Evelyn Jones's page

Just got my copy, and I want to say that the inclusion of the Calaca Psychopomp is a thing of beauty.

My guess is that the writers of the Anniversary Edition simply forgot that it was a new mechanic in-play, as the original text makes no mention of the city's statistics (since those mechanics weren't yet around when CotCT was first released). I'd assume it would fall under Martial Law as well from halfway through EfOK all the way until halfway through CoF.

Ragathiel - I can't think of a more fitting song for the crusading child of an archdevil.

Can I assume that an entry of "Norgorber is 4 halflings with different classes, all sharing the same black robe and standing on each other's shoulders" would be frowned upon? :P

Can we please, please, please, get Phat Valeros included in the blog post for this one? I have a sudden, burning, previously unknown need to use Mother Wren's jewel-encrusted grill on the Retail Rewards page on our website.

That's actually not Fat Valeros, that's Mavaro, the iconic Occultist, dolled-up in the most fashionable way I've ever seen.

Your tone of voice, closet, suggests rudeness and an inability to budge on a subject, as well as the belief that your way is automatically right. I will not argue with such a person, other than to say "believing the gameworld is real is not a prerequisite to playing the game right".

I agree with N.Jolly statement as a whole and reject Closet's sentiments. What effectively amounts to personality ("I believe in freedom, good will, and have a hobby of stargazing!") shouldn't be considered a balancing-point for actual, mechanical implications ("...So because of this, I can throw an off-brand chakram based entirely on how pretty and personable I am!") On top of that, it is frustrating how it sets a precedent that Golarion-centric games are things that everyone will be playing, because some GMs don't like refluffing and thus it unfairly locks-out a character (and indeed, their player) from being able to do cool or awesome things because they don't worship the right imaginary god, or didn't get picked-up by fairies when they were a kid. Similarly, the idea of "not playing the game right" is wholeheartedly bubkis; yes, there are rules and mechanics and settings, but the idea of locking things behind arbitrary distinctions and setting-specific concepts in a ruleset that is, at least in theory, setting-agnostic is kind of silly.

Mister Jacobs, you've mentioned previously in this thread (or was it somewhere else on the site?) that you personally are of the opinion that the Summoner is "an ill fit" for the lore and setting of Golarion, for a variety of reasons. My question is, out of all of the non-core rulebook classes that Paizo has printed, is there any that you feel are a perfect fit for Golarion? Perhaps even that, were you to "do it again", they WOULD be a core class? And to continue that question, are there any third-party or WotC/OGL classes that you would classify in a similar position?

How common is it for people in Golarion to know the difference between different "subspecies" of races that have them? For instance, how often can people tell the difference between a demon-descended tiefling or an asura-descended one? A moroi-born dhampir or a nosferatu-born? A witchwolf skinwalker and a ragebred? Do those who ARE those races have an easier time telling the difference, or are they often just as clueless about their exact lineage?

Dragon78 wrote:

What are the favored class bonuses for the kineticist?

** spoiler omitted **

-Skeld

Wait, hold on. That first one, what are the specifics on that? Because from what I can gather, that's a REALLY GOOD option to take. Is it limited in some way?

I'm remembering a different thread that gave a very interesting idea for Aroden, which would be quite funny indeed if it got some backing for Starfinder!

Is there any information at all yet-released about the Jinx Witch archetype? Tengu being known as "jinx-eaters" is interesting and I'm wondering what that means for the archetype; are they anti-curse witches? Do you take other curses and throw them onto someone else?

A question about Hand's Detachment. The feat specifies that the hand acts like the Crawling Hand creature except it isn't Undead.

So, what does that MEAN for the poor thing? What is it's type? I would assume it's the same type that you are, so an elf's detached hand would be a Humanoid (elf) and an aasimar's would be Outsider (native), but a case could also be made for it being a Magical Beast. Next, does it still retain Undead Immunities despite not being undead? What is its new Constitution Score, since it isn't Undead and thus needs one? Would the CON score be your own (since it's your hand), would it be the same as its Charisma score, or would it be a flat 10?

