Pathfinder Companion: Elves of Golarion (OGL)

Too bad her actual age isn't listed.

I'd like to know if this is a 1342 years old queen or one that just got the crown- Unless I missed something.

In my mind and according to her persona file, I'd picture her as a fairly young elven queen, in her early 200's. She seems to be more progressive than the average elf, which would make new experiences (and levels) come faster to her than most elven way-living elves (as opposed to adventuring elves matching their paces with humans)

i agree

she is both young, progresive and needs to plan for a heir... not that she wants.

I was a bit disappointed to see that the front inside cover page gives a over-view of elf game statistics, but uses 3.5 stats. I suppose this is due to elves being unfinished as yet in Pathfinder RPG?

Eitherway I quickly got over it when I started readingthe rest. Just fyi

As long as we are in beta and the finalized rules are not finished, we will get Pathfinder books with 3.5 rules. The first Pathfinder products with Pathfinder rules will be realesed around August 2009.

As long as we are in beta and the finalized rules are not finished, we will get Pathfinder books with 3.5 rules. The first Pathfinder products with Pathfinder rules will be realesed around August 2009.

Thank you, I was just of a mind that my post will outlive beta playtesting. =D

Will the OGL material be converted to Pathfinder once the final version is out?

Lanx wrote:

As long as we are in beta and the finalized rules are not finished, we will get Pathfinder books with 3.5 rules. The first Pathfinder products with Pathfinder rules will be realesed around August 2009.

Thank you, I was just of a mind that my post will outlive beta playtesting. =D

evil, very evil on your part

Will there be more divine pacts in other books, e.g. Dwarves or Gnomes of Golarion? This book is the only place I've seen them, and there are only four of them, and really only thief/bard types can take those four.

Will the OGL material be converted to Pathfinder once the final version is out?

Its been a while since this was asker but I would be interested in an answer to this, too. There are a number of "older" Golarion supplements listed as "OGL" that I was interested in. If there is a chance of them being updated to PFRPG I'll hold off and concentrate on the newer stuff that is fully PFRPG compatable for now.

(Yes, I know I can convert any OGL stuff to PFRPG, but I'm lazy so if Paiza is going to do it anyway, I'll save my time.) ;-)

I can't see them printing completely separate editions of all that stuff just to bring it up to date. Maybe they'd change the small amount of rules stuff in the Campaign Guide, but otherwise I would think we'll have to wait for compilations, etc.

Will there be more divine pacts in other books, e.g. Dwarves or Gnomes of Golarion? This book is the only place I've seen them, and there are only four of them, and really only thief/bard types can take those four.

Always leave them asking for more :) I haven't written any more divine pacts lately, though there's always a chance someone else has decided to do so. Next time I work on a Companion I'll mention the possibility of revisiting the idea to Sean.

Speaking of SKR, since he's the guru of the Companion line I'll call his attention to your question and maybe he can give a more definitive answer.

snobi wrote:

Will there be more divine pacts in other books, e.g. Dwarves or Gnomes of Golarion? This book is the only place I've seen them, and there are only four of them, and really only thief/bard types can take those four.

Always leave them asking for more :) I haven't written any more divine pacts lately, though there's always a chance someone else has decided to do so. Next time I work on a Companion I'll mention the possibility of revisiting the idea to Sean.

Speaking of SKR, since he's the guru of the Companion line I'll call his attention to your question and maybe he can give a more definitive answer.

Thanks Hal! I pitched the idea of taking Shelyn's Warm Embrace to my GM, but he was concerned that there weren't enough divine pacts for non-thieves in the party to select, so I got denied. :( lol.

BTW, I love the descriptions, e.g. "By some miracle Desna heard your plea..." and "Begging Shelyn for help...". Great stuff.

Thanks Hal! I pitched the idea of taking Shelyn's Warm Embrace to my GM, but he was concerned that there weren't enough divine pacts for non-thieves in the party to select, so I got denied. :( lol.

BTW, I love the descriptions, e.g. "By some miracle Desna heard your plea..." and "Begging Shelyn for help...". Great stuff.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Too bad your GM wouldn't let you use the article. It was intended for the Social/Thieves slot so I had to slant it towards them. My working title was "Last Refuge of Scoundrels" :)

There are no divine pacts in the hopper at this time. Sounds like you need to lean on/bribe your GM to allow the one you want. ;)

My working title was "Last Refuge of Scoundrels" :)

Awesome.

There are no divine pacts in the hopper at this time. Sounds like you need to lean on/bribe your GM to allow the one you want. ;)

Bribe! Of course! All that time wasted on Diplomacy checks. Thanks Sean! lol.

