Thousands of years ago, a massive spaceship from a distant world broke apart in the atmosphere above Golarion, showering down alien debris and technological wonders—an event known as the “Rain of Stars”—onto the plains of Numeria. Largely kept within this land by the barbarian natives’ superstition and hostility as well as the greed and jealousy of the magical cabal known as the Technic League, the technology from this advanced culture has defined Numeria over the centuries. Now, nomadic warriors and metal men clash in radioactive badlands, and treasure-seekers from across the Inner Sea flock to the strange metal dungeons that pepper the landscape. What mysteries of super-science await you in this magical land?
Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars provides all the information a Game Master needs to run an adventure in the Pathfinder campaign setting’s science-fantasy wasteland. Within this book, you’ll find:
An in-depth gazetteer of the four regions that make up Numeria, including detailed descriptions of its largest cities and its most dangerous and remote dungeons.
New rules for radiation, gravity fluctuations, deadly environmental hazards, extraterrestrial diseases, nanite infestations, and more—including the unpredictable results of drinking the alien seepage known as Numerian fluids.
Overviews of Numeria’s most prominent Kellid tribes and the sinister Technic League.
More than a dozen new monsters and NPCs native to Numeria, including the mutant template and four new robots.
Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars is a must-have for GMs running the Iron Gods Adventure Path or anyone looking to introduce super-science into any fantasy campaign or setting.
Cover Art by J.P. Targete
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-653-9
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
Product-Pathfinder Campaign Setting- Numeria, Land of the Fallen Stars
Producer- Paizo
Price- ~$20
System- Pathfinder
TL;DR-Swords and Circuits! 95%
Basics- Time for some Sword and Circuits! Numeria, Land of the Fallen Stars tells the story of Numeria in Pathfinder's default setting. Numeria is a land defined by barbarians and a star ship that crashed into Golarion millennia ago. The book is roughly divided into a section describing the basic geography and story of each place. Then the next section discusses the different groups in the region. The final section of the book is the monsters that live in the region.
Mechanics or Crunch-This book isn't crunch heavy, but it doesn't have to be, as the book is part of a twin set discussing Numeria. Therefore, I can forgive the book being somewhat crunch-lite. This book focuses on the story of the region more than the execution of the region. Even with that said, this book goes into good mechanical depth by discussing diseases, different damage types like radiation, and an item from the wastes called Numerian Fluids. These fluids are the cast-offs of starships and robots, and have side effects ranging from instant death to gaining a level. The book also adds a small bestiary as well as random encounter tables for each area in the region. However, I didn't see how often I should roll a random encounter. I like what I see here, but I also know that most of the mechanics will come in the companion book that will come out later. 4.5/5
Story or Fluff-This book is FULL of stories to start a Numeria campaign. This regions presents some novel stories (pun intended) for the Golarion setting. I love the Sword and Circuits idea, and this book will provide you with all the standard fantasy fare of rampaging barbarians to the standard sci-fi tropes of a HoloDeck on the fritz. Beyond this are crazy sadist cultists, paladins hiding crazy technology, and an underground railroad for robots. This book and the setting have all the stories I wanted from fantasy/sci-fi as well as enough new to make me ready to start playing! 5/5
Execution-This book is pretty well done. The story and mechanics make this one a page-turner even though it's over 60 pages of fantasy encyclopedia. The layout, text, and pictures are great and draw the reader through the story. I do think Paizo is running into a bit of a problem with the number of rules books they are putting out. If you are reading this and want to run this as a physical product, you're going to need LOTS of other books to run a game in this part of the world. Paizo has an impressive pace for books, but this is leading to more books which will need OTHER rulebooks to use them at all. It is a small problem, but an increasingly prevalent one. 4.75/5
Summary-I loved reading this product. I was looking forward to running the Iron Gods adventure path before, but this book psyched me up even more. I love the fusion of sci-fi and fantasy. Some have complained that the two won't work well together, but based on what I've read, these two will fit together just fine. There are some problems though--the major one is the number of books that Paizo products are beginning to require you to have in order to play the new book. This goes so far as this book will require a SECOND campaign book to incorporate all the technology needed for this part of the world. But, based on this book, I'm buying that book as soon as it comes out!-95%
Numeria is a land where the high-technology of robots and lasers clashes with the very low-technology of barbarian tribes. There’s actually quite a lot of material to squeeze into Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars, as the various Kellid tribes that inhabit the region are not a unified people, and on top of that, there is the Technic League (a group that wants, and mostly has, a monopoly on the control and distribution of technology recovered from the crashed ship) and the crashed ship itself to describe, along with the various alien creatures, mutant beasts, and robots. Overall, Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars does a very good job of getting all this information in there and providing GMs with a compelling setting and hooks for many amazing and outlandish adventures.