As a fan of the Vigilante class' mechanics (if not their fluff), I'm definitely interested in seeing what other companies can do in regards to improving a class as versatile and surprisingly-effective as this one. I'll absolutely keep my eyes peeled for this one.

But of course, their neighbors and hated foes across the border, in the Land of the Linnorm Kings, are not without defenses themselves. Many a Winter Witch or Ravenlord has met their doom when they expected to face a savage Barbarian or a simple Viking Fighter, only to be cut down by the cunning and brutal intelligence of an ulfen raider trained in the ways of the Zweihander Sentinel. Commonly found as elite members of raiding parties, a Zweihander Sentinel can utilize his defensive prowess to protect his allies even as he swings his greataxe or falchion to cleave through his foes.

Crashing Tempest Academy was founded by the drinking buddy of Cayden Cailean, who upon hearing that his friend became a god, immediately claimed that HE was the one who put him up to the bet, and that HE got him the ideas that let him pass the Test of the Starstone. Upon not being smote on the spot, he then founded the Academy in honor of his friend's skill with utilizing the Steel Tankard/Mithral Rapier/Adamantine-Toed Boots so well in barfights.

Lensmaker Society is a branch of the Pathfinder Society, specifically the branch that realized that actually calling themselves Pathfinders while doing morally-questionable activities probably wasn't a good idea.

The biggest benefit to Path of War, such as the Warder or Warlord, is that they allow a player to use a multitude of different weapons or combat styles and make them work, without relying on "full-attack, end turn". You can play a completely dexterity-and-charisma-only character (a Warlord with Weapon Finesse and Deadly Agility) to play a roguish scoundrel that uses darts and daggers to make pinpoint-accurate attacks for debilitating his foes, or a ninja that does the same thing, all without needing to change a single mechanical detail. It allows you to play a savage and fierce warrior that protects his clan with his battleaxe and his brains (a Zweihander Sentinel Warder with Primal Fury and Scarlet Throne), or the same character can be a scholarly sort that dropped out of wizarding school to stab someone in the gut with a halberd. The Mystic is a way to play a monk that isn't terrible (Aurora Soul), or you can play your favorite cartoon or movie character that uses "magic" and doesn't rely on vancian spellcasting.

That being said, it's not without flaws. Some maneuvers are busted (either being too weak or too powerful), but the same could be said of spells. The Stalker is a class that feels at-odds with itself, being highly mobile but requiring to stand completely still in order to recover itself (making it feel a bit monkish in that regard, but not to the same ghastly extent). But otherwise, the system is usable and it works just as well when it comes to damage-dealing AND utility as the crown jewels of Pathfinder martial combat (The Barbarian, Paladin, and Slayer).

But then when you look at the options that maneuvers give you, these issues seem comparatively-minor. Swordsmen can sprout angelic (or fiendish) wings and fly about sewing terror where they land. Elementalists can coat their weapons or even their fists with fire and ice without needing to rely on fiddly spells or expensive items. Leaders can seize the opportunity and bring morale back to their men with a single strike. The sheer variety and flavor of the abilities rivals even spellcasting, without it busting the game open in-half and while still giving you a coherent set of powers. If you want to focus on fear, there's two disciplines with that as an important aspect. Ranged Combat? Solar Wind/Elemental Flux/Tempest Gale is what you need. Utility and maneuverability? Veiled Moon, Riven Hourglass, and Sleeping Goddess can make you unrivaled in evasion. It's a great way to palpably say "yes, this is what my character is about, and I can back that up starting from level 1."

I feel like using the old "and then a Runelord was the villain!" standby for a Land of the Linnorm Kings AP is a bit of a copout. If you're playing there, the most likely candidates for characters would be people native to the region or merchants/travelers from specific locations; Minkai and Osirion specifically, considering the trade routes. So, at least in my opinion, it would make more sense for a campaign set there to utilize the unique aspects of the Linnorm Kingdoms to create an interesting story.
There doesn't need to be a "great cosmic evil" threatening the place; enough high-level savages and cannibals from the frozen islands, or fey invaders from Irrisen, can be just as much of a threat as an ancient wizard or shoggoth from beyond, if not moreso because they can withstand the natural harshness of the land. In addition, the location practically begs the players to be open-ended in their individual goals while aiming for a single obvious target: "Kill Fahfnir, Drag the Corpse, Become THE Linnorm Kings, Conquer All!" The feel of the location lends itself more to Conan, to the Grey Mouser, to Siegfried and Merlin and Moses and other sorts of fantastically-powerful individuals who can come in, kick ass, crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and hear the lamentations of their women.