So, I was just curious, since the book came during Beta does that mean that there will be an errata to update it?

Also, as a player of a Mordant Spire Elf, I am also curious to know if they are Grey Elves and in what capacity.

So, I was just curious, since the book came during Beta does that mean that there will be an errata to update it?

Also, as a player of a Mordant Spire Elf, I am also curious to know if they are Grey Elves and in what capacity.

I'm pretty sure it's been stated by Paizoans on multiple occasions that they're not interested in re-creating the High/Sylvan/Grey/Star/etc variants of Elves. If Humans don't get racial variants like this, why should Elves get a plethora of Racial variants (that just happen to have stat bonuses implying different optimal classes for min-max'ing purposes)?

I WOULD expect that if a 'variant Elf culture' is featured semi-prominently in a future AP/ Campaign Setting product, that there would be variant-Elven-culture-specific Feats and Traits and Equipment (and even Class Variants) to differentiate those variant Elven cultures, just like there is for variant Human cultures.

I'm pretty sure it's been stated by Paizoans on multiple occasions that they're not interested in re-creating the High/Sylvan/Grey/Star/etc variants of Elves. If Humans don't get racial variants like this, why should Elves get a plethora of Racial variants (that just happen to have stat bonuses implying different optimal classes for min-max'ing purposes)?

I WOULD expect that if a 'variant Elf culture' is featured semi-prominently in a future AP/ Campaign Setting product, that there would be variant-Elven-culture-specific Feats and Traits and Equipment (and even Class Variants) to differentiate those variant Elven cultures, just like there is for variant Human cultures.

Not the main question I wanted answered, but as I care more about the cultures for character background purposes (min/maxing is banned in my games). The Elves of Golarion book touches on the other cultures but doesn't elaborate on them at all, instead focusing on Kyonin Elves. That is why I want to know.

So, I was just curious, since the book came during Beta does that mean that there will be an errata to update it?

Since the rules in the book are 3.5 rather than Pathfinder RPG Beta, I doubt it. But I'm just another customer, so what do I know?

Apologies I havent commented on this sooner. Is there any Errata or anything like that for the elves? Considering how Dwarves become so enhanced in the pathfinder dwarves of golarion rules vs the elves using 3.5. I know that you may go back and write a new book for the elves. However that will be a long time coming and I know several people who prefer playing elves to anything else.

thank you.

At this time we're devoting 100% of our resources to producing new books rather than updating older books. We probably will revisit elves at some point, but we haven't even finished the core races yet (half-orcs, halflings), so going back to redo another elves book at this point isn't likely for a while.

What is the stance on Golarian elves and lifespan, as the rules conflict notably with the flavour text. In the flavour text, they can potentially live for thousands of years, and the only real way to tell their age is by their face looking more handsome and ethereal. You almost can't go two pages without being reminded of a lifespan that will see monuments erode into dust.

In the rules, their average max lifespan is two centuries longer than dwarves, far short of a millennium (750 is the max). Conversely, dwarves are not described as a nearly timeless race (barring their craft-work), and in fact their comparable longevity is heavily downplayed. Elves physically suffer from age like any human, becoming weak and frail with time. Because of their lower Constitution, an appreciable fraction of elves will flat-out die at 350; as it's quite possible for an NPC to be two below average, and thus be born with a 6 Con, where the -6 from venerable will knock them to zero.

Golarion elves don't follow the lifespan in the Core Rulebook. There are many situations where world-specific material overrides a general game rule.

Golarion elves don't follow the lifespan in the Core Rulebook. There are many situations where world-specific material overrides a general game rule.

Wow, I didn't expect anyone to even be looking at this part of the forum due to its age and seeming isolation from the rest of the messageboard community, so I cross-posted to the setting section.

Thanks for the surprise.

I know the last post is almost 6 months old , but here goes: is ther any plan NOW to eother update the PDF or print a "races " book ? I would REALLY enjoy seeing how PRPG would change / revise BOTH elves & dwarves , seeing as BOTH came out B-4 Prpg.

Just my two CP.

I know the last post is almost 6 months old , but here goes: is ther any plan NOW to eother update the PDF or print a "races " book ? I would REALLY enjoy seeing how PRPG would change / revise BOTH elves & dwarves , seeing as BOTH came out B-4 Prpg.

Just my two CP.

Dwarves came out under PRPG.

