Varisian Wanderer's page

Hi James!

Is Shorafa Pamodae a call out to Tyralandi of Scuttlecove? I notice they both have fiendish blood, violet skin, thorn tattoos, and similar professions.

I really adored the art used for the couatl and harpy in Mythic Monsters Revisited. The detail and the artist’s take on feathers was really great! I think it’s possibly the best depiction of either monster I’ve seen. Any chance these art pieces will be reused for the Pathfinder 2E Bestiary?

Hi James!

If you were to run a campaign set exclusively in the Darklands, which native Darklands races would you make available to players?

So excited for this book!

I've been a fan of fiends (specifically demons) since the Demonomicon of Iggwilv articles written by James Jacobs for Dragon magazine years ago. They are (IMO) some of the best articles to have been released in Dragon. They not only tipped the balance to me becoming a D&D player and DM, but also set me upon the path of following James' work all the way to Pathfinder back in 2008.

Since then I've spent many hours having fun with friends DMing and playing Pathfinder. I've enjoyed seeing Pathfinder's take on the various fiendish races, and many other things besides. Needless to say, I'm glad that the Book of the Damned is finally getting its due. And the cover art (Nocticula by Wayne Reynolds!) is fantastic as always. While I know producing these amazing books is very much a team effort by all the great people at Paizo, I wanted to give a shout-out to James here.

SO PUMPED. GO JAMES! YOU ROCK!

Hey, James Jacobs!

1) If Graz'zt had been included in Pathfinder, what three things do you suspect would be contained in his portfolio?

2) How do you think he and Nocticula would have gotten along?

Thank you again for answering questions in this thread, it's really awesome of you!

Hi James! I hope you've been well.

1) What CR would you assign to Socothbenoth?

2) Do you have any suggestions as to what kind of abilities he might have if I were to homebrew his stats?

3) Is there anything you would change about the Demoniac PrC, or are you satisfied with it?

Thanks for any answers you can provide! I also wanted to let you know I'm really enjoying Hell's Rebels so far, and the artwork of the strix on the cover of part 5 is pretty amazing. I was lukewarm on Cheliax for a long while, but I really feel like you guys have done a fantastic job in its presentation lately.

Hey, James!

1) If you were making an elf cleric of Desna using 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8, how would you assign the ability scores?

2) What do you think of this pic?

3) Heard any new music lately that has reminded you of Desna? Or have any suggestions for music to play in the background while meeting a star monarch?

As always, thanks for any answers!

Hey, James!

1) Will Inner Sea Races have much info on the drow?

2) Will a follower of Nocticula fit in well in Hell's Vengeance?

3) What would you say is the best way a cleric/demoniac of Nocticula could go about assassinating people? Hold Person and coup-de-grace comes to mind.

Here's another vote for a revised core rulebook. Errata for the core classes, cleaning up ambiguous wording, perhaps making the core book somewhat smaller, etc. I'd greatly prefer that over a new edition. I quite like some of the changes in Pathfinder Unchained, for example.

Kaer Maga fan here, too.

Honorable mentions to Riddleport, Magnimar, Korvosa, and Sandpoint. Varisia in general is a fantastic region.

In Golarion, all drow are evil. If an elf get's too evil, they turn drow, and if a drow turns good, they become a normal elf.

However, indiscriminately killing evil beings is usually evil.

I agree that killing sentient beings on sight, no questions asked, would be evil, but wanted to correct the above - a good-aligned drow does not become an elf. The drow transformation is one way (from evil elf to drow, and not the other way around), at least in Golarion.

1) Drow
Both the Evil and non-Evil variety. I was first introduced to drow when I discovered the Faiths and Pantheons entry on Eilistraee from the Forgotten Realms. My 'Good' drow character was made before I ever learned of the existence of Drizzt. Everything described about Eilistraee's faith and appearance I considered really beautiful (and not in an ERMAGERD NEKKID DROW CHICK kind of way, either). The dark skin contrasting with white hair and silvery armor was a really pleasing aesthetic for me, and her portfolio of song, beauty, dance, swordwork, hunting, and moonlight was the cherry on top. I've always held a fondness for beauty and the moon. Sacred hunts through moon-dappled forests, nude except for a blade, stalking some beast to slay in your goddess' name? Cool!