THAT feels like a more interesting AP than "Another Runelord, Part 3" or "Cthulhu Lands On Golarion".

@Wyntr: That makes no sense whatsoever for the Order of the Rack. Racks have, as their job, the followings tasks: Finding, Uprooting, and Destroying the chaos that is criminal activities. Torture is only necessary when the accused claims to have not done their crime; her brother admitted to the crime, and therefore his criminal activities had been uprooted and made known. The only step left was to execute him; giving him a chance to explain himself would show a wavering-at-best belief in the righteousness of the law, but torturing him more for no good reason is just a waste of time and shows sadism, not orderliness.

@AlgaeNymph: I don't see her as vile, and I agree that putting her as Lawful Evil isn't quite accurate when it comes right down to it. Is she merciless, forthright, and deadly? Yes. But none of these things are what people traditionally consider evil; she doesn't sound like she tortures people for fun. She doesn't find random people to lynch, she waits for the courts to claim someone is guilty before torturing them and fulfilling their execution. She's a mercilessly-direct Lawful Neutral for sure, but I'd hesitate to call her Evil any more than a ranger who puts down orcs and goblins on-sight no-questions-asked as Evil.

Personally, I am interested in seeing how Paizo will do the rest of the iconics for Hell's Vengeance. I think that the actual idea of "evil" will need to come out more, because Linxia doesn't strike me as particularly evil or cruel. If what they're going for is "Cheliax hires all sorts, and even someone who is a calm and even-handed arbiter of justice can do dark deeds in the name of a good cause" then I congratulate them on this character. If they instead are going for "look how eeeeeeeevil this girl is!" then I think they'll need to work a bit more on it.

Indeed Corvus. It's entertaining to see how an "Evil" campaign will be done, and hopefully it will be well-written (I have high hopes, considering most of the writers are not the "big-name" ones and will therefore have new views and opinions).

That being said, it's a little unnerving with James Jacobs' new revelation regarding the "most disruptive alignment". Is this why Erastil ended up so conflicted until he was rewritten? Why Iomedae is very shall we say "uppity" in Wrath of the Righteous' 5th installment? To me, the worse alignment is, and always will be, "whatever alignment the worst player in the group is playing". Sometimes that means the jerkwad "take no prisoners, let God sort them out" LG Paladin or Fighter. Other times it's the plucky "comic relief" CG rogue that steals from the rest of the party and always goes alone to pick fights with the LN city guards, then complains when it gets their character gets systematically beaten, jailed, and executed.

Really, it's all a matter of opinion. I like the idea of an evil-themed campaign just as much as a good, lawful, or chaotic one. As long as it's well-written, I'll enjoy it.

Polyamory is a thing, and isn't inherently wrong as long as everyone involved is open and aware about what is going on and is supportive of it.

As someone in a polyamorous relationship I can't say that I agree with you. Oftentimes that first step from turning a monogamous relationship into a polygamist one is filled with hesitance, fear of backlash, and self-doubt. "What if he doesn't want another person in this relationship?" "What if I don't like who she's bringing home at night?" It's a bunch of metaphysical landmines that you need to be certain you're okay with stepping on; there's no way to fully prepare for dropping a bombshell like "hey, sweetheart, I love you and all, but there's this girl..." on your significant other, unless you have gotten extremely-lucky when you started to date them.

Or unless it was open from the start, at which point that's describing something different completely. STARTING a relationship with the knowledge that it's a poly one is different than attempting to change a pre-existing relationship into a polyamorous one. In the former, all your cards are on the table (metaphorically speaking). In the latter, you're either thinking about someone else (which is dangerous water to tread) or you're already in a relationship with that second person and are trying to convince the first that it's alright (at which point you're just cheating and trying to change the rules retroactively so you won't be cheating).

