Keep up the great work!

...Fall );

So if there are going to be demon lords in this, will there also be archdevils for use devil lovers? :D

Also surprised to see the Al mi'raj in here. I thought there was a general aversion to using things like the jacklelope.

No archdevils in this book. We'll get to them eventually. We didn't want to put TOO many unique powerful foes in here... well... MOST of us didn't. I wanted like half the book to be things like archdevils and demon lords and Great Old Ones and the like... but that would probably have monopolized too much of the book with awesome. :-P

Axial wrote:

Does Cthulhu eat 1d4 player characters per round?

Kinda, yeah. You'll see.

Uh oh...

In terms of general gameplay mechanics, how much worse is is he compared to the CR 20 Star-Spawn from Wake of the Watcher? If a non-mythic party tries to go up against him, do they end up like PCs from Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu?

I hope there will be an entry for Vorpal Bunnies such as Aslan.

Look up "Al-mi'raj."

All valid points.

But I still wish an exception would be made for any monsters in the 3.5e summon monster list that didn't make the Bestiary 1 cut-off (looking at the badger/ dire badger specifically. My 3e conjurer loved that fuzzy guy).

Then it seems like the alternate summoning list in Pathfinder Player Companion: Champions of Purity will be up your alley. Keep an eye out for more of those in the Player Companion line as they're appropriate.

Just in time for my Bone minis to come in and get that Cthulhu painted up just right...

James Jacobs wrote:

Axial wrote:

Does Cthulhu eat 1d4 player characters per round?

Kinda, yeah. You'll see.

Uh oh...

In terms of general gameplay mechanics, how much worse is is he compared to the CR 20 Star-Spawn from Wake of the Watcher? If a non-mythic party tries to go up against him, do they end up like PCs from Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu?

I certainly hope so. Otherwise would fall under "son I am disappoint". ;)

(roleplaying Cthulhu's Jewish mother...)

"His brother's a doctor."

Jester David wrote:

All valid points.

But I still wish an exception would be made for any monsters in the 3.5e summon monster list that didn't make the Bestiary 1 cut-off (looking at the badger/ dire badger specifically. My 3e conjurer loved that fuzzy guy).

Then it seems like the alternate summoning list in Pathfinder Player Companion: Champions of Purity will be up your alley. Keep an eye out for more of those in the Player Companion line as they're appropriate.

Sold!

So, I can expect to be seeing a lot of this with the release of Al-mi'raj?

Another bestiary. Huzzah!

There is no such thing as too many monsters...

EldonG wrote:

(roleplaying Cthulhu's Jewish mother...)

"His brother's a doctor."

"And all he ever wants to do is hang around the house and sleep all day, the lazy bum!"

So, huh, I get to have Cthulhu on the cover of one of my Bestiaries.
Have I already told you how much I love you, guys?

Arikiel wrote:

I hope there will be an entry for Vorpal Bunnies such as Aslan.

Look up "Al-mi'raj."

Man, it's been so long since I've seen one of those little guys anywhere but a Dragon Quest videogame...

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

takes time to digest all of the words

I am excited about one thing with this book.

I can't wait to see what new familiars are available.

Of course because I play almost exclusively PFS I will then have to hunt down the boon to get them. But it will be worth it.

Fleshwarps. WAWNT.

So, this is going to be more unique monsters than typical? I hope so!

Thank you Paizo.

Can't wait for it.

More monsters for my campaign.