I also may have felt inspired by or connected to her in a way due to how her followers were persecuted, but still tried to do good in the world. When I first read about Eilistraee, I was facing a lot of vitriol about my sexual orientation, and most of that hatred was coming from my own family. I've heard a few detractors of hers criticize the nudity aspect, but I've never seen nudity as an exclusively sexual thing. Eilistraee choosing to take such a form seemed more like a celebration of joy and freedom, and a sign of their purity, than some base fanservice on the author's part. Her death was one of the nails in the coffin concerning the Realms and 4E for me, and I still think it was a mistake on the part of WOTC to kill her off. She would have made a great 'point of light' in the setting. But the anti-good drow crowd seems to have won out, here, and got her decapitated in the lore and story. I've encountered several posters of this mindset who, to this very day, gleefully and seemingly spitefully say that Eilistraee was an abomination and it's a good thing she is dead, etc. I've never understood wanting to 'twist the knife,' so to speak. Mikaze's Post Here illustrates my point. Then again, she could have also been killed off because Drizzt needed to stay unique to continue earning income, and an entire cult of good drow on the surface was in the way of that. All IMO, of course.

The Lolth-worshiping drow of other settings never really interested me. I found them boring, bland and homogeneous. Oh, another dominatrix-dressed hater of men? Okay... (To be fair, I liked pre-Lolth when she was presented as Araushnee, the Weaver of Destiny.) But when Golarion's dark elves were said to worship various demon lords, I was intrigued. I had developed an interest in Demon Lords in no small part thanks to James Jacobs articles of the Demonomicon series in Dragon. Learning about Iggwilv, Malcanthet, and Graz'zt were what really drew me in. I quite like Golarion's evil drow, especially with the Demoniac Prestige Class, though I wished we saw more of them (either raiding the surface, or in confrontations with foolish surface-dwellers who delve into the darklands). Nocticula is really cool, even better than Malcanthet I think, and not as sexist either, since Nocticula allows male Demoniacs and clerics. But I've yet to find a full stand-in for Graz'zt, who was by far my favorite demon lord. Socothbenoth tries to fill his shoes, but I've found him lacking thus far (probably due to the scant info on him). Maybe that will change in the future! But yeah, demon-worshiping drow? Count me in!

2) Elves
Like drow, but without the accusations of being a Drizzt clone, having someone roll their eyes at you, or being told 'you're doing it wrong and having badwrongfun!' Yeah, I like them because they're a 'pretty' race and aesthetically pleasing to me. Though I wouldn't mind dropping the 'typically CG' tag, since I think most mortal humanoids, especially the core races, should flow along the Neutral part of the alignment bar in regards to Good and Evil. It'd also fit more with their 'main' deity in Golarion, Calistria (also CN). I've always thought that Good and Evil individuals should be exemplars of the core races, while the majority of people just focus on living life and getting by (hence, Neutral). I wouldn't mind seeing some more focus on the different ethnicities, highlighting their different cultures and appearances, like the 'wild' elves of the Mwangi Expanse, the Snowcaster Elves, the Mordant Spire elves, or desert elves from Garund (all have the same stats as base elves, mind, much like how humans have different ethnicities but keep the same game stats - see below).

3) Humans
My go-to race for concepts which don't immediately come to mind as fitting another core race. Golarion's inclusion of numerous human ethnicities is great, especially since humans are supposed to be a varied lot. They have such a wide choice for character concepts, from pale-skinned barbarians in the Land of the Linnorm Kings, to aristocratic and arrogant bronze-skinned dandies from Taldor, to dark-skinned and suave merchants in Osirion. Pathfinder has done an excellent job (IMO) of providing humans with a large amount of diversity, which is supposed to be one of their key (if not THE key) defining traits in Golarion.

4) Merfolk
Merfolk were the first subject I learned how to draw, all the way back when I was a toddler and fond of Disney's The Little Mermaid. I like both the beautiful, singing, shy variety, and the creepy, sinister, might-eat-you variety. I'd love to see more of them, and maybe even some freshwater groups which live in large rivers or lakes. League of Legends has Nami and River Spirit Nami, who I enjoy playing.