Again, this is from the viewpoint of someone who's in a very happy relationship with two wonderful people; when one person became two people, I was utterly terrified because of the confused feelings I had, and how I could have potentially hurt the first person. I would have to say, in closing, that the gods SHOULD be multifaceted and complex beings. I believe that Erastil should be for anybody that raises a child but against single parents of either sex. I believe that Sarenrae should be all for redemption, but that this also includes working hand-in-hand with Asmodeus and accepting slavery where it is legal. And finally I believe that Shelyn is accepting of poly relationships, but ONLY once they're poly and that she's against the steps leading up to it. Is it contradictory and paradoxical? Yes, but they're GODS; mere mortal minds should think that they're being hypocritical or mysterious.

I personally like the idea that Norgorber was actually a full party of four (Fighter, Rogue, Alchemist, and Oracle probably) that teamed up to do the Test, and that they're personally the reason why people now have to do the test on their own instead of as a team.

Oppression is evil. This is pretty much the cornerstone of every moral philosophy out there, with the conspicuous exception of those that are transparently laid out explicitly to keep oppressors in power. Most relevant in this context, evil in Pathfinder is more or less defined as getting ahead in life by walking all over everyone else. Especially when we're looking specifically at Lawful Evil.

Alright, following you so far.

Therefore, misogyny is evil.

Misogyny is also lawful, in that the systemic part of systemic oppression implies an actual society-level system (so really, this is more the concept of patriarchy if you want to split hairs, but again, how everyone's been using it).

Aaaaand you lost me. Allow me to explain why.

"Misogyny", by definition, is "the hatred of women". That's all it means, by dictionary terms. The prefix "Miso-" meaning disgust or hatred, and the root "-gyno-" which means females. At no point does it mean oppressing women, doing so systematically or on a society-level, or having any connection to "the Patriarchy" (which is a silly term anyway, and one that is about as black-and-white as calling the entirety of Paizo wrong when it is merely some of their writers).

Misogyny is a neutral act because it is hateful towards a subset of humanity and living beings. It is no more or less evil than Misandry (the hatred of men), Misanthropy (the hatred of all humans), or even Misocyny (the hatred of dogs, which all goblins in Golarion seem to pathologically suffer from). Nowhere does misogyny mean when a man thinks a woman isn't fit for being in a leading position, nor does it mean that a society places women lower on the political totem-pole. It can be combined with said events, but it is not, by the very definition of the word, the same thing.

Therefore, with this reasoning, it can be said that a misogynistic deity is no more evil than a deity who hates dragons, or goblins, or arcane spellcasters. Is oppression evil, and thus a deity that oppresses women evil? Yes, but no more than a deity that oppresses Ulfen humans, or elves, or men, or what-have-you. But again, this all is under the assumption that Erastil was ever misogynistic which, as I have proven with the definitions, he never was. He has old-fashioned beliefs on what a couple should do, but he does not Hate Women.

Aratrok wrote:

I'm thinking some shade of antipaladin and/or someone transplanted from Galt. If I'm going to be rebelling over mint and grain I want to let loose and do some cartoonishly evil crap.

This is kinda what the next AP is for, honestly... evil won't really fit that well into Hell's Rebels's themes. Of course, if your GM is willing to play along with your plans and doesn't mind rewriting a fair amount of content... feel free to try it out?

I must admit that I'm just a liiiiiiittle wary of the intended theme if you're saying that Hell's Vengeance is good for "cartoonishly evil crap". I want my evil characters to be likable and nuanced, not stereotypes like the Antipaladin! Admittedly the Antipaladin is a hilarious character; seriously, who paints a sign that literally leads to "Burning Orphanage"? Give the person who drew that a stipend, it's the perfect picture.

As for on-topic, I definitely think that a Cult Leader is a perfect fit for this AP. Lead the masses against tyranny, send them all to fight for what is right, even if they don't know it!

Has anyone considered the idea that both Erastil and Asmodeus have somewhat backwards views on women because they are both Lawful? It has nothing to do with Good-Evil and have everything to do with Law-Chaos.