In fact it was in 2010.
Sean

I know the last post is almost 6 months old , but here goes: is ther any plan NOW to eother update the PDF or print a "races " book ? I would REALLY enjoy seeing how PRPG would change / revise BOTH elves & dwarves , seeing as BOTH came out B-4 Prpg.

Just my two CP.

Even though I have some of the "old" books, I'd definitely buy a single tome ("Races of Golarion", or whatever it would be called) containing revised/updated information on all the races. It's just so much easier to manage the information and bring it to sessions than having a dozen individual "leaflets".

We've discussed just such a book on several occasions, but given the current release schedule it will probably be more than a year before we could consider such a volume. By that time most of the race Companions will probably have dwindling supplies.

But that's a good ways off in the future.

We've discussed just such a book on several occasions, but given the current release schedule it will probably be more than a year before we could consider such a volume. By that time most of the race Companions will probably have dwindling supplies.

But that's a good ways off in the future.

Not a fan of this idea, not at all.

I enjoy paying Paizo for new content, not really eager to see old stuff recycled into my sub.

Erik Mona wrote:

We've discussed just such a book on several occasions, but given the current release schedule it will probably be more than a year before we could consider such a volume. By that time most of the race Companions will probably have dwindling supplies.

But that's a good ways off in the future.

Not a fan of this idea, not at all.

I enjoy paying Paizo for new content, not really eager to see old stuff recycled into my sub.

If we did that, I doubt we would release it as part of a sub unless it was substantially updated and changed from the original.

-Lisa

Erik Mona wrote:

We've discussed just such a book on several occasions, but given the current release schedule it will probably be more than a year before we could consider such a volume. By that time most of the race Companions will probably have dwindling supplies.

But that's a good ways off in the future.

Not a fan of this idea, not at all.

I enjoy paying Paizo for new content, not really eager to see old stuff recycled into my sub.

As Lisa said, it wouldn't be part of your subscription. I want the 3.5 mechanics updated to PF RPG, and all the racial information between the covers of a single book; it's easier for me as a GM, and it's easier for the players as well.

It's good to know Paizo is seriously considering this, and I won't mind if it takes a year or two until it'll be published! :)

GeraintElberion wrote:

Erik Mona wrote:

We've discussed just such a book on several occasions, but given the current release schedule it will probably be more than a year before we could consider such a volume. By that time most of the race Companions will probably have dwindling supplies.

Not a fan of this idea, not at all ...

If we did that, I doubt we would release it as part of a sub unless it was substantially updated and changed from the original.

Well, I have the opposite opinion. I'd be getting it anyways, and if it's not part of the subscription, then I don't get the PDF (which I use more than the hardcopy) without paying extra.

However, I doubt Paizo wants to open the "opt out of some items in your subscription" door. That way lies madness. Unless, perhaps, it was a once-per-year kind of thing?

I'd be curious, of the subscriber base, what the percentages would be that would want it vs. those that wouldn't and those that didn't care either way.

I'd love to have all the 3.x pathfinder updated to pathdfinder too

and thus I'd buy the races of golarion book....

and a compilated Rise of the Runelords...

Wha, is this the "I hate you Elves of Golarion, please die" day? Also, Yahtzee from Zero Punctuation would be proud.

Wha, is this the "I hate you Elves of Golarion, please die" day? Also, Yahtzee from Zero Punctuation would be proud.

Wow. Three 1-star reviews within 2 hours, and two of those listed as "part one" and "cont" by two different usernames.

Something tells me trolls are on the warpath today.

I'd really like to try whatever the reviewer was smoking while writing them...

*facepalm*

Instead of giving one vote and writing a long review in the product discussion, a three part review and a triple vote... with three different accounts, nonetheless. Trolls on the warpath indeed.

I actually considered this very obvious trolling-attempt rather funny, to be honest. It's just so extremely blatant in its attempt @ trolling elf-fanboys its laughable.
I just hope no one bites - don't feed the trolls, people.

Cheers,
Endzeitgeist

While three 1-star reviews is a bit much, I'll go on record as saying that I appreciate long reviews, even if they're negative and repetitive, rather than a simple 1-star (or 5-star) rating and then a comment like "This book is stupid." It gives me an opportunity to see where the reviewer is coming from, and to agree or disagree.

In this case, I think there's a point there: the Races books are all written from a "pro-race" point of view; none of the is objective. "Halflings of Golarion" is written from a "halflings are great" perspective, for example. Perhaps the reason for that bias is that the players most interested in picking up the book and reading it are playing characters of that race, and are naturally inclined to be sympathetic to an author who congratulates them on their wise choice.