5) Tieflings
Because they're a way to play demons in humanoid form! :P

In summary, the thing that typically draws me to a race is its aesthetics. I'm a sucker for pretty things. But above that, I like VARIETY. It strikes me as more realistic (and yes, I know how describing something as such in a fantasy world can be seen). But also IMO it provides more opportunities for someone, somewhere, to like that particular aspect of that race, whereas before they may not have been a fan. For me, that would be dwarves. It's not that I dislike them. It's just that I never found them particularly interesting. I think they have a valuable place in fantasy tradition, sure, but I would have never considered playing one personally. However, Golarion's recent inclusion of the Pahmet dwarves in Osirion has made me pause for a moment. There are also several tribes of 'wild' dwarves in the Mwangi Expanse. While I'd still say it's unlikely for me to play one, the fact that it gave me pause is a neat thing! Variety, diversity, new takes on races, or even just fresh takes of the same old concept, can be great things. :)

Just my 2 cents!

Hi, James!

Cambion as presented in The Midnight Isles are described in the text as having cloven hooves for feet (like their incubi fathers), but the artwork shows them with humanoid legs (like their mothers). Which one is intended?

Also, do incubi have tails like succubi?

Thanks!

I'd really like to see a 'fey-touched' race or something similar that could be a PC race. They could have variant heritages like aasimar or tieflings perhaps (satyr, nymphs, pixies, etc).

More information on the Eldest would be nice. I've always wondered about Count Ranalc and what happened to him. The Lost Prince strikes me as a fey Edgar Allan Poe.

For a monster that doesn't seem to rely on enchantment magic to seduce their partners, might I suggest the faun? Chaotic Good, the result of a willing pairing between a satyr and humanoid, and described as being a 'gentle hedonist' and enjoying 'wine, music, dancing, nature and carnal pleasures.' The only spell-like abilities they have are ghost sound (at will) and hideous laughter and sleep (each once per day). It goes on to say that they aid hard-workers who are at peace with the land and sometimes warn their neighbors of danger.

Of note also is that the text says "the vast majority of fauns are male, although unlike satyrs, females of this species do exist - they're simply less common than male fauns."

I sort of wish this is how most races presented as being composed of a single-gender were handled. Most are of the specified gender, but it allows for exceptions to exist.

It wouldn't surprise me if Shamira instigated some of the conflict in Sarenrae's faith.

Agreeing with LoreKeeper above, I kind of view the images SRS posted as somewhat feminine looking guys.

So! Copied from another somewhat related thread...

Here's some examples of what I wouldn't mind seeing more of in Pathfinder, and what I would consider attractive men. Maybe they're a little more masculine than what SRS posted?

Example 1 by Carolina Eade, which depicts an elven cleric of Shelyn. I really love her works, so vibrant and colorful, and stylish!
Example 2 and Example 3, both by dronio.
Example 4 and Example 5 by ElephantWendigo.
Example 6 and Example 7 by anndr. Could maybe pass for Socothbenoth and an elven follower of Zon-Kuthon? :P
And Example 8 by hgjart.

If anyone has the spare time, I definitely recommend browsing some of the above artists' galleries. Not only are there some excellent examples of attractive males (imo), but a lot of their stuff is just gorgeous work in general.

I'm actually not a huge fan of the original artwork of Calistria, either. I much prefer this version, presented in Faiths of Balance (though it could also just be a generic elven cleric of hers). Meh!

Deadmanwalking covered most of the bases up thread. Gozreh, Nethys, Pharasma and Sarenrae.

The Bonuwat people are the ones that worship Desna and Gozreh as Shimye-Magalla.

In Sargava, Shelyn worship originates with the colonials, but she is referred to as "the beautiful lady" by the native Mwangi, and I could easily imagine Shelyn taking the form of a beautiful Mwangi woman with streaks of brilliant color in her dark hair.

Calistria is a known shape-shifter (and gender-bender, for that matter), so she could likely appear as Mwangi or Garundi as well.

End of thread. Peoplr looking for problems where there are none.

I wouldn't call wondering if there are any black gods in Pathfinder 'looking for problems,' but whatever.