Law denotes tradition, honor, stability, the tried and true method. It also has connotations of being stuck in your ways, uncompromising, disdainful of new ideas and an unwillingness to accept alternative views, customs and lifestyles.

Chaos is innovation, freedom, change, being tolerant and accepting of those things you yourself don't believe in. It also has a nasty side with being unreliable, being dishonest, being unstable or dismissing old ways for untested and the unknown...

Law and Chaos is far more nuanced than most people give it credit for and it seems often, especially in recent products, that Chaos is the fun alignment and Lawful is the jerk alignment.

This might very well be the case, which just brings up the underlying problem that is inherent in the recent Paizo releases: "Chaos is the forward-thinking and fun alignment, Law is the mean-spirited and backwards alignment". This disappoints me on several levels, because it equates Chaos to automatically being positive and that Law, even when combined with Good, is negative. It bothers me that Wrath of the Righteous was plagued with bad characterization, especially of Iomedae, because "well, she's Lawful so of course she's going to trumpet people for disagreeing with her!" It annoys me how the Player's "Guide" to Hell's Rebels explicitly says that Paladins and other Lawful characters, even Lawful Good ones, are not good choices for a playable character (as well as bringing Milani to the forefront yet again when she is supposedly a minor ascended goddess, yet somehow manages to sneak into every recent Adventure Path as the 'best' option). It frustrates me that in Hell's Vengeance your planned-to-be-Evil characters are mostly fighting the Lawful Good 'Glorious Reclamation' and not, as the name would suggest, the eponymous rebels from the last AP (and, indeed, can't seem to ever do a thing against them).

The recent trend of Paizo's writing that "Law = bad and Chaos = best" is probably the real reasoning behind a lot of the problems and flaws that people see in these recent ideas. Erastil was written to be family-minded because he's Lawful and Lawful is apparently no good to the writing team, lumping him together with Iomedae and Asmodeus. I've not heard of a Chaotic deity being suddenly retconned into acting more proper, only of Lawful deities.

Evelyn Jones wrote:

Iomedae has been a god for roughly 900 years only, I believe. That is a blink of an eye compared to Cayden.

a rather foggy blink of the eye for Cayden, all things considered

Admittedly he WAS drunk when he took the Starstone Test.

Iomedae has been a god for roughly 900 years only, I believe. That is a blink of an eye compared to Cayden.

Plus he'll probably staunchly remain opposed to any gay/lesbian couples that want nothing to do with kids at all (as opposed to ones who adopt). It honestly would not make sense for him to change his mind about that last part, because he's a bloody god of exactly doing not-that!

An important thing to remember, as well, is that he'd be staunchly against straight people who don't settle down and have kids or adopt and be a good role-model, as well as gay/lesbian couples. Thank you for pointing this out Jamie; Erastil should not be whitewashed into being all-accepting of all lifestyles because that's not the kind of portfolio he has as a god. He's the Deity of Community, Family, and Protection of the first two for goodness' sake, not the God of Free Love. No matter your sexual preference he wants you to settle down and raise a family!

The fact that women carry the kid for 9 months isn't equal to oppressing them or even "protecting them for their own good", it's common sense to not get stabbed in the belly by a highwayman on the road. Similarly, he's not calling for men to go out and get slaughtered in war, because that leaves a kid fatherless. He'd be even more moderate and relaxed if there was such a thing as "test tube babies" in Golarion, but children still get born the old-fashioned way and people still go out adventuring and getting themselves killed, so of course he's going to be against men and women not being a part of a community with a white picket fence, a dog, and 2.4 children; they are actively against what he is the god of.

Gods don't have those excuses. They're ancient and undying, they have the time and resources to know these things, or to have given their views the proper thought.

Except that they aren't. Aroden was slain less than 100 years ago, Asmodeus claims to have killed his brother-god in the ancient times, and at least 4 humans have risen to the position of Deity in recorded Golarion history. So the idea that they are "ancient and undying" is wrong by objective evidence.

