I should have thought about Falcon's Hollow long before I did- thanks Towns of the Inner Sea! But I've also read the chapter of Diobel; I admit that I don't really spend much time around Absalom, but this might change my mind- particularly the rest of the Isle!
I feel like there is enough even in just the two images we have seen to imply that this is going to be different from a minotaur. It seems like they are going to be connected to the moon, possibly more mystical, celestial ideas. (I am very excited to hear that that frog-folk are sticking around!)
Oh wow- I missed this announcement but I am very excited. I assume this is in the Tian Xia book? I am not fillipino, but I have friends who are. One I've consulted on monster stuff before says that in a way it is quite similar to the minotaur in that there is really only one "official" myth, but popular culture has taken it an ran with it. The One Unique Thing is there jeweled earrings, which it seems like feature in the art. I haven't read that much, but given that they are described as "Full Moon" and "New Moon" I would assume that looking into myths regarding the cycle of the moon would give you some inspiration. My friend is unaware of any particular connection between traditional sarangay and a moon myth, but they are pretty prevalent throughout that part of the world.
Now this is a pull. Reading up on Darkland locations, I noticed this phrase in the wiki's entry on Hagegraf: "The [Akrizoth Horologe] is acclaimed as one of the wonders of the Darklands, and is a major tourist destination" This leads to an important question: what does Darkland tourism look like? Do we have any other mentions of it? And since I can't imagine ashen dwarves really partaking, do we have to assume it is only drow nobles who tour?
I'm kinda okay with several unrelated entities becoming Hero Gods, as the idea of mortals ascending to divinity feels very apt, although perhaps a holdover from the more out-and-out pulpy 1e. That said- being the most goblin so you end up one of the gods of goblins... That is lore we can all get behind! I can see the real potential in Myth-speaking in particular, as I am a big fan of the conflict between destiny and freewill (Conjures Theletos ) Theros got name checked a little before- and I do have a soft spot for it, even as I wish there was a little more depth (we keep getting glimpses of cool part of the lore...) One thing I am a particular fan of, even though they haven't really done anything with it- is that within Theros there's a clear distinction between fate and destiny, and everyone is expected to respect both.
Drawing on your wizard school idea- I'm always going to pitch the Runelords as near-endless mcguffin generators. They are pretty quickly understandable (good for new players/GMs) but have a deep lore and are pretty tied to Golarion specifically (good for enfranchised players). Perhaps seven scolls have been unearthed, promising a deeper understanding of magic to those willing to do whatever needs to be done... I admit I'm not fully up on the New Thassilion lore, but I do know that the concept of Rune Magic is becoming less inherently sinister- a potential complication/salvation for those corrupted by old knowledge.
The god is already dead. They've stopped answering prayers to their followers and granting spells to their clerics. It may even have happened years ago, but their church is still trying to figure out what to do about it, and how to break the news - the last time a god died on Golarion, it was heralded by earthquakes and tidal waves that devastated the coastlines of the Inner Sea, the Eye of Abendego destroyed Lirgen, and the Worldwound opened up. What catastrophe might they be anticipating this time? Taking this to it's logical conclusion... The God is dead, replaced by Xanderghul's illusion...
If we're being good conspiracy theorists (and I think we are) should we consider what event some of us have already played through? Might that inform the shape the story takes?
I'll say that I am also a fan of your Swan Madiens, although I wouldn't want them classified as Lycanthropes. They're their own thing, and are more special and mysterious for it. That's why, though I like the idea of aquatic lycanthropes, I'd push back on calling them Selkies. Let those beautiful maidens shed their own skin!
I couldn't remember the name, but Furcas was the Duke who kept me coming back. And yes- the art was a big reason why. Drawing inspiration from real world sources like the weird and evocative designs in the ars goetia is always going to earn you points from me!
I am a big fan of Demon Lords- they are evocative, unique, and (mostly) have super interesting layers of Hell you'll need to navigate to actually deal with them. For whatever reason, I just don't have the same passion for the Dukes of Hell. What are people's favourite dukes, and why?
I don't know if it was literally a step in making him divine, but Earthfall is a pretty important part of Aroden's legacy. Either way, the Starstone and Aroden were big influences in the rise of The Whispering Tyrant, and his army of undead. The Age of Darkness also allowed Zon-Kuthon to do some sinister shenanigans, right? They also created the art of fleshwarping, right? I'm not sure if this is meant to be the same information the Drow/Serpentfolk rediscovered. You could also say they were responsible for any monsters who's origins are Azlanti or Thassilion, right?
