Considering the devastating effects that the railroad industry has had in the real world, introducing trains to Golarion makes me nervous. But I definitely want to play this adventure.
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I really wish they would, even if it was digital only errata. The people who want to customize them or remake them would do so anyway. It's people like me who want to keep as close to canon as possible who would prefer something official from the source.
I’m a little unclear if you can take archetype feats on levels which aren’t listed. For example, the Bard Class Archetype has 2 Level 8 feats and no Level 10 feats. Could I take a lower level archetype feat instead of a class feat when I reach level 10, or can I not take the archetype feat because there is no option at that level? Also, if an archetype caps it’s feats at a certain level, say Level 14, does that mean I cannot choose any more of the available feats at Level 16, 18, and/or 20?
Kaer Maga is also a rogue city, so much so that they have their own sneaky slang. Aspenthar is a fighter city. You could make an argument for Magnimar being a cleric city, though maybe Absalom is a better fit.
The border between Belkzen and the Cinder Plains sounds perfect for this concept.
It's produced by a single immortal alchemist who has some kind of potentially-fraying agreement with Pharasma; given that we're about to spend a lot of time focused on both war and immortality, seeing something happen with all that feels quite likely, IMO.There's also always the chance that Thuvia's city-states fall in upon one another like hungry vultures if, say, their immortality elixir fails...Is that likely? I always understood that the sun orchid elixir was the product of highly advanced alchemy that sort of bleeds over into arcane magic, and doesn't have anything to do with the divine. Not to mention that the orchids themselves are getting harder and harder to find in the wild. A few fields get wiped out by some godsrain, and you either have to stop harvesting to let them grow or risk losing the species forever.
I really like this idea. Kind of like a Obi-Wan on the Death Star kind of situation. he chooses to allow himself to be killed for a greater purpose. That might also explain the Godsrain phenomenon, by sublimating his essence into the material plane, he is empowering others to be able to fight on.
The main thing I'm interested in is what kind of Lost Omens material we'll get. A guide to the Outer Sphere? This is my easiest guess so far, but I would be glad to hear other options. I would love to see more notes from Tabris. What I am doing in my homebrew (they're not on the forums) is that, now that prophecy is broken, Tabris suddenly has what he hasn't felt for millennia: hope. This reality will end, he's sure of that, but who will be the Survivor is up for grabs - and he's determined that it will be him. Anyhow, a guide to the outer planes written by Tabris would be incredible.
Arazni becoming a god is very recent, when were these prophecies supposedly written?
What beautiful parity that the Pathfinder 2e playtest and the Starfinder 2e playtest concern the same cosmos shattering event! That is an awesome choice.
I'm using the multiple blue dragons that live in Thuvia as some big bads in my current game, so I'm glad we have a new version to utilize.
I've always seen Rovagug being trapped in Golarion as the reason why it is so central in the cosmos. Why we have so many deities. Why the CARE about this planet and interact with it. Rovagug has the power to destroy the material plane and who knows what else. Anchoring him on Golarion elevates it to supreme importance, but that's the only reason it matters, galactically.
I think that the reason Pharasmin priests may be split in the lore is that so many dhampir give into their nature and become full fledged vampires, so why not destoy them when they are arguably less powerful? And the other group would say 1) They're living beings with free will and that's a genocidal attitude to take, and 2) Some of the best and most effective hunter of the undead, not to mention the most devout Pharasmins, are dhampir themselves. Also, dhampir in 2e are considered a versatile heritage. I'm a full throated advocate for removing the term "race" from games unless it is socially relevant. Paizo no longer uses it so I think it's important to leave in the past.
I tend to think of Irrisen like western Russian and Iobaria like Siberia.
Lamashtu is a great evil deity because she's a mother, and a lot of her behavior can all be traced back to a mother's love. Once of the most compassionate and relatable impulses on earth.