On the character mentioned in Ashiel's post, I'm reminded a bit of Claudia from Interview With A Vampire. Adult mind, child body, though she viewed it as a curse and wanted an adult form. Seems like a classical concept for a vampire, as is the adoration (maybe leaning toward obsession?) for a particular individual (even a child). Could really play up the dark fairytale aspect with that.

Here's some examples of what I wouldn't mind seeing more of in Pathfinder.

Example 1 by Carolina Eade, which depicts an elven cleric of Shelyn. I really love her works, so vibrant and colorful, and stylish!
Example 2 and Example 3, both by dronio.
Example 4 and Example 5 by ElephantWendigo.
Example 6 and Example 7 by anndr.
And Example 8 by hgjart.

If anyone has the spare time, I definitely recommend browsing some of the above artists' galleries. Not only are there some excellent examples of attractive males (imo), but a lot of their stuff is just gorgeous work in general.

I can't speak for others, but for myself (a gay male), it's not so much that women are written as 'fantastically sexual', but the overall trend of there being so many examples of said women in comparison to similar romanticized men.

I think the female form is beautiful and artistic (and I think the same of the male form), and seeing women in positions of power and leadership is a great thing. Individually, such examples are wonderful. It's when they are taken on a whole that a trend could be seen. Comparatively, there are far fewer romanticized or attractive males which are available for possible romances and relationships.

At least, that's what I gathered.

And James' and Erik's responses are some of the reasons I'm a consistent Pathfinder customer and Paizo fan. That the designers respond and not only say that the customers have been heard, but that they are constantly working on such things, is a big plus to me. Thanks James, Erik, and the rest of the Paizo staff. It's appreciated.

On topic, I'm fine with lots of attractive female NPCs and monsters, however, as DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote, "more sexy Draculas" please!

Side note - does anyone know if lillends are a female only race in Pathfinder?

Also, Mikaze, if you happen to read this, might I ask which artist you're getting to do the Lymnieris artwork? I'd love to see some of their other works. I draw some myself, but it's been a long time since I've uploaded any for others to view.

I know where you're coming from. If it's any consolation, you're not the only one who has noticed that there are a large number of attractive female NPCs in comparison to male ones. There have been quite a few threads on the subject (as pointed out by Joana above).

I've long wanted a nascent incubus demon lord, and was hoping to see one detailed ruling one of Nocticula's Midnight Isles. When Pathfinder #76 was released, however, all it had was a passing mention of Shamira's predecessor, an incubus named Ziforian who Nocticula banished to the sewers below Alushinyrra. I've personally found the artwork of incubi so far (all three of them, I think?) to be underwhelming - they lack horns, and aren't all that attractive.

In Skull and Shackles, there are 2 attractive redheaded female NPCs (Sandara Quinn and Tessa Fairwind), though to be fair Pierce Jerrell is somewhat attractive and pointed out as a romance option. I've honestly thought about gender swapping Sandara, though I quite like Tessa.

As for all male races, there are satyr (and fauns, who are mostly male), though I've found some of their artwork to be disappointing as well. Also in Pathfinder #76 are the all-male cambion demons who are sired by incubi, and there are 2 of them in said adventure. Two positive art depictions I've noticed were both in Bestiary 4, the Empyreal Lord Cernunnos and the fossegrim, both male and decent looking.

Hopefully things will change and more attractive male NPCs and romance options will be included in the future. In the meantime, I've homebrewed a few nascent demon lords, including an incubus one. Perhaps when Socothbenoth is detailed we'll be treated to some nice artwork and the male side of sensuality will be shown a little more.

On a sidenote, I noticed in Inner Sea Gods that some of the words in Cayden Cailean's section have changed. For one example, his original article said "He believes everyone would get along if they could sit down and have a drink, preferably in the company of lovely ladies." In the updated Inner Sea Gods, it says the same, save that it replaces 'lovely ladies' with 'attractive companions.' There are a few more word switches in his article like that. Small touches like that can go a long way, I think.

Got my copy yesterday!

While it's true there is some art that has been reused, the new art pieces are generally very well done, and I'm a sucker for great illustrations.