I've always found Numeria to be rather mysterious and information on it has always been rather vague up until now. This book has shed a lot of light on a very interesting setting and I couldn't have been more pleased with what was revealed. A very interesting read and worth the money.
I really did enjoy reading this one though I did feel it was lacking in few areas. First I think the bestiary could have used less NPCs and more alien creatures. Second I didn't like the bland color scheme of book which was not nearly as good as these books normally look. But other then those two nitpicks I really liked it and can't wait to find out more about Numeria in the Iron gods AP.
I have been waiting for a longtime for a Numeria book. When I got this, I started looking at it immediately. Maybe I overhyped myself because when I finally started reading the book, I was a little disappointed by it. Perhaps the Linnorm Kings, Distant Worlds and Worldwound guides setup my expectations because that was the same quality of content I wanted to find in Numeria. I wanted Thundarr the Barbarian mashed up with Conan and Golarion. I don’t feel like that is what I got. Maybe I haven’t read far enough into the book, but I found the information on Starfall, the Technic League and other places a bit bland. This could be because the stuff I am looking for will be in the Technology Guide.
Another issue I had with the book was the lack of Starfall information. As a Campaign setting sourcebook, I expect that kind of information to be in the book. I mean why the change from Rule of Fear, Linnorm Kings, Osirion, Irrisen, etc. I guess it was due to that info being in the Iron Gods AP. If so that irks me as I now have to buy two books (three if you count the Technology Guide) to get all the campaign information that should have been in this book.
Last was the bestiary. While as a GM I appreciate the addition of NPC’s, I really was looking for something more that captured the theme of Numeria. Still what was offered wasn’t all-bad. Maybe in the next Bestiary Hardcover, we will get additional aliens, weird monsters and critters.
Still, overall I liked this book, but I hope when I get back to reading it, the material will inspire me.
Whereas in Giants Revisited it goes on how Hill Giants are filthy, vile, unhygienic things, this dude looks more like a powerful, proud warlord would rather than some slathering idiot giant.
You made me buy this!
(Well, I would have anyway, eventually, but you're the reason I bought it today.) :)
Love the write up on p. 9 on Witchlight Vale. Somewhere in the back of my head, Leslie Neilson was shouting "Monsters from the Id!"
Also on p. 9, a surprisingly hot high priest of Gorum. For that matter, on p. 21, the Black Sovereign is giving his best 'hot felon mugshot.'
Does anyone else think Kevoth-Kul, the Black Sovereign, has really, really kind eyes?
Quite a few hardened Kellid types with strangely appealing eyes going on in this book. The Erastilian elder's in particular seemed to pop out to me.
It's like when I read that stuff, I'm seeing the pictures of one of my favorite felons, Chopper Read. An altogether pleasant bloke who you'd love to have a beer with and commit some torture while robbing drug dealers. But he had an entirely disarming smile and an incredibly warm laugh, he did. Bless the man.
So did anyone else get a copy where pages 16-32 are upside down, relative to the rest of the book? Is it the gravitational variation rules causing this? (LOL)
So did anyone else get a copy where pages 16-32 are upside down, relative to the rest of the book? Is it the gravitational variation rules causing this? (LOL)
A side-effect of the Numerian fluids saturating the ink, seeping into your fingers...