Were the situation different, as with hermaphrodites or even a complete inversion of which sex gets what parts, he might be a bit bewildered. Yet from what he's said, as long as families are being made, and the old ways of hearth and home, field and family, flora and fauna were being carried out, he'd acclimate. And I think it's a far greater statement on acceptance and inclusion to show that happening, rather than retconning the opportunity because it made you uncomfortable.

Now this is something I can get behind. Show how the gods change over time and how (as people in this thread have said on all sides) opinions and beliefs that were once thought of as good are now seen as negative. Erastil WAS once a staunch supporter of "men go farming, women get babies", but over time has changed and become more moderate and understanding, and has transformed into "people of all types and preferences need to settle down, create a family, and be a part of the community". Growth is good in a setting and in a character! Simply retcon'ing him into having ALWAYS been pro-LGBT does nothing but create a boring, ho-hum deity where there was once an interesting being.

Or at least are accepted as such within the setting. Because gods aren't mortals, they are the measure by which alignment is defined. They are the cornerstones of the setting.

So don't allow those stances in your good gods. Leave them for your gray gods and your evil gods.
If a person, even through inaction, allows oppression and injustice to thrive or persist, they aren't being very good. They're being neutral.

I heartily disagree with this notion. Gods throughout all of history, including the modern era, have been believed to be Good while still having inaccurate or negative traits. The fact that the good gods of Golarion follow a morality that is seen in the modern day as "liberal" or "forward-thinking" makes no sense, because it implicitly assumes that "conservative" or "traditional" thinking is wrong.

Say that I am a female (which I am), and I believe that women as-a-whole are just as deserving of various punishments and cruelties as a man (which I do believe; cruelties should not be evoked upon ANYONE no matter their gender, but punishments such as imprisonment or getting hit if you throw the first punch are also gender-neutral). Am I advocating violence against women and thus would be considered "evil"? No, and neither would a deity that believes that justice is blind, even-handed, and equal-opportunity. If a man punches you, either turn the other cheek or punch him back. If a woman punches you, either turn the other cheek or punch her back.

Let's take another view. A god believes in the sanctity of life and thus is against the aborting of a child so long as it was created in a loving or at least consensual union (obviously fetuses born of rape are exempt from this and can be removed freely). Is the fact that they are expecting something of their female followers in regards to their body a bad or negative trait? In my personal opinion I would say yes, but that does not equate to that god being non-Good. I disagree with their tenants, but I do not holistically declare that they are 'obviously' a Neutral or Evil god.

Gods that are purely of goodness or pure baby-eating evil are, frankly, boring. Sure, you could always give the justification of "but just homebrew it or houserule it!", but that isn't what various Paizo writers do. They "errata" it in, overwriting things that they disagree with on a personal level instead of leaving it in and offering their own viewpoint that, while biased (as all viewpoints are, including my own), is also merely a suggestion and is in no way official. It's a problem that I have with the writing of Pathfinder; don't get me wrong, I love the system and I believe that it is a fun and entertaining tabletop game. However, when the fluff-writers overwrite and self-censor to the point of making everything black-and-white, or when the crunch-writers reduce the effectiveness of a character option because it's "not realistic" while systematically ignoring that wizards use mind-control and an entire country exists because a witch got bored and ran a social experiment in the snow, I find it difficult to really enjoy the game without feeling punished or, dare I say it, discriminated against.

Hello Nathan! Thank you for the welcome.

As for removing absolute alignment, that is definitely one possible solution... but, in my opinion, it's not the only one or the 'most correct' one. As a player, I personally enjoy it when a character acts completely within alignment but in an unexpected personality.

A Chaotic Good freedom-fighter (such as someone that you might play as in Hell's Rebels) can be a vicious "man the guillotines and let the gods sort them out" type since he is still targeting the corrupt and stifling government that is currently in-place. Such a character is doing what is best for everyone and what will ultimately prove to be a Good act, but he is doing so Chaotically and in a way that might cause people looking in a lot of discomfort ("Does he really need to lift the head of EVERY Hellknight to show us the 'face of evil'?").

