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My watch has ended!
I'm not 100 percent confident on this answer, but if the wiki is accurate, which isn't always the case, then the last time they were concretely mentioned was in Distant Shores in 1e during the Ular Kel section. So, yes, I think it's just a brief lore update/drop in Battlecry unless it's been mentioned elsewhere in a Society book.
From what I remember of one of the streams where they discussed the name change, I don't think it was an OGL thing so much as them saying they felt the name change was more accurate to how the rewrite would act and be seen. Perfectly happy to be corrected on that front though because I think it's been a few months since said stream.
Would anyone with their early copy be kind enough to share what new mythic feats are in this? As well as what new beasties are in the backmatter? I don’t think anyone of us has it yet, the shipping estimate for subs starts the 18th. But sure once I do!
I can’t speak to Galaxy Guide right now, but Murder in Metal City definitely says Anacites don’t have souls. Anacite lore: From the handout Anacite Death Customs, it says, “Anacites don’t have souls and don’t attribute importance to their mortal vessels after ‘shutdown’.” Shutdown, of course, being how we’d think about death. In the book itself, it goes on to redefine AI as when something “gain[s] full sapience, OR attract[s] a soul”, I think to compensate for the fact that anacites are a bit anomalous in not having souls despite their personal complexity.
Is the digital version a PDF, EPUB, or some other format? I've never purchased any of the novels digitally, but I'd be interested depending on the file type. As an owner of a digital copy, purchasing it gives you both a PDF and a EPUB. You can choose which one to download.
1. I don’t think any dev has said yes or no in regards to the Vanguard in 2e. 2. You can look at the Technomancer and Mechanic playtest stuff at starfinderplaytest.com and there’s errata on the FAQ and I think on some of the blogs somewhere? I have no comment on witchwarper or insight on it being core ^^
Raia is really fun in this. I wanna say she has a programmer’s plushie, like the item from Player Core? Cool and fitting for a technomancer. Her stories always give fun ways of imagining the technomancer fantasy for me.
Me, awaiting any word of the forgotten classes: Biohacker, Evolutionist, Mechanic, Nanocyte, Precog, Technomancer, and Vanguard Technomancer and Mechanic just had a playtest finish that they direct you to: Raia (she/her) is a female damaya lashunta technomancer who’s got the smarts, spells, and style for any problem. The technomancer class blends magic and technology. Learn more at starfinderplaytest.com! Precog is now part of witchwarper. Biohackers are referenced in Galaxy Guide, but we know nothing else about them or any other 1e class. Hope that’s helpful.
Nethys, at least according to Eloritu’s write up in 1e, is also a ‘lost good’. It’s specifically mentioned in the context of people speculating that him and Eloritu are connected and Eloritu’s clergy vehemently denying it. Of course, things can change from edition to edition, but as of right now, him being missing alongside gods like Torag and Rovagug was part of the divine status quo laid out in back matter and Galactic Magic.
I think as far as the Tian groups go, my impression is that elves, dwarves, and orcs are just not at all common in Tian Xia; it'd be like a samsaran being in the Inner Sea region. As a quick correction to this, elves do have a nation in Tian Xia (Jinin), as noted in the Lost Omens book about the continent. They’re also as far as I recall listed as a group that lives in Tian Xia in the character guide book in the section called ‘Peoples’. They are stated as being an unusual sight outside of Jinin at the present moment though. (A quick search says that they’re noted as living in Goka, Jinin, Kaoling, and Linvarre. Linvarre is specifically because of bordering Jinin though. Songbai also mentions elf residents but doesn’t list them on the ‘peoples’ section for the nation, make of that what you will.)
My watch has ended. (Good luck to those still waiting and those who have a lot of subscriptions!)