The trouble is that your original question has a boring answer. Where would I put an Australia Analogue? Saurusan. You're looking for a large area of land, surrounded by water, far from other places. It let's you explain why certain bits of magic behave differently here. Put some mountains along the north coast, say everything above that is verdant forest and bountiful prairie, everything below it is constantly-on-fire badlands. To answer what I think is the implied question, where will the devs put an Australian analogue, I think it's more likely that they'll scatter influence across their globe. An ancient society of people who defend key moments from change. The Monad becomes more proactive, and takes the form of an opalescent serpent. A hunter is doomed to forever chase the memory of their lover across increasingly inhospitable terrains.
The thread seems to have gone from a real specific question to a general "could paizo do an aboriginal setting?" which- yes, I assume so. They have a great eye for what works and, more importantly, the connections to bring in people. (Also the Tiddalik will never get enough fanfare) If you are interested in including some Aborignal influence in your setting I would do some reading on the Dreamtime, specifically thinking about it as a philosophy rather than a collection of stories. I'm painting with a really broad brush here, but it's a lot about how when you tell a story you can literally affect the events described. The past, present and future are malleable, and it is your most important duty to be respectful of that. Because if you're not- you'll turn into a mountain. Or an ant. And people will keep telling your story, and forcing you to relive it. Also giants ride falling stars.
With the Okaiyo Ocean acting as our Pacific, I'd be quite content seeing some Australian stuff in southern Arcadia. As an Australian married to an American I am (un)qualified to say- our history and culture is far more similar than people want to realise.
Jumping back to a previous idea: I really vibe with the idea that the "core" successor states are at war. It's been a minute since I last looked at them, but I remember thinking they make excellent places for characters to be from, realise how messy they are, and head off into the wider world. We get a lot of "war brewing" in the Inner Sea (which makes sense since that's when adventurers and non-government actors are so useful) but a full on "It's War!" crawl? Yes please!
I'd love some Numerian robots, annd in a similar vein, I really miss the PF1 Outer (Solar, Lunar, Time, Void, and Vortex) Dragons. Oh I adore them! I feel like Lost Omens has been incredible, even more than first edition, at grounding its spacey stuff in a pulpy world (probably because Starfinder handles all the truly sci fi stuff). But I am greedy and I want more, more, more. If every AP has a chapter taking us to a different planet? Yes please!
Vyre has kind of a Venetian energy, does it not? Vyre absolutely has a Venetian energy! I can't believe I didn't think of that- I've run Hells Rebels so many times!
Something to consider: all the other ancestries have their names written singular (it's "human" for example, not "humans"), so there's no reason to assume these would be any different.
The Mwangi Expanse has grasslands, jungle, coastline, swamps, tall mountains, big cities, small villages, ancient ruins, raging rivers, a portal to Fantasy Mars, and one very big lake. I'm a big fan of the expanse- but ideally I'm looking for something more condensed. Obviously there are ways to handwave/teleport/airship across larger areas but I'm hoping for something that is "walkable" whatever that means. I am however making my way through the Mwangi Expanse source book and fully intend to use it as the setting for my next full campaign (or more!)
I love an excuse to head to the pathfinder wiki and search a concept. I admit I don't know how these characters have been used- so I have no idea if they are currently alive and kicking, imprisoned or running wild. I will note that the kind of criminals found in a region relate to the sorts of stories most associated with it. Varisia has a lot of bandits, Ustalav has a lot of serial killers. Based on my clicking around, it looks like Absalom is mostly plagued by smugglers, and criminals who can hide within "legitimate" organisations. The Banshees are a group of drug smugglers and slavers based out of The Puddles District. Their mouthpiece and most well-known member is the half-orc Gedrak. The Poisoned Lodge make money trading in whatever they can get their hands on. What sets them apart is that they are adventurers, and potentially members of the Pathfinder Society. The wiki says they "claim" to be members, so maybe the are lying about it, or maybe they are actual pathfinders and afforded some kind of protection (implicit or explicit) Guaril Karela, similarly, is the leader of the Sczarni and may be connected the the merchant wing of the pathfinders. Interestingly enough despite being based in Absalom (and perhaps not even known to be associated with the criminals) most Sczarni activity doesn't take place in Absalom itself. Mason Karbie is actually a criminal from Diobel, but since that is under Absalom's protection they might want to see him brought to justice as well. But how the Diobel citizens feel about agents of Absalom sticking their noses into their bussiness might complicate things... Tarrant Akayn is an interesting one (and from a piece of fiction I haven't read) but he is a con artist and incredible ambitious, which can make a change of pace from violent criminals.
Winterwight looks interesting- kind of an icy Nightwalker? Lots of people talk about Strange Aeons, and I admit I haven't really looked at it all that closely. Had a look at the bestiary from the first book and saw the Oneirogen and was hooked!
