The race is on to discover the lost treasures of ancient Osirion, seat of the Pharaohs of antiquity. Scoundrels, archaeologists, Pathfinders, and foreigners scour the sand-choked pyramids and temples of this once mighty kingdom. Pathfinder Companion: Osirion, Land of Pharaohs provides a comprehensive overview of Osirion from its star-crossed ancient history, to its treacherous modern politics. A complete gazetteer of the nation’s teeming, monument-laden capital of Sothis provides a great resource for player characters from—and for Game Masters running campaigns set in—the pulp-inspired nation of Osirion.
Pathfinder Companion is an invaluable resource for players and Game Masters. Each 32-page bimonthly installment explores a major theme in the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, with expanded regional gazetteers, new player character options, and organizational overviews to help players flesh out their character backgrounds and to provide Game Masters with new sources for campaign intrigue that can be shared with players.
By Jason Nelson and Todd Stewart
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-144-2
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
I really like ancient Egypt and Paizo's Osirion is by far my favorite country in their campaign setting.
I loved this product, and I really feel that it's far better than the single star review below reflects. The guide gives a brief gazetteer entry for many of the cities and locales in Osirion, perfect for any edition. The art is absolutely gorgeous. The historical sections will make you drool, the new spells and items are awesome, the description of Sothis really brings the capital to life, and the new prestige class the Living Monolith makes me want to play one ASAP.
The Pathfinder Companion, Osirion, Land of the Pharaohs, attempts to describe the region of Osirion on the continent of Garund in 32 pages. Sadly, it is an incomplete work and my first disappointment from Paizo.
This companion product outlines many cities, towns and adventuring locations which are otherwise just places on a map. Described are the cities of An, Eto, Ipeq, Shiman-Sekh, Tumen, Torta, and Wati as well as The Footprints of Rovagug, The Glazen Sheet, The Hungry Sepulcher, The Labyrinth of Shiman-Sekh, Lamashtu's Flower, The Lost Fortress of Mekshir, the Monastery of Tar Kuata, the Pyramid of An-Hepsu XI, The River Sphinx, The Ruins of Tumen, The Seven Stelae, the Slave Trenches of Hakotep, The Sphinx Head, Valley of the Pyramids; all the above are given major headings in the work. This is an impressive list until it is compared to the locations that are not described but available on the map. Junira River, Lamasara, Ruins of Akhenaten, Ruins of el-Amara, Klarwa Fountain, Alamein Peninsula, Cliffs of Kusha-ta-Pahk, Stepped Tower of Djedefar, Coast of Graves, Hor-Aha, Xefon-Ra, Parched Dunes, Tar Kuata, Ruins of Kho, Kho-Rarme Pass, Pillars of the Sun, Mount Osiki, Pyramid of Doom, The Swells of Gozreh, Garden of Shepeska, Burning Cape, Underdunes, Mount Na-Ken, Temple of An-Alak, The Scorpion Coast, Salt Hills, The Temples of Pharaoh Ahn, Sand Haven, and Brazen Peaks are either ignored entirely or mentioned only in reference to another location. If it is important enough to put on the map then it is important enough to describe it in the text. A single short paragraph would have been sufficient to fill the need. It also bewilders the mind why there is so much artwork using so much valuable real estate that could have been used for text when the product is incomplete. The top 50% of page 2 is an illustration of pyramids....
This review is continued in a post below.
A book of great potential but missing some specifics
I have always had a thing for ancient Egypt. I was looking forward to Paizo's take on this world and I was not disappointed with the materials and artwork in this books as it really sets the scene for this part of the world.
Though as Paizo experiments with the Campanion layout, notable sections were missing from this codex. There are no additional traits particularly regional ones. The captial city was discussed in great detail but no map was supplied.
There was some interesting additions such as the prestiage class and I was very happy to see the necromancy school get new spells that were useful. There also was new feats that were based around the them, particularly for tomb robbers.
Overall, a good book for a collecter and with the new AP Legacy of Fire it will assist any play group. I can not help feel that the timing of this book's release was wrong as it is more of an enhancement than an exciting lead into Osirion as one would expect from the title and the purpose the Companion series. I would rate this book 3.5 out of 5 and sticking true to my rating system I round down.
But ... he is the ruling pharao, just as Grand Prince Stavian III is the ruling emperor of Taldor (and Charles is the Prince of Wales as sovereign over this county, not as son of Queen Elizabeth). "The Ruby Prince" is something like a titular name, just as his father was the Crocodile King.
Edit: I just scrolled up and saw that I just answered a post before. But it's true none the less.
Thanks Lanx, for the clarification on the title. It still bothers me though. I understand the Prince of Wales is a sovereign over Wales, but in the future he will be king of England and his title as Prince of Wales won't be as important as his greater-scope sovereignty. I just find it odd that, in Golarion, the Pharaoh would choose to go by his "lesser" title rather than the more-expansive title of Pharaoh. Stavian may have political reasons for doing so, because he needs to unify fractious Taldor (the same reason Prince of Wales is such a "hot" title for heirs apparent in England, to quell Welsh nationalism), but Khemet doesn't seem to have those problems.