Those reviews reminded me of my own reaction to the 2nd edition Complete Elves Handbook. :)

Those reviews reminded me of my own reaction to the 2nd edition Complete Elves Handbook. :)

My first and favorite DnD book.

[puts on sarcasm hat] Well, thank god we are down to our last dozen copies or so of this book, with all these 1-star reviews! [takes hat off]

-Lisa

[puts on sarcasm hat] Well, thank god we are down to our last dozen copies or so of this book, with all these 1-star reviews! [takes hat off]

-Lisa

Is it wrong that I now want a sarcasm hat?

The list of grievances offered is very... amusing. No insult I could muster against our tripartite reviewer could possibly embarrass them more than their own reviews ought to.

I would say the reviews should be removed as eyesores, but the product is out of print and the reviewer's craziness is so evident that they pose no threat of swaying a buyer's opinion.

Mission accomplished, oh sarcastic and barely-literate one!

EDIT: +1 Chris Mortika. Even a terrible review is helpful. After laughing my way through that, I kinda want to get my hands on Elves of Golarion now — and normally I care not for things elfin.

Regardless of the quality of the posts at least one of them is clearly a sock puppet account created with the sole purpose of finishing a thorough thrashing. If they wanted to do a longer review than the post allowed they should have posted a single one star review and finished the review in the comments page and posted a link to the continuation in the review.

Yeah, it looks like spillover rage over the 2E Complete Book of Elves for the most part. Elf hate has been hip in some circles for a long time now. It may have been born out of a reaction to the tired tropes of "Elves are just better"(see Complete Book of Elves), but hot damn if it hasn't gotten just as irritating.

That said, I wasn't a big fan of the roleplaying advice on elven attitudes towards half-orcs. It just seemed like a one-way ticket to party strife. Suggesting that a generally CG race's first reaction around another race, a player race at that, is to do murder just sets a bad precedent, IMO.

Still not enough to set one off on a 1-star review rampage though...

[puts on sarcasm hat] Well, thank god we are down to our last dozen copies or so of this book, with all these 1-star reviews! [takes hat off]

-Lisa

They are sure to sell out now, particularly if others share Evil Lincoln's views.

Elf hate has been hip in some circles for a long time now.

Bah, I hated the Complete Book of Elves long before it was trendy. Now that a bunch of wannabes have jumped on the bandwagon, I'm not gonna be all 'I gotta be different' and jump off.

I was here first, darnit! I slashed through the elf-love with a machete, and ate trail rations and built this city with my own hands, and now there's all these darn tourists, who oh-so-conveniently hate elves now that I did all the work blazing the trail and digging latrines and setting up wi-fi!

When the herd rushes off to go hate halflings or whatever, I'll be here to shut off the lights.

Elves. <spits> We shall speak of them no more.

Hello all. Yeah I did one of the 1 star reviews, but I can assure you Zhen Yi Soh is not me. We know each other, we are in the same broad Bundoora Melbourne gaming group and we have similar dislikes of the Elves of Golarion book, but he isn't a puppet of me, there is no puppet account and I will be doing other reviews of products I've got a hold of. They will most likely be far less negative, because while other racial books can certainly be pro and favourable of what they are covering, this book on elves, this was special in just how great it presented the chaotic, fencer, wizard, bowmen, farmer, poets which each elf is meant to be. Ah the contradictions within, and how elves spread out their skills and expertise, all very interesting.

Unfortunately the second half of Zhen's review was taken down. He went into more specifics of his critique and how ridiculous it was to him, but it seems to have been removed. This doesn't seem right in a review section.

Unfortunately the second half of Zhen's review was taken down. He went into more specifics of his critique and how ridiculous it was to him, but it seems to have been removed. This doesn't seem right in a review section.

What's *not* right is creating a sock puppet to get around the maximum review length (and getting your rating counted twice in the average product rating). We let him know that that's not appropriate, and he may edit his review to incorporate any points from the second half that he feels needs to be there.

Lisa Stevens wrote:

[puts on sarcasm hat] Well, thank god we are down to our last dozen copies or so of this book, with all these 1-star reviews! [takes hat off]

-Lisa

They are sure to sell out now, particularly if others share Evil Lincoln's views.

Lisa didn't have access to the actual inventory numbers when she wrote that... It's actually more than a dozen, but it's well under 100.

Our distributor still has some left, too, and if they still have them after we've sold through ours, we'll buy some of them back to keep it in stock here as long as possible. Still, if you're thinking about buying a copy, don't think *too* long. They won't be gone tomorrow, but they could be gone in a few months.