I hope so. I mean, not that they'll have to work their butts off (They need those butts!) but that there's going to be activity around warehouses and Paizo is able to keep shipping books. I'd heard physical prints of books were kind of up in the air with all the messiness around Diamond and the distribution channels Paizo uses. From what I understand of explanations of the situation, which I'll admit isn't 100 percent, they're not having problems with Diamond in terms of sending out books from their own warehouse. The issue is that bookstores who used Diamond as an intermediary (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc) are the ones who will be struggling to fulfill sales for certain companies, including Paizo. That's why the recent blog post on the matter says to either order books directly from Paizo or purchase from local game stores that also order directly from Paizo.
I feel like I keep going “wow, this iconic encounter is fun”, but they are. I like how matter-of-fact Iseph is written here. “I killed this, I shot that, I did this for that result.” But I also like how despite that seemingly emotionless approach, they do clearly care about protecting people at risk. The note of needing their odds to be better, not necessarily for the sake of their own survival, but for the sake of Lucent Station is a nice touch, as is them taking in a vulnerable android while on the job. Just like how I like Pakelia and hope she shows up again, I want the same for Avel.
“May Sarenrae find a dead rat in her most holy breakfast” might be a line that sticks in my head forever haha I never really considered how bad photophobia might be for formerly subterranean peoples, but it works here (assuming that’s what is described in the story anyway). Anyway, sorry to you, Ulka, I think you’ve earned that devotion whether you like it or not. Fun story!
Nobody asked yet so here I go: what's in the toolbox? (curious about he new critters especially) Sure, I can share some stuff! Toolbox:
So in the toolbox, there is a section that covers 5 new items, 2 new uncommon spells, 2 new uncommon feats, and 2 new animist apparitions, which were all themed really well to Bailax in particular and Iblydos' vibe in general. As for creatures, there's a part that mentions a few aquatic lifeforms, the Iblydan hind (which seems loosely based on the Ceryneian hind), the pyrefowl which isn't really a phoenix but is culturally associated with them, speiroikois (which are based on the myth of warriors called Spartoi arising from buried dragon teeth), and the torcheater, which is this kind of spirit that can extinguish light.
I liked the animist apparitions a lot personally, though I haven't had the chance to test out how it'd work on an animist character. The beastiary is also fun if you like reading a lot about how different creatures fit into the cultural landscape of the place they live in. Not sure if that helps?
Oh, hey, Vita Ayala!!! This one is really nice. I'm generally charmed by religious and/or philosophical thoughts being woven into a character's actions, and it works well here as an easy way to showcase the clash between the cultural expectation of bringing back a trophy versus her moral desire to do so in a way that is honorable. And can it ever BE honorable? To Obozaya, yes, I assume so; the circumstances just haven't worked out yet to make it so. For other characters, even other iconics, I'm sure they'd have their own answers. I liked this one a lot!
This was lovely! I like this particular group dynamic. I’m not a coffee drinker, but Obo’s choice sounds delicious.
More importantly, that local language is listed as Iblydosi on page 6 but Iblydan on page 9. Which is it meant to be? Judging from The Acropolis Pyre, I think it's meant to be Iblydosi, as that's the spelling listed throughout the book for languages (from creature stat blocks to a settlement backmatter article). Iblydan seems to remain the demonym for people and creatures from the archipelago.
This is a nice, concise explanation! While I'm a Black American, my family's not from here (we're Caribbean, I'm first-gen). Regardless, the history of Black liberation has been at the forefront of my mind since I was a child, as well as what Black narratives might look like. I'm only here on the forums today because a friend of mine convinced me to read The Mwangi Expanse, which remains one of my favorite books produced by Paizo. I'm glad that Paizo provides a space to show off not just the hard work of marginalized creatives but promotion for organizations who desperately need support and recognition of this vital holiday.
Forgot to check my email, but my watch is over!
I did wonder once Grimmyr was first shown off as the guardian iconic how this would read. I guessed it’d drop before the release of Battlecry! and therefore come out before we knew more about the jotunborn or the Fray. I think this story does a nice job of dropping tidbits about them while still making me crave more. Only a few months to go! Great story.