What made me think of this was the Tophet from 1e's Bestiary 3 . A mobile prison/torture room with a pseudo-historical basis? Yes please! But I'm also a big fan of the Akaname, the Buggane and the Colour Out Of Space. And, thanks to my well documented love of Mystery Monsters Revisited, I adore the Death Worms. I want to have my players struggle to defeat a monster that can throw every type of damage at them, and then struggle even more to prove to anyone that is actually happened!
Without wanting to sound dismissive, I think the fact you're saying it's a combination of two elements from opposite sides of Europe is a little telling. I think it is based on the 'trope' of conqured nations (trope is in inverteds since obviously this is a real historical thing as well as an element of fantasy writing). I really don't want to make it seem like I'm saying you're asking something wrong or bad, because I think it is an interesting question and hopefully opens the floor to a broader discussion of where this reflects history. But I also think it does a disservice to both real-world complexity and fantastical world building to want these things to have direct comparisons. Obviously there are some areas of Golarion which are pretty apparently inspired by real world history. Osirion is maybe the clearest. But Galt isn't really inspired by France, so much as it's inspired by a particular period of French history. You can see elements of French history in the River Kingdoms, or Cheliax, or the Impossible Lands or even in Brevoy. Ustalav has some inspiration from Central Europe, yes, but it's clearer influence is Gothic storytelling. Ibylos takes notes from areas of Greece, but is primarily a place for Epic storytelling. So I personally think it's less useful to think of Brevoy in terms of what real-world history it resembles, and more about what stories and narratives it let's you explore. Which is a long way of saying I agree it's Game of Thrones.
I am embarrassed that I missed the previous post was ten years ago, but never embarrassed to share my love of the silver city.
I agree with everyone giving love to the Varisian cities, but I am a little sad not to see anyone mentioning Kintargo. My bias here is that Hell's Rebels was the first AP I properly ran, the AP I have ran most often, and remains one of my favourite adventures. But even removed from that I think Kintargo is unique and interesting. The idea of a city leading the way after hard-won freedoms, while still having to negotiate their place in the world? That's the sort of place that always needs adventurers, but who's every problem can't be solved. Or you can wind back the clock and see it as the one artistic bastion in a fascist nation- arguably an even better place for intruige and adventure! But also Kaer Maga is excellent.
One of the recurring themes when you read reviews of APs, or discuss them online is people mentioning the quality decreasing as it goes on. Even APs that are poorly reviewed in their totality people talk about having great opening chapters (I'm thinking specifically Serpents Skull and Giantslayer as the most commonly discussed in this area). I'm sure there's numerous reasons for why, but my question is which AP has the best last chapter/adventure?
I truly believe their are two types of Pathfinder: those who find flumphs and flail snails incredible, and those who are wrong. Seriously though- Misfit Monsters took ten jokes and made them genuinely impressive and/or scary (I'm a big fan of their treatment of Adhearers and The Wolf in Sheeps Clothing!)
I'll start with the monster that inspired me to ask the question: The Skelm. When I first looked at their entry I wrote them off as "boy hags", but when rereading it today I realised how foolish I'd been. They're monsters who wield societal norms like a weapon, combined with a weird cult of masculinity (literally bullying and humiliating angry men into becoming like them)! Add to that the wonderful line about their gaslighting nature: Skelms pretend they don't have antlers at all when dealing with non-skelms, regardless of evidence or argument. Skelms will even gore enemies with their antlers in combat, even if afterwards they deny the action they obviously just took. - Bestiary 3 Safe to say Skelm will be infesting more of my settings cities going forward!
There's no denying we're spoiled for monsters- I'm just greedy and always wanting more! Sea monsters have always appealed to me (the oceans of earth are filled with so much madness that Golarion barely needs to exaggerate!) Even assuming Krakens and Sea Serpents have already been revisited, we'd still have so many to be explored!
It's an annoying answer but I'm pretty sure what you've shared there is all that has really been mentioned. Possibly there is a Society Scenario that deals with it, but not to my knowledge. If you want cannon answers then that's all she wrote. I did however use the Black Prince as a plot point in a previous campaign so if that's going to be helpful to you I can share how I filled in the gaps.
Hands down my absolute favourite Pathfinder books were the "monsters revisited" books from first edition. You'd get 10 articles about monsters (and one time treasures!) linked by a topic or idea. Some of them were creature types (special shout out to Fey Revisited) but my personal favourites were the ones more 'thematic'- such as Mystery Monsters or Classic Horrors. You can see the spiritual fingerprints of these books on newer releases, but I miss them! What topics would you want to be "revisited"? What monsters might be covered by then? |
