No older RPG tradition exists than the vast, danger-filled dungeon. Multilevel mazes of trap-filled crypts, monster-haunted caverns, and wealth-laden vaults have lured countless would-be heroes to their dooms, yet paradoxically, the greater the dungeon and the deadlier its secrets, the greater the pull seems to be for the adventurer.
Dungeons of Golarion looks at six different locations spread throughout the Inner Sea region of the Pathfinder campaign setting. A level-by-level breakdown of each megadungeon summarizes the dangers and rewards awaiting discovery. Each dungeon entry is accompanied by stats for unique monsters, sample traps themed for each site, and details on some of the more unusual and interesting treasures awaiting discovery within. Maps providing the layout of sample dungeon levels and cutaway views of entire megadungeon complexes round out this invaluable resource for any Game Master seeking to return to the roots of the game.
This 64-page book contains details on the following megadungeons:
Candlestone Caverns: An extensive cavern network in rural Andoran that connects to the deadly Darklands below
Gallowspire: One of the deadliest dungeons in the world—the prison of the lich known as the Whispering Tyrant
Hollow Mountain: The mysterious mountain stronghold of ancient Thassilon’s Runelord of Wrath
Pyramid of Kamaria: The deadly tomb of one of Osirion’s most notorious and feared pharaohs
Red Redoubt of Karamoss: A unique siege castle filled with weird technological marvels from the savage land of Numeria
Zolurket Mines: Abandoned by the dwarves who created it, this mine now serves as the lair of a sinister undead horde
Dungeons of Golarion is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and Pathfinder campaign setting, but can easily be used in any fantasy game setting.
by Jason Bulmahn, Matthew Goodall,
Brandon Hodge, Anthony Pryor, and Mike Shel
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-304-0
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
Dungeons of Golarion provides the most important thing a GM needs to create a campaign. Inspiration. While each and every one of these dungeons is filled with Golarion flavor and lore they remain modular enough to place anywhere.
The Red Redoubt of Karamoss will be taking a starring role in my Kingmaker Campaign. The Candlestone Caverns are an excellent resource for kicking off an early home-brew campaign effort.
Well written, with excellent art and super useful maps. Dungeons of Golarion is easily my favorite soft-cover in the Pathfinder Campaign setting line. Every page gets the GM gears turning as the writers evoke exciting adventure locations without spelling out how to build them.
This here is the blueprint, from which you can craft an entire campaign or just a night's adventure.
Grab Dungeons of Golarion - You'll quickly realise it's the most useful book in your collection when you want a quick shot of inspiration.
A Must Have Product for all Homebrew GMs and Campaigns
Dungeons of Golarion is a rare product in the Campaign/Chronicles setting sourcebook line, in that it truly has something for every GM.
The book presents six encounter locations featuring dungeons, each with a sample map, an overall suggested larger layout for the dungeon complex, a detailed history of the site, and discussion of thematic monsters and encounters. The large overview maps of the "mega-dungeon" allow you as the GM to fill in those details by adding/plugging in your own dungeons/maps of your own design (or from another adventure product). The result is a hybrid of official and custom material -- all while keeping the adventure site on theme and in accordance with the overall "official layout" of the overall larger dungeon layout.
While the locations can be adapted for any homebrew campaign, the locations presented within Dungeons of Golarion will also be of use to those running many of Paizo's APs due to their locations and themes. Not to be left out, those who have home brewed campaigns featuring the City of Absalom (which lies at the hub of Pathfinder Society play), there is a dungeon locale near the Great City as well.
The product tries to walk a thin line between providing official material and inspiration for dungeons within Golarion, complete with maps and suggested layouts, while at the same time providing adventure hooks and oodles of elbow room for homebrew GMs to add adventures of their own choosing, unfettered by the design constraints of others.
For the most part, Dungeons of Golarion succeeds in achieving that goal and executes on the product theme almost flawlessly.
If you run a homebrew Pathfinder campaign, I urge you to run (not walk) -- but RUN -- to your local FLGS and purchase Dungeons of Golarion. Outside of the hardcovers published by Paizo and Golarion, this is the best soft cover non-AP product that Paizo has yet produced for Pathfinder GMs. I expect to see this product nominated for an Ennie in 2012.
Verdict: Pathfinder GMs should buy this 64 page book without hesitation, confident that at some point (or indeed, many points) in the future that the book will provide their campaigns with a box of variable size into which the GM may pour their own sand and just PLAY. The result is the best GM focussed, non-AP product that Paizo has yet released. You want this book - go buy it.
Rating: ****1/2 stars
Reviewer: Steel_Wind Co-Host of Chronicles: Pathfinder Podcast on d20 Radio
Dungeons of Golarion is a very effective guide to the megadungeons of legend that populate Golarion. From the Gallowspire itself to the crashed starship caverns of Numeria, this supplement basically gives the adventure hooks of six of Golarion's most infamous dungeons, supplemented by the occasional new monster, NPC villain statblock, and the new Robot subtype. This book doesn't contain an entire dungeon, although it does have a few level maps and encounters... but it does act as a tour guide for some of Golarion's darkest horrors, and it does that job well. It also lists something like 30 OTHER megadungeons not detailed here. My only regret is the absence of the Spire of Nex from the detailed descriptions, but that just means that this book's already ripe for a sequel... and full dungeon writeups for the ones we see here. Great job folks!
I think the latest reviewer may have misunderstood this product line, unfortunately.
And we're not able to private message him to have him take it down.
Maybe we need a useful/not useful voting system?
I am guessing it is because he has never made a post. Only the two reviews. Everyone that has made posts you see the send PM link on. Odd that there is no PM link for him. *shrug*
There is a lot of good stuff in this book. Very inspiring.
I'm not too good at telling what is and is not supposed to be abstract in the dungeon layouts presented. For example, the pyramid has a lot of sheer drops. I know that the humongous Pit in the center is meant to be seen as so, but is it true for all of the huge drops into caverns in this book? Or am I supposed to use it as a rough guide for placing stairs and other less violent means of descent?