The plot for this one sounds fun!
Ahhh I loved this so much!!
My watch is over! Good luck to those still waiting.
Galaxy Guide was a fun read! Excited for this new era ^^
Ooo more Iblydos! Fun year for me
Maybe I missed it, but I'm surprised there's no mention of what to do if one of your players wants to play an undead ancestry/archetype. I’m kinda just summarizing from memory, which is unreliable, but from the stream that mentioned Shades of Blood, undead ancestries were asked about. I don’t think it’s an intentional oversight, but it sounded like it just wasn’t considered as a possibility by accident. There were some jokes about a skeleton being a research assistant and how you’d put that on an application, but nothing else. Of course, that does little for if you actually want to play one, but I don’t really have an answer on if it’s appropriate or not bc I can’t really remember a yes or no being given.
This one necessitates a tiny bit of a spoiler. Divine Mysteries spoiler:
So, in the book, it establishes that Abadar had a brother named Llod who was a god of greed and hoarding, and who robbed him when Abadar was away battling Rovagug after being charged with protecting the First Vault from intruders (ironic). In response, Abadar was able to slowly unravel him; it says in the book that he convinced mortals that Llod never existed at all. It’s almost described that Llod fell apart at a glacial pace over the course of centuries, long before recorded history on Golarion. Anyway, considering this is extremely NOT well-known knowledge, I do think gods around in the time like Calistria and so on knew him, even if only vaguely for some. And I think gods like Asmodeus and Pharasma would be aware of what Abadar had done. The Totally Not Malicious At All Why Would You Think That? question remains for Asmodeus: how did you do it, and would it be possible for you to do it again? To that, Abadar’s answer always seems to be a firm no. Not because he doesn’t have enemies - I mean, Rovagug is right there - but because he can’t. However he pulled it off, it’s not something he could readily replicate in this current time.
I've been lurking on this thread for a bit in an attempt to figure out what makes sense to share. I like thinking about the gods, so I have a lot of HCs. I'll just share 3 for now though, which are mostly inspired by Lost Omens: Divine Mysteries. 1. Since I don't think Aleth has an explicitly stated origin story, I like to think the nature of her existence is yet another mystery her followers tell stories about. She doesn't really comment one way or another on any of them, allowing them all to exist as competing narratives. I've jotted down different in-universe theories for this biography project I have with her. One is that she is speculated to be one of Dou-Bral's children; her own portfolio changed when he became Zon-Kuthon. Note that I don't really think that's how godhood works in the divine canon sense of things, but it's a story told in part to justify the actions of her worshippers in Nidal. 2. Just like how 'runtboss' (lmao) hobgoblins are able to effectively guide (well. Coerce) goblins into battle, a similar - though more equitable - dynamic exists between Genzaeri and Zugero. The latter is often depicted as trying (often futilely) to get her hobgoblin counterpart to relax, and there are comedic songs about the lengths Zugero goes to make this possible. Their actual interactions aren't necessarily like this, because Genzaeri does acknowledge the wisdom of resting the body and mind, but the trope persists. 3. One of my players has a Pharasmin cleric character and has been fascinated with the Boneyard and psychopomp ushers ever since. The Bones Land in a Spiral is, of course, the main religious text for those who ardently follow Pharasma, but in discussing their PC, we've also thought about how children raised in the faith would also hear more simplified stories that nonetheless communicate similar principles in said book. How The Pale Horse Came to Serve Pharasma and stuff like that. there's definitely a few about Pharasma, Mrtyu, and Atropos and that's all for now!
