Faustino Cato's page

After looking through some of the books (namely UM and UC), it has occurred to my group that PF has pretty much given up on being a fantasy game and just gone "screw it, let's go Steampunk". Especially after UC. I mean, just look at the picture of the Spellslinger Wizard... Not that this is a bad thing, just an observation and a thread to see if anyone else has noticed this and what people's thoughts are on it. Personally, I quite like it.

Great discussion question. I don't have any of the books on hand that you refer to (and the PRD does not supply the artwork), so is your question based on the appearance of the characters, the game style, the mechanics, or a combination of those?

The following is just *my* answer. I don't claim it to be canon. It's just based on my understanding and studies, and it's just for the fun of answering the original post question:

Pathfinder is a fantasy roleplaying system...with legs.

Strictly speaking, Steam Punk is a genre that draws from a speculative historical Victorian-era world (particularly its science, technology, and society) as the underpinnings of style, purpose and content.

Fantasy as a genre is pretty broad, but concerns itself with 1) escape from our world as we know it 2) a redefined look at characters and setting, especially with "rules" or "laws" of that universe which are implausible or unexplained by the rules or laws of our universe. Much is imagined without concerning itself with being realistic.

Whereas sci-fi focuses on science and technology as the underpinnings for dealing with the story setting, characters and conflicts.

So, I'd say that Pathfinder is still truly fantasy. But perhaps elements of steam punk are finding its way in, which, I would argue, makes room for another facet of fantasy.

By the way, there is an ongoing debate and discussion in steam punk culture as to what defines steam punk. Many feel that steam punk has simply become a (weak) aesthetic appellation for one's decision to nostalgically wear or display or write about cogs, goggles, wheels and inventive machines and such. Others feel it is a true genre and culture that celebrates the ingenuity of re-purposing and re-imagining what others have discarded or that which has become status quo (as it relates to resources, equipment, etc.)

Thanks for reading, folks.

Abraham spalding wrote:

Yeah the article you referenced (which I understand isn't your position necessarily) seemed to think that this was a 'sky was falling' moment and seemed to me to

Give it another try. At 32, I found it far more approachable and entertaining than when I first read it (and failed!) at 13. Books 4 & 5 drag, but what can you do. I suggest easing in with The Hobbit. And if you ever have any inclination to read the Silmarillion, the time is right after LotR. Otherwise it will hit you like a wall of text.

Agreed. I had the pleasure of teaching _The Fellowship of the Ring_. I found LOTF to be a very different read than when I had read it at a younger age (on top of the fact that I was reading it as a piece of "literary fiction", not "popular fiction" or as a pleasant escape.

It is rich with literary elements (deliberate tools and devices) that make for great analytical discussions.