| GVDammerung |
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I have finished reading The Pathfinder Chronicles Gazetteer (PCG) and am struck by just how easy it is to identify the “steals” that went into making up the campaign setting. YMMV but this is my count:
Azlant - Atlantis. Less obviously, the Azlanti survivors to the east harkens to Robert E. Howard’s use of Atlantis in his history of the Hyborian Age.
Kelesh - Persia.
Tian Xia - China.
Vudra - India.
Absalom - Lankhmar by way of the City of Greyhawk.
Andoran - Greece. Backwards. Real history goes Greece, Rome, Byzantium. PCG goes Byzantium, Rome, Greece. See Cheliax and Taldor.
Belkzen, Hold of - The Pomarj (Greyhawk) or any other Orc realm.
Brevoy - The Hold of Stone Fist (Greyhawk) meets the FtA era Hold of the Sea Princes where everyone dies overnight (Greyhawk).
Cheliax - Rome. With a double reverse twist. Rome had Republic and Imperial periods. Cheliax has godfearing and diabolic periods. Also Rome begat Byzantium. PCG Byzantium (Taldor) begat Rome (Cheliax).
Druma - The Ferenghi (Star Trek DS9) and the Bajorans (Star TrekDS9) combined go medieval.
Galt - France during the Revolution. Que the Scarlet Pimpernel Adventure Path.
Geb - Aerdi undead (Greyhawk) meet Jakandor (TSR) undead meet Magic the Gathering -Urza vs Mishra = Geb vs Nex.
Irrisen - Baba Yaga Russia meets Iggwilv’s Perrenland (Greyhawk) with a nod to Birthright (TSR) Land of the White Witch
Isger - No clear parallel
Jalmeray - India/Ceylon/Serendip
Katapesh - Lankhmar’s Bazaar of the Bizarre as a country
Kyonin - Elf realm - Celene (Greyhawk) or most any other elf realm (Birthright, Realms etc.)
Lastwall - Shield Lands (Greyhawk)
Linnorm Kings, Land of the - Viking barbarians, Barbarian states (Greyhawk) etc.
Mammoth Lords, Realm of the - Quest for Fire, Clan of the Cave Bear, 10,000 Years BC, Land That Time Forgot etc.
Mendev - Warhammer fight against Chaos
Molthune - Germania (Roman Province)
Mwangi Expanse - Every pulp Africa cliche you can shake a stick at
Nex - Axum meets Magic the Gathering’s Urza vs Mishra with a nod to Dark Sun (TSR) in the interior
Nidal - Any shadowy, shadow magic kingdom meets Hellraiser
Nirmathas - The Vesve Forest (Greyhawk circa FtA) as a kingdom
Numeria - Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor
Osirion - Egypt
Qadria - Arabian Persia Palmyra
Rahadoum - Any atheist realm
Razmiran - Any false god theocracy
River Kingdoms - The Bandit Kingdoms (Greyhawk)
Sargava - Freed colonial possession, Rome meets Africa
Shackles, The - Caribean or any other pirate isles
Sodden Lands - Mosquito Coast and ruins move to Africa
Taldor - Byzantium via Atlantis to beget Rome (Cheliax) to beget Greece (Andoran)
Thuvia - Land of the Lotus Eaters (Odyssey) meets the Fountain of Youth
Ustalav - Ravenloft (TSR)
Varisia - Gypsy adventure land
Worldwound, The - Warhammer
This isn’t a criticism of PCG. PCG has a nice sense of fantasy historicism that does much to stitch together what could otherwise be a crazy quilt of borrowings. However, and this is a criticism, so many of these lands scream Adventure Path and not much else - prime example Galt. As a nation state Galt makes little sense but as a site for an Adventure Path it has an obvious utility. This raises the question - is Golarion primarily a means to set and sell Adventure Paths or is it primarily a place for DMs to set their own campaigns? I like Golarion after only Greyhawk but I know Greyhawk and Golarion is no Greyhawk. It is too obvious and too obviously on the make for Adventure Paths. Still, second place to Greyhawk is fine company.