My favorite would have to be the picture of Shelyn on page 141. It shows Shelyn seated in a garden surrounded by colorful flowers and wildlife (including a green squirrel on her shoulder and a purple rabbit in her lap!) holding a bowl of rainbow colored paint in one hand, and using a paintbrush in the other to paint birds, which have come to life. Her hair contains streaks of several colors and is done up with flowers, with a butterfly sitting on top. Lovely!

Other art pieces I like include the depictions of Abadar and Cayden Cailean, who are both handsome, the shrine illustrations for Desna and Gozreh, and the rustic temple of Erastil. The altars for Norgorber and Zon-Kuthon, while downright disturbing in comparison, are great too. What appears to be a male follower of Calistria on page 221 is nice as well.

Also... I think I may have developed a bit of a crush on Cayden Cailean. Seriously, he's such a bro.

EDIT: Arlachramas doesn't have a sacred animal.

Sad day! :( I really enjoyed Sean's work, especially on the deity articles. I'm glad to hear he will still be contributing though! Good luck to you in your future endeavors, Mr. Reynolds!

This, this, and this might hold some interest.

To me, it neatly explains why the gods generally don’t go talking directly to mortals (it would probably kill them), it takes away what is perceived as punishment for incorrectly answering questions, and demonstrates that the characters are mythic in that they can weather the attention of a god.

Hmm... Puts an interesting spin on the legend about Cayden Cailean taking the test of the starstone after being rebuffed by Calistria as not being able to survive a night in her arms. ;)

The topic of Eilistraee and the 4E Forgotten Realms should probably be moved to a new thread if it's to be discussed further.

As for myself, that topic is a dead horse, and aside from saying I disagree, not one I care to go back into.

Hi James!

What do you think of these?

My favorite is the kitty bookshelf. :)

Well, at least they cleaned house on the Drow Pantheon. It was getting ridiculous.

Funny because Eilistraee was my favorite deity. XD

I really hope we get to see all the Heralds updated to Pathfinder, along with new artwork for them. Specifically hoping for a new illustration of the Night Monarch, Desna's Herald. I'd also like to see Phoenix Tail, the avoral bard of Shelyn, statted out or illustrated.

One thing that caught my interest recently is that some of the planar allies mentioned in the adventure path deity articles aren't strictly Outsiders; hopefully they'll still be able to be summoned with planar ally spells. For example, Star Monarchs are associated with Desna and her priests are said to be capable of calling them, even though they're technically Magical Beasts, not outsiders.

While I would like a full article on Socothbenoth and artwork on him, I imagine he may eventually be covered in an adventure path, as this book is mainly for the core 20.

Really love the cover art for this. The red, tan, and brown go well together.

Also, information on half-drow? Sweet! :)

One thing that fourth edition D&D did right was cleaning house on the redundant deities.

I have to disagree. The whole-sale slaughter and killing off of deities and pantheons is one of the things that made me turn away from 4E, especially where the Forgotten Realms is concerned (my favorite deity was among the dead). That, and the 100+ years timeline jump, killing of iconic NPCs, and vast amounts of destruction via the Spellplague... it was a bit much.

Considering that there are thousands of deities that have been and continued to be worshiped in our own real world history, I don't really blink an eye at 300-ish. As mentioned above, the Golarion deities aren't sustained on mortal worship. If you don't like some of them, don't use them, maybe stick to the core 20? But others may like the variety, like myself. :)

One thing I would like to see expanded upon would be the interaction and relationships between the deities. We have Shelyn and Zon-Kuthon, but that's about it of the core 20. I also kind of hope to see an updated Spherewalker, or something along the lines of a Desnan priest.

Looking forward to this book!

Just thought I'd chime in to say that it isn't specified that Nocticula can maintain only one Profane Ascension at a time. That text refers to the creature receiving it, and mentions that the target's name appears in glowing Abyssal runes on her wings. Considering the amount of runes on her wings, I think its safe to assume she can use this ability as often as she wants! :)

I just wanted to say that the artwork in the foreword of Arueshalae kneeling at a statue of Desna, surrounded by glowing blue butterflies, is really beautiful.

Being a fan of Desna, I'd really love to see butterfly/moth familiars.

I remember reading Eando Kline's journals, now called The Compass Stone, in the original adventure path format. The part I remember was where he was in the Darklands, and encountered a moth swarm.