Where was this stated? Golarion has always tended to keep its genres firmly divided by geography. A lot of content recently has been discussing the proliferation of technology. The Enmity Cycle discussed how clockwork technology is becoming more prominent in Thuvia, Lamasara and Duwwor especially. Stasian coils have migrated from Irrisen to Ustalav. A Pathfinder Society adventure series involved transporting a beast gun from Arcadia. I agree that each area is designed to have its own flavor, but I think they've been making an effort to equalize some of the technology in the world, to push the setting forwards in time a little bit.
Recently I've decided to take the Pathfinder Society approach. Every 3 storylines/modules, we're going to level up. I know that the 2e system has made awarding and tracking XP very easy, but I use a blend of published modules and my own content, so for me it's easier to view things in this way, that way I don't have to worry if I add social encounters, skip challenges, adjust difficulty, etc.
I also think the Desna's true form is eldritch in nature. I do think she was created in this universe from the seal, and isn't necessarily related to the Elder Gods even if they look like kin. Something about the vast, unknowable primordial nature of the current reality she set off to explore molded her form. It was only when coming back to structure and reason when she realized that she was monstrous.
The theory for my group has been that norgorber has been four separate people either the whole time or at least when they were mortal, I wonder if this coming out and then causing a split into four distinct deities for the different aspects (and this knocking them into not strong enough to be core 20) would count as the death of a god This is the reality for my game as well, they were 4 halflings from the Taldan empire, all different kinds of rogues, who came together to form a crew, or were brought together by a fixer. "Norgorber" was their code word/password. Maybe they were sent into the cathedral to steal the Starstone, maybe they wanted to take the trial, I've always held off solidifying that until I have players to solve the mystery.
I had been hoping the Asmodeus would be usurped in this scenario, and I love the idea of Xanderghul becoming his replacement!
another thing that is will be interesting to see. how will we players be involved?Some number of you will be almost directly responsible for stuff hitting the fan, courtesy of the Narrative team's contributions to this event. Some of you already have been involved in the opening skirmishes of this event and may not have realized it, yet. Oh my. Would this be in Pathfinder Society or the APs? Both perhaps??
I am still advocating for either a rulebook or a Lost Omens books for Pathfinder that establishes the status quo as far as Distant Worlds are concerned. We need a World(s) Guide, especially for new people coming into the setting from 1e, Starfinder, Spelljammer, etc. Also the revelation of the Azlanti Star Empire could have huge backward ramifications for the Lost Omens world.
Given Zon-Kuthon was one of Starfinder's big 20, I could see his last shred of his former self shining through to save his sister from a death worse than fate. Oh wow, yeah that story should definitely be told within Starfinder, and it would be beautiful and heartbreaking to see! I'm more worried about Sarenrae being the one who takes the hit, given that "preview" we get at the end of Stolen Fate where the PC's "watch the Sun die." I know, that would be devastating. And honestly, if that was the decision, I don't know if I could support it. Any story told the right way can be believed, but stomached is a whole other matter.
I mean, so far saying Starfinder and Pathfinder shared a rule set is being very very generous. Claxon, my friend, join the future with us! https://paizo.com/starfinderplaytest
After listening to the amazing Paizo keynote for GenCon2023, it has been confirmed that we are going to see the death of one of our core deities in real time. So, of course, I cannot help but speculate! The existence of core deities in Starfinder gives them what I would consider to be plot armor, but given the announcement of Starfinder 2e coming in 2025, it is entirely possible that Paizo could pull a retcon. The current core 20 that are shared in both games are:
Which is a lot but not all. We also know that Torag is gone, but that implies that he left voluntarily, rather than being killed. Also Rovagug is MIA since Golarion, its prison, has disappeared. So who are left?
To me, Shelyn has a compelling arc. We know that she is close to purifying the glaive in the Lost Omens setting, and in the Starfinder universe she is "travelling" but that could be easily retconned out. How tragic would it be to come so close to redeeming her beloved brother only to be struck down in the end? I would personally love to see an arch where Norgorber is exposed and dismantled. Perhaps his 4 forms are exposed 1 by 1, until there is nothing left of him but an empty black cloak. Nethys would be fascinating, and if paired with a Golden Road themed adventure would be amazing. For millenia, Nethys has balanced his impulses for creation and destruction, what if both forces are unleashed and end up with his non-existence? Urgathoa, as the queen of undeath, who won her power through sheer force of will and refusal to bend, what an end to such a villain to be forced to embrace oblivion in the end? Who is your pick? What arch do you want to see play out at your table?