Oh, I also have the Divine Mysteries book, but I forgot to check it. It does say that, odd. In terms of chaotic good followers though prior to the loss of alignment, I don’t think that’s exceptionally weird; it’s a common enough trope to be a ‘folk hero’ pirating crew, regardless of the actual morality of piracy. Also I’d assume that’d be partially bc some people might want to play Besmarans who are Firebrands or something similar. In another vein, her page in Divine Mysteries says that she’s worshipped by “the vilest of high-sea murderers and the privateers who seek them out”. While my vague knowledge of nautical history suggests that privateers mainly worked for governments to raid ships during times of explicit war, I can also see said groups being directed by the governments they are hired by to attack pirates who are targeting said government’s commercial interests. Higher up, it does say that her followers tend to go against laws that restrict personal freedom, but I guess that could also be an indicator that those who tend to be most devout are ones whose personality are more in line with Besmara’s, while those who are less so lean more towards slightly heretical means of viewing her or more token displays. Again, I don’t know for sure, this is mostly rambling. I think it’s an interesting debate though in terms of which one is meant to be accurate and why Besmara might be more chill about ‘nice’ followers than her own personality and area of concern would suggest.
I don’t really have much commentary to give on this, but I checked the Divine Mysteries Web Supplement and her sanctification says “can choose unholy” so it’s either no sanctification or unholy sanctification; there’s no option for holy sanctification with her. She does allow heal, but I assume that’s just part of being able to maintain crew health. Nor do I think that indicates holiness when Lamashtu apparently also allows harm or heal as a divine font. Dunno if that answers your question though.
My watch also has ended! Wahoo.
So this isn't part of the subscription? I would need to manually pre-order it? If it's similar to how things worked with the Guns and Gears remastered, they removed it from the subscription because people complained about being charged for the same book, but if you already had the PDF, they replaced it with an updated version.
This is something I like to think about, especially because at times details for the services of churches show up in 1e and 2e materials. There’s a lot of deities though, and more are made over time, so not all of them have material for me to build off of. Off the top of my head though… I don’t think of Aleth’s followers necessarily always having a physical church, like what you might find for Abadar or Iomedae. So,I think in devout areas people involved in the faith tend to rotate whose house they’ll hold service at. It’s always at night. There’s focus on being a good host and guest, and probably speculation about mysteries left to search out and prayers to Aleth are thrown in. Izuyaku’s described as expecting followers to both exercise the body and rest/relax to avoid harm, and temples to them seem to be around hot springs and saunas. So I feel like in my head I’ve ended up picturing services that resemble hot yoga lmao. I feel like a lot of religious services would focus a lot on maintaining and improving physical and emotional wellbeing, both in yourself and for others. I think clerics for Izuyaku though would also see the physical and emotional needs of the worshippers they tend to as very individualized and not a one size fits all sort of recommendation thing. So there’d probably be a mix of bigger and more personal services too That’s what comes to mind right away anyway.
Epic name, epic cover, epic contents! Very excited for this one!
Blood's back on the menu!
It's kinda alluded to in the article with them saying "technically you’re going to have 16 ancestry options available to you in August", but the Starfinder Player Core releases that month. I assume beforehand you can use the 2e playtest book or just modify PF core books as you say if you're really desperate for Starfinder 2e play before all the core books drop near the end of the year.
Any word on Starfinder's GM Core? It was mentioned in a stream some of the Starfinder devs did recently. From what I recall, it’ll be out in September?
My watch has ended!
Has anyone's Watch ended? Not yet for me personally, but that's fine. I think I've been spoiled by being near the front of the queue the last few months lmao I can wait
I know it’s probably gonna be a while before we know anything more about the commander and guardian iconics, but can’t wait to learn their names and backstories. They look really neat on the cover here and in a bit of art previewed by Polygon.
Specifically interested in Reymenda. Are there any updates beyond what was in P1e Chronicle of the Righteous and P1e Inner Sea Gods? Examples might include official art for the holy symbol or art for the Empyreal Lord or their followers? Written Exposition or the like? Reymenda has a blurb that explains herself, her expectations for her followers, and their general behavior. It's about 3 paragraphs long. In the supplemental table for the book, her holy symbol and other things are given, but we don't have art of her or that. I don't exactly remember what was said about her in 1e stuff, so I can't really say if anything has changed, but most of the empyreal lords didn't get art in the book bc they were in like a section together rather than having individual pages like some of the other gods do.