"An explosion of light surrounded me. I cried out instinctively and shut my eyes. The whispers returned full force and a sudden breeze blew past my face. Still clinging to the wall, I cracked open my eyes.

A cloud of luminescent moths engulfed me. Each one was as large as my hand and glowed pale silver, gold, and rose. Their antennae stretched twice the length of their bodies and brushed me like a woman’s hair as they swarmed around. I gasped with relief, then shuddered as the cloud continued to bat around me like drunken bumblebees. The moths seemed harmless, and I wasn’t afraid of falling this time(the other day’s encounter having been enough to convince me to save some of my magical reserves) but the sensation of the swarm was unsettling.

The moths remained for possibly a minute, their glow overwhelming that of my sunrod, the beat of their wings filling the passage with the susurrus I’d mistaken for whispers. Just when I was wondering if I should start to climb with the moths in tow, they continued their swarm up the chimney and vanished from sight."

Dragon magazine provided the stats for butterfly/moth familiars way back. They used the thrush stats, but provided a different bonus to skills. While I guess a re-skinned thrush familiar might work, I wouldn't mind seeing unique stats for them, perhaps with an ability similar to the Luminescence ability of the fire beetle. Maybe butterflies provide a +3 bonus to Fly, while Moths provide a +3 bonus to Stealth.

Also, maybe a Feat somewhere that lets any character gain a familiar. There is already an Animal Ally feat for animal companions. Priests of Desna could then get her holy animal as a familiar. I also recall clerics of Besmara being able to give up one of their domains to get a familiar. Just some thoughts!

For those interested in the themes of LGBT people in war, I thought I would mention the Sacred Band of Thebes, a force of 150 pairs of male lovers that were the elite force of the Theban army in the 4th century BC.

Here is a good summary of the Sacred Band.

During the years of the Sacred Band’s existence Thebes gained greater and greater power in their region, even breaking free from Sparta’s dominance when the Sacred Band helped to defeat an army three times their own size.

In 338BC the Sacred Band was annihilated by Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great). According to Plutarch, most of the Theban soldiers fled in the face of Philip II’s superior military technology, but not the Sacred Band. They stood, fought, and died as one that day, and are buried together on that spot, marked today by a statue known as the Lion of Chaironeia.

Plutarch records that Philip II, on encountering the corpses "heaped one upon another", understanding who they were, exclaimed,"Perish any man who suspects that these men either did or suffered anything unseemly."

Plato, in his Symposium, best describes the love and determination found of the Sacred Band of Thebes, in which he wrote: "And if there were only some way of contriving that a state or an army should be made up of lovers and their loves, they would be the very best governors of their own city, abstaining from all dishonour, and emulating one another in honour; and when fighting at each other’s side, although a mere handful, they would overcome the world. For what lover would not choose rather to be seen by all mankind than by his beloved, either when abandoning his post or throwing away his arms? He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this."

I think it's a neat possibility that something similar to this might have arisen at some point during the Crusades in the Worldwound. :) Maybe an army of lovers sacred to Shelyn?

Listed somewhat roughly in order from most to least popular...

I see Abadar as their principal deity, as it seems a lot of their population lives in cities and the nation's wealth is one of the few remaining strengths they have. They also have a very complicated and bloated legal system.

As one of the ascended of Taldan origin and a deity who takes joy in simpler things, Cayden Cailean would be popular among the underclass.

Shelyn is certainly loved, especially among the nobility, and Taldans are only too happy to point out that the goddess of beauty's worship originates from their traditions(the Taldans themselves are described as a 'beautiful people'). The people also seem to produce grandiose works of art.

Norgorber, another ascended, would be worshiped by the many gangs and thugs in the nation. Taldor is also home to one of the largest thieves guilds in the Inner Sea region.

Aroden would probably be popular, if he were still alive. As it stands, however, I can't see Taldan pride allowing them to truly respect Iomedae, despite her being 'the Inheritor.' Many probably view her as distinctly Chelish. Wistful recollections of Aroden likely trump her. The nation as a whole seems to be hung up on the past.

Sarenrae's worship, being illegal and branded as an enemy faith, wouldn't be very popular in the nation, but it probably has a larger following than many Taldans would like to admit (especially in the border regions).