I feel like Golarion has a much lower population for 2 reasons: 1) The more people there are, the more towns there are. The more towns need names, and histories, and lore, and there is only so much creative muscle to make this happen.
I’m saying that Rahadoum needs a Casablanca. I think that this is a great notion. I was thinking also like Hong Kong. We have multiple historical precedents for this kind of city, and I think it would be a great addition to the world lore.
Thanks for everything you do, team! And thanks for bringing back Paizo Live!
My order just shipped, I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!
I've thrown my vote in for a Distant Worlds supplement as well. It makes a lot of sense, especially now that Golarion World is being brought into Starfinder. As more and more groups get high level, you need higher level material for them to utilize. That means the other planes, other planets, and the darklands are going to need to be added to the game world. Which I think gets less niche each year that goes by. Certainly more plausible after the year of Tian Xia is over. Honestly, with how big the Pathfinder world is, I understand not wanting to add in so much at once, but I wonder if more niche content like this is better suited to be distributed by Pathfinder Infinite or DriveThruRPG proper with PDF only or print on demand supplements, rather than a full print run.
Houses have traditionally always been small. Even up to the last hundred years, it was rare to see a house bigger than 2 bedrooms, and those bedrooms were small. Usually only one bathroom as well. Multi-story houses were usually reserved for those with servants, or farmhands employed around the farm. I don't think there is currently anything official, but if it were me, I would say: Poor home = probably 1 large room with a hearth. Maybe something hung from the ceiling to separate the children's sleeping area, if it's a multi-generational home
I know that you're looking for something for official than a GM ruling, but I feel that this has a lot of historical grounding.
Are Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man actually Novians?
While it's not a full look at the region, The Enmity Cycle will at least give us a look at Thuvia; that's pretty exciting. I’ve already been planting the seeds for this, my players will be level 4 when this comes out. I couldn’t believe when they announced it, like it was perfect for my group, both in setting and in theme.
I love the idea of a Sarenite monastery in the desert, maybe as a base for some Dawnflower anchorites who patrol the desert. I have a sandbox game going based in Merab, and I did have the players encounter the Desert's Howl briefly. They were appropriately freaked out. There is so much going on in that Thuvian desert, and you can't tell from the Inner Sea map just how big it is, but it is ENORMOUS.
This demonstrates the full weight of Cheliax's might. Sometimes they seem like just one nation among many, and then you get reminded that they have a hotline to Hell.
Great solution, thank you!
I've having a really hard time figuring out how to potentially adjudicate this. If a PC or NPC is around other people, and wants to add poison somehow to a food or drink item, how would that play out? This only skill action I can identify as being close is Thievery - Palm an Object. This is closest in spirit to "Sleight of Hand." This is the skill I would most closely associate with that a person covertly poisoning something would be using. You hands move too fast and obfuscate what they are trying to do well enough that most people wouldn't notice anything strange is happening. Essentially, close up magic. Is there a rule I am missing, or is this it?
Brevoy gives me 18th century Russian vibes, honestly.
Y'all are talking like we didn't see a full 3 characters ascend to godhood over the course of the previous APs. They can do anything they want during the course of the metaplot, but only hardcode it for the next edition. But to the OP, even if there is an AP that sees Ragathiel become a Prince of Hell or whatever, the APs are all in a state of limbo until things are hardcoded, so you don't have to change your Dhampir even if they do something huge like this.
Question for folks with more 1e savvy than me - are Rahadoum and Thuvia's alchemists ever portrayed on the "mad scientist" end of the spectrum? Alchemy's not a theme I ever got much excited for, but that changes with Fleshwarps in the mix. The prestige class was focused on primarily healing. They could learn mummification and how to capture elementals, so you could definitely create a mad scientist who has gone too far. https://aonprd.com/PrestigeClassesDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Thuvian%20Alchemist
Now that the player's guide is out, we know for certain how the gatewalker incident happens. Which makes me wonder...how is Kyonin affected??? I know that this isn't the focus of the AP itself, but if this is a planet-wide event, there's going to be a lot of fallout. How will the Kyonin elves investigate this issue?