Now let's look at a Chaotic Evil character. He is polite and friendly, and he won't balk at the letter OR the spirit of an agreement he's made... but he still kicks piglets because they're in the way and paints signs on the road literally pointing to "Burning Orphanage" and "My Secret Lair". I imagine that the iconic Antipaladin is this sort of CE character; absolutely maniacal and evil, but in a way that you can't help but think is charming and hilarious. He's Dick Dastardly, tying people to the railroads with enough time to have them rescued. He could just shoot them and get it over with, but that defeats the spirit of being Chaotic and Evil to him.

In the same way, this can be extended to all alignments. Just because someone's a racist jerk doesn't mean he's not Lawful Good, or even Chaotic Good. Just because someone is friendly, willing to listen, and able to make reasonable counterpoints in a discussion does not negate that he could be Neutral Evil or Chaotic Neutral. The justification and overall result in his or her actions are what makes alignment, not how they act on a day-to-day basis.

Halae, Coyote, and Rynjin bring up extremely important points: Deities across history and other fantasy games have nearly-always had good and bad aspects to them. Some examples from real life would be:
-Zeus, Father of the Gods and the highest authority of Justice, was a serial philanderer.
-Athena, goddess of righteousness, honor, protection, and strategy, was still a short-fused and petty woman that turned Arachne into a spider (or, depending on the version, egged her on to hang herself but felt guilty just before the deed was done) because she was a better weaver than her (or again, depending on the retelling, because the mortal Arachne showed how foolish and flawed the gods really were)
-Susanoo, the impetuous storm-deity of Shinto religion, was a jerk to everyone and broke several taboos... and yet, he was also willing to save a family's daughter simply because he knew it was wrong to see her die, and held up any deals that he made (such as when his son-in-law tied his hair to the beams of his own house and took his daughter for marriage, he did not chase after him and even gave them his blessing).
-Hades, the Lord of the Dead and guardian of the underworld, was one of the most sensible and straightforward gods of Greek Mythology, and was also the Treasurer of the Earth and all of her underground bounties, such as gold and diamonds.

Examples from fictional sources are just as easy to find:
-Hextor (D&D) is the LE god of Tyranny and sworn nemesis of his LG brother (hmm, sounds a lot like Asmodeus doesn't it?), but is also the god of fitness and personal growth.
-Crom (Conan the Barbarian) and Khorne (Warhammer Fantasy/40,000) both do not care where the blood flows from, only that it flows; while Crom is seen as a more positive deity than Khorne, the Fantasy version of Khorne is also the god of martial training and stoicism (the 40k version is, admittedly, a self-parody as befitting the "Grim Darkness" of that setting).

Now, looking at these, we can see that gods that would fall under a form of Law or Chaos, Good or Evil... all of them have both flaws and virtues that would make them believable and worthy of worship beyond fear.
Asmodeus being a misogynist doesn't really add anything to his character; he's already an Lawful Evil deity of Tyranny, and while that may imply some level of "Stay in the Kitchen", many of his godly allies and enemies are the way they are because of their actions and not their genders; The Whore Queens are reviled because they tried to overthrow him as ruler of Hell, Lamashtu is hated because she's an insane demon that regularly commits acts of heinous disgust on animals and people to create monsters, and Sarenrae was not only the only other deity to help out in locking Rovagug up but has also been one of the few deities (Good OR Evil) to regularly work alongside The Prince of Hell.
Now, let's look at Erastil. Him being misogynistic DOES add something to his characterization. He's a protector of communities and provider of families, but is still stuck in 'the old ways', which might very well turn-away potential worshipers because of it. It created depth in him, it gave GMs various ways to show that not all Good deities are thoroughly flawless, and not all Evil deities were kitten-eating psychopaths. The concept of "retcon it because I don't agree with this view" defeats the purpose of seeing things from other perspectives, and takes away some of the depth that Erastil greatly needs; without his old-fashioned views, he is less like "Your cool and friendly grandpa who served in 'Nam and is embarrassing you by wondering when you'll settle down with a girl and not a boy" and more like "just another god of the hunt and of families".

As an aside, this is my first post here on the Paizo forums after spending a long time lurking. Hello, everyone!