The decadence of the nation probably sees Calistria being honored, at least superficially.

Despite being respected in Cassomir, I don't see Gozreh as very popular. Or Erastil either, for that matter, except perhaps in the rural areas.

But yeah, the bolded ones would be the chief ones, I think.

Shelyn: "The Rose" - I'm partial to Leanne Rimes' version, though Bette Midler made it famous.

I was just thinking this the other day! The Rose fits Shelyn wonderfully.

I've been on a bit of a Shelyn kick lately, and she is fast becoming my second favorite deity of the setting. Some other songs I think fit her are...

The Last Rose of Summer by Celtic Woman.

Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey.

The classic Greensleeves. I prefer a harp version!

Lastly, For the Love of a Princess from the Braveheart soundtrack.

And in case anyone is interested, I recently asked James Jacobs about Shelyn's holy symbol...

For Calistria, maybe the theme for Aphrodite's Chamber from God of War III. Here is another version.

Pharasma: "Oh Death" - Jen Titus

I also like this!

Nocticula - The Lotus Eaters by Dead Can Dance (recommended by James Jacobs in his Ask thread awhile back).
Theres also a more 'hardcore' cover.
Metal cover of the Spirit Temple theme from the Zelda video game series.

Desna - By far my favorite Pathfinder deity, I have quite a few songs in mind that make me think of her.
There are several versions of the Great Fairy's Fountain from the Zelda video game series.
Here is a traditional sounding one.
Try the music box version for a more ephemeral feeling.
And of course the vocal version is nice, too. I just discovered that one myself - Haha, I love it! Can you tell I really dig this tune? :P
I'd also recommend Only Hope by Mandy Moore.
The Theme from The Day The Earth Stood Still for something highlighting her somewhat creepy other-worldliness (also recommend by James Jacobs).
Moonlight Butterfly/Dark Sun Gwyndolin theme from the Dark Souls OST.

Pharasma - Requiem Aeternam from Le Roi Seleil. So sad, but beautiful. :'(

Zon-Kuthon - Summoning of the Muse by Dead Can Dance.

Sarenrae - Desert Rose by Sting.
Song of Healing from the Zelda series, again.

Lamashtu, the Worldwound, and demons in general - Sha theme from World of Warcraft.

The Eldest of the First World - Forest Temple theme from Zelda.
And the guitar cover.

Aaaaaand thats all I've got at the moment!

Fey of Golarion. A 0 HD playable Fey race would be wonderful! But one which could provide LOTS of variation - much like how tieflings and aasimar have different types. Some might be beautiful and have strong nymph blood, others that are hideous because they're descended from gremlins, some have wings due to their pixie ancestors, others have hooves and horns because their great, great, great grandfather was a satyr, etc. If I had to choose one book, this would be it. Please make it so!!!

A revised Elves of Golarion book. The old one is 3.5 and there seems to be some discrepancies. I'd like an updated and 'fresh' take on them that really pins down their attitudes and how they behave in Golarion. Do they retain their haughty attitude and petty concept of elven supremacy over the 'less' races common in other fantasy works? Or are they more worldly, vibrant, and friendly?

Crafts and Professions. A book fleshing out the most common crafts and professions and where they hail from in the Inner Sea Region. Also, I'd like to see a way for them to see use in adventuring. For example, a listing of herbs (common, uncommon, and rare) that provides DCs for someone with ranks in Profession (herbalist) to find and successfully harvest a dose (perhaps an extra dose is given upon beating the DC by 5 more), or grow and cultivate some of their own. This could also be applied to metal ores for miners, silk or cloth for tailors, gemstones for Craft (jewelcrafting), etc.

Blood of the Oceans. Featuring merfolk, undine, gillmen, sahuagin, aquatic elves and half-aquatic elves.

Races of the Darklands. This would give ideas for playing drow - perhaps even non-evil or surface-dwelling ones! - and half drow (and where each may occur), svirfneblin, and duergar. Since they're so unusual, perhaps provide a few social mores, common foodstuffs, local traditions, and customs - small touches like these can really help ground a race.

This thread caught my eye the other day, and I'm surprised and happy to see so many other LGBT Gamers. They seem so rare around my parts! :P I recognize a few of you from other threads.