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Aversun wrote:
So did anyone else get a copy where pages 16-32 are upside down, relative to the rest of the book? Is it the gravitational variation rules causing this? (LOL)
I did not. Sounds like a printing/binding error. I would recommend contacting Paizo Customer Service.
You totally made my day. So much so I had to quote you on Facebook. :)
Thank you so much, that meant a great deal. As always, thanks to Russ Taylor, James Jacobs, and our Developer Mark Moreland for helping to make this book such a success.
Love the art of the book, especially for Urgo Axebiter. I love the fact that Paizo made him much more threatening than the standard imbecilic look of hill giants. He looks much more hardcore badass.
That's sort of how I design.
Sometimes when you come across the seed of an idea in the Inner Sea Guide, you can find yourself attacking the premise or finding a way to make it work. I much prefer the latter, because that is what makes a richer and more interesting world.
For instance, if the INSWG suggests the Pharaohs of the First Age could do impossible things with magic by today's standard, I think writers should back that statement up.
If Urgo Axebiter was said to unite 30 tribes of giants, I'm not going to just look at the hill giant stat block and raise one eyebrow..
(Well, I did, but that's NOT ALL I did!)
...Urgo is just going to have to be badass enough to make that not an idle boast. That's all there is to it.
What is with the choice of blank background on the layout of this book? The pages look sparse and dull? The content is great, its just the production quality seems lower then normal?
Love this book. I can't wait to pick up everything for the Iron Gods AP. Some of the monsters look awfully familiar to certain folks. But I am enjoying that more often than not. I especially like the one new template that makes creature aberrations although in some ways it is a variation of the one from the Inner Sea Bestiary.
The book says that the Pathfinder Lodge in Hajoth Hagados is covert, but still it shows it as a huge round building on the map. What could it possibly be? A starwatch? A library? A theater? A big watchtower?
I was not a fan of the original "Expedition to the Barrier Peaks" adventure. However, I do own both this and the Tech Guide! Normally, I am a 'purist'--don't mix my fantasy with your sci-fi. I really like the way this was done, though. Most of the tech is reasonably controlled by price and rarity and the whole story of barbarian tribes vs. Technic League is so intriguing.
Chesed got VERY interesting as I am a big fan of Andoran's Twilight Talons.
Errata: Rothgar, chief of Aaramor, is listed as CN in the Felldales summary of page 6 and as N in the town statblock on page 7 and the Blades of Aaramor section on page 30.
Question: does the initial Con drain effect suffered *every round*... I'm reading it over and over and it seems that way.... even for low radiation this is quite, freagginly, deadly.......
Edit: is the intent to save until you fail, then suffer initial Con drain, then wait for a day, then make secondary save number one? (because it requires two successful secondary saves, it looks like someone who suffers the initial CON drain will also automatically suffer one day's worth of STR damage i.e. second day, second save success means no more STR damage)
No wonder barbarian tribes are staying the heck away from this... :)
follow up question: if someone is in radiation zone, and finally fails a Fort saves and takes initial CON drain, what happens if he stays in that zone... (i.e. Con drain every round? or can the guy now sleep there overnight and spend 24 hours adventuring until STR damage occurs?)
How much information on Castle Urion and Iadenveigh are in this book?
They are on the edge of my campaign map for Echo Wood, would be nice if I can give my players more info than in the short paragraphs of the in er Sea World Guide.
Castle Urion gets a page. Iadenveigh just gets a paragraph and a few mentions. The third volume of the Iron Gods AP has a multipage article on Iadenveigh if you want a full treatment.
Castle Urion gets a page. Iadenveigh just gets a paragraph and a few mentions. The third volume of the Iron Gods AP has a multipage article on Iadenveigh if you want a full treatment.
ok, thanks
I think I'll settle with the "insular & agicultural" from the AP description and hope the players won't bother going there.
I just got Technology Guide print-on-demand. I hope this one is made available print-on-demand too, since I got the impression this is basically a companion book to that one.