For a while I didn't want to acknowledge New Thassilon into my game world, I felt like it added too many complications, but I've largely let that go now and the setting is pretty much 1:1.
Discussions in another thread reminded me of the issue of citizenship. I'm running a game in Merab based on all the established lore, and have been coming up with a lot of this myself. Here's how I've been resolving it: Only a section of the population is considered the citizens of Merab. They enjoy the benefits of the proceeds from the auction, and there is a lot of infrastructure to support citizens. Schooling is free, housing is largely subsidized, and the Temple of the Redeeming Sun provides healing services to citizens as well. Married couples get a nice bonus when they marry and for each child. Citizens get to vote, organized into Wards. Most are free to pursue their artistic endeavors, socialize, etc. There's still a class strata of sorts, but even "lower class" people are taken care of and they feel a sense of duty to contribute to keep the city going. The next level of the populace is the Ramli (name is my invention). These are the people who aren't fully nomadic but don't live within the city walls. They work the farmlands along the cost between Merab and Aspenthar, in the mines, or work to guard the frontier. They don't have all the same rights as citizens but are extended the protection of the city in case of attack and can rely on them for certain resources in exchange for their work and commerce. Next class is the desert nomads, other nationalities, and the refugees. This class works as a servant class to the citizens, involved with black and gray markets, or have the means to support themselves abroad. They have no voting power and they do not receive the kind of subsidies which citizens do. Merab is a different experience for them, and they have build communities within the city to care for themselves. There's also a growing community of refugees outside the city in the marshes that the local populace is growing increasingly agitated about.
Oh yeah, level 5-15 or even level 3-13 would be super fun! PC characters coming in with a couple levels under their belt allow for a storyline of "You were the big fish in a small pond, but now you're thrown into the ocean." It's a different feeling than "You're at the bottom of the food chain and you're brushing up again this huge mystery."
Ive seen a lot of people predict that the upcoming Rage of Elements is setting us up for a Tian Xia based adventure, which would be great, of course. My heart belongs to Golden Road, but I don't think that's on the horizon as soon. We haven't had an AP yet in 2e to really take us beyond the Inner Sea. Gatewalkers is brushing the fringes in the North, and Stolen Fate has the potential to go literally anywhere.
All knowledge of every mortal is stored with the Akashic Record (https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Akashic_Record) so theoretically it wouldn't matter how long a person is dead and if their quintessence is absorbed, because their experiences are contained in the record, ready to be recalled and reconstituted into the individual. That's how I interpret it, anyway. Like the library of human brains in Westworld.
The Mushfens immediately stuck out to me. https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Mushfens You can also make a compelling argument for the Lake of Mists and Veils, too: https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Lake_of_Mists_and_Veils River Kingdoms also fits the bill, and there's regions that are deliberately undeveloped by Paizo specifically for players to create backstory for.
The way I handle it, there's a lot of pamphlets, newspapers, broad sheets, etc floating around but not a lot of books. I do have a series of semi-mysterious romance novels that don't have names or a listed author, so fans of the books refer to them by the art on their covers, another kind of rarity for books of this time period. In terms of cost, if a blank formula book is 1 gp, you can assume that 1 gp is the retail cost of binding a book. What's interesting, however, is that the basic crafter's book, which is full of formulae, is only 1 sp. I don't know if that's an oversight or not, honestly. I don't know how to justify it from a real-word standpoint. Pivoting to the Travel Guide, it's written by in-universe authors who do a lot of other writing, both fiction and non-fiction, so I think it's safe to say that yes, Golarion has the equivalent of dime store novels and they're probably priced between 1 sp and 20 gp depending on the quantity of the print run, the quality of the book components, and the skill of the writer crafting the story. |