Lets see... Name is Kevin. I 'came out' when I was 16, by accident. Left a note about a guy I had a crush on at the time that my mom found. Being in the south (North Carolina counts as the south, right?!), my family didn't take so kindly to it at first, but they've come a long ways since.

I read these boards quite a bit, but I should actually post more often! I need some folks to toss Pathfinder ideas back and forth with.

Also, kudos to those who are brave enough to be themselves or try new things!

Good luck, Bob! Looking forward to seeing how the pictures come out. :)

I find Golarion's elves to be refreshing. I like that they kept much of the traditional lore surrounding them, but played up their capricious, fey-like aspect. They also acknowledged that elves are often held as being attractive.

I think people tend to focus too much on the lust aspect of Calistria and the elves. Calistria certainly doesn't strike me as a Jersey Shore girl. She's much too intelligent and successful, in my opinion. Calistria is also a trickster, and while she may be utterly mercurial and out for herself (something much of the world is about), she still helps out from time to time for the greater good. An example of this can be seen in how she supposedly, after Desna invaded the Abyss to destroy the demon lord Aolar, disguised herself and caused the demonic host gathered to collapse into bickering. That takes plotting, planning and intelligence. Not something I would expect from a vapid or shallow individual.

The Vengeance aspect I tend to view as a 'take care of yourself' kind of thing. The world is harsh, survival is hard, and people will wrong you if you let them. An eye for an eye, and all that. Not outright evil, although some of Calistria's followers certainly take it to extremes. In some cases, vengeance could be seen as a form of justice (although that is Iomedae's domain).

She also seems to harken back to ancient deities, for example Aphrodite, who had both good and bad things about them. In the classical world, erotic love was generally referred to as a kind of madness. Sacred Prostitution has been around since early civilizations, and while prostitution has many negative connotations in the modern world, it wasn't always that way.

The Advanced Race Guide says that "Elves accept in Calistria (and her priests) behavior they would denounce in others, because Calistria is clearly (to elves’ perceptions) serving as an example of personal artistry and freedom of expressions, rather than seeking some base physical gratification."

Hasn't there been other sources that say something similar (that the elves don't view Calistria as just a lustful being)?

Just my 2 cents!

Thats terrible. I can't comment on those incidents b/c I'm not a Sociologist or an expert on suicide rates or teenage bullying. (I remember the wisdom of the time years ago was that playing D&D increased your risk of suicide) That was false....ANYWAY!<snip>

Until I see Straight only water fountains/restaurants or voting rights taken away I dont believe Homosexuals are an oppressed minority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_among_LGBT_youth

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/us/04suicide.html

Just thought I'd share this. There is evidence that discrimination and hatred against homosexuals gets so bad at times that people take their own lives in order to escape it, especially young people. Not all discrimination is as bold-faced as having separate drinking fountains or restaurants, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist or have real results.

I personally am homosexual, and at one point I did contemplate taking my own life because I knew many in my family and community would not accept me. Luckily I had a select few to confide in, who helped me to understand that just because I was gay, didn't mean I was undeserving of life or love. It was hard at first, but I have gotten stronger over the years. However, at times I still weep when hearing about such tragedies, as I've been in their shoes, and know it could have easily been me.

The mere fact that homosexuals exist in the setting seems to be an offense and 'political agenda' to some. Think about that. The mere fact that they exist and are included is an affront.

That saddens me, but I am very thankful that Paizo has elected to acknowledge their existence. I don't think that its pushing a political agenda.

Now, if every homosexual NPC in the game were an upstanding model of righteous Good, or a vile Evil villain, I might be concerned that they're pushing an agenda. As it is, however, the sexual orientation of an NPC is at most a character attribute or what amounts to a foot-note. Nothing distracting, and easily ignored if that's not your cup of tea.

Yes. It is necessary. Just as it's necessary to move beyond having every PC and NPC in the game be white. And why it's important to show women in positions of power (be they bad like Queen Ileosa or good like Mayor Kendra or whatever.) It's called diversity, and it's a Good Thing. If diversity isn't something that you're interested in, Paizo products might not be for you.

I will agree with James Jacobs here, in that diversity and inclusion are good things, whether it be about sexual orientation, race, or gender.