Also what is this thing that Lepidstadt made? It sounds halfway between a radio, a computer and a Fortunetelling machine. According to a Wargamer article, I think they’re referring to the part about the ‘Astonishing Engine’, which… Lepidstadt experiment:
is apparently a machine filled with human brains that can answer questions only due to, and I quote, “the collective intelligence of these brains that have been cut apart and cobbled together” according to Landon Winkler. So no wonder they have to deal with people trying to exorcise it lmao
All of this not only sounds very useful if you're like me and pretty interested in various magical schools (though my itch with the Magaambya was scratched with Strength of Thousands to a degree), but also just fun to read! Can't wait.
Will the Player's Guide for this include advice for playing a necromancer or runesmith in this? A runesmith seems like a natural fit for this sort of story, and I've been thinking about some sort of pyre-tender necromancer, what with the focus in the blurb on funeral rites and cremation. While I agree, the only reason I don't think so is bc, at least judging from previous patterns, new classes generally aren't included in a Player's Guide until the finalized classes are out in their book. While we don't know much about the book the runesmith and necromancer are in, it's probably at earliest a late 2025 book but more likely a 2026 one. I'm new, but from what I've seen, most playtests seem to happen about a year before the classes come out? War of Immortals' playtest went from September to October of 2023, and the book came out October 2024. Battlecry! went from April to June of 2024 and it's coming out around August this year to my knowledge. The Impossible Playtest is still going on but started in December and wraps up this month. So I'd assume it's for a 2026 book from that pattern. I'd definitely guess that commander and guardian would be in the player's guide if just bc Battlecry! seems like it'll release during this adventure path's run. But I'd be surprised to see runesmith and necromancer included just yet. If anything, once they're out, you could also bring them backwards 'in time', as it were. This is all just speculation though, so would be happy to be wrong.
Heard about this in Paizo Live and even more hype for it now! Hero-gods! Myth-speaking! More Iblydos lore! My dream come true...
Is there any lore from older books, then, that might suggest other ways they serve the faithful and their neighbors beyond ritual and... walking? I checked 1e's Inner Sea Gods because I was sure it talked about different jobs and duties Desnan priests have or have done. Her church is described there as "extremely disorganized", seemingly by design, but it does have some details that are relevant to you. In the book, it says that the few temples she does have, especially those that are large enough, often double as observatories. They also keep libraries with astronomical and astrological charts, so you can assume right there that there has to be at least a few astronomers and astrologers involved in the church. Both Inner Sea Gods in 1e and Divine Mysteries in 2e state that she's worshipped by entertainers and bards, which is definitely influenced by the sheer amount of music in her services and rituals. In Inner Sea Gods, it says specifically, "Worshipers with performance skills share them regularly at festivals, local venues, and celebrations such as weddings." Finally, again in the 1e book, it mentions fortune-tellers, many of which specifically interpret dreams for clients. They're also said to help treat insomnia. I don't think any of this has been de-canonized per se, just that the wandering priest is pretty key to the faith as well. There's probably other places that delve into the church, but I can't remember right now.
All of the art in this is, of course, gorgeous. I thought I knew which school I'd find most interesting from reading older materials but honestly, all of them are. I can see a lot of different characters coming from the schools mentioned here. Excited to see more previews later on!
Checked the supplementary gods table really quick. Mammon could potentially fit if you effectively argue that "gather new wealth" (or perhaps even "gain financial control of others", both edicts of his) is in accordance with the thieves' guild's actions. His divine skill is also Thievery. After skimming the infernal dukes (both 1e and 2e), while I don't think a lot of them fit, depending on how flashy the thieves' guild is, you could potentially work in Ussharassim. but that's just kinda dependent on the flavor of the group, not really due to any connection to thievery.
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