Pathfinder Lost Omens: Monsters of Myth

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Pathfinder Lost Omens: Monsters of Myth
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Release the beasts! Heroes abound in the Age of Lost Omens, but for every great hero, there is an even greater monster. Lost Omens Monsters of Myth provides details on 20 of the most infamous and terrifying monsters from the Inner Sea region and beyond. Uncover the secrets of some of Golarion's greatest monsters from the Sandpoint Devil to Fafnheir, the Father of All Linnorms, and more. Monsters of Myth provides rumors, tales, and even treasures for the brave adventurers willing to face these legendary creatures!

Written by: James Case, John Compton, Dana Ebert, Joshua Kim, Aaron Lascano, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Stephanie Lundeen, Liane Merciel, Andrew Mullen, Michael Sayre, Sen H.H.S., Shay Snow, and Jason Tondro

ISBN-13: 978-1-64078-389-8



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Well designed, flavorful monsters to integrate in your campaigns

5/5


Very Solid, but Short.

3/5

3.5 stars. Brimming with imagination, this book is a GM's playground, and the first Lost Omens title I read from cover to cover. However, it's held back by a few editing errors and not making the most efficient use of its incredibly tight page count.

HITS. By far, the greatest strength of this book is how much personality it packs into each monster without stifling GM creativity. Each creature's section opens up with a short work of fiction, followed by a general description of its appearance and behavior, speculations on its origins, and how it relates to its surroundings and the people who live there. But the real triumph here is the lavish detail given to each stat block, which does a great job paying off all the build-up provided by the previous pages. Some even have alternate mechanics attached, emphasizing the flexible roles these creatures can play without sacrificing what makes them pop. Reading this book was lots of fun, as both flavor and mechanics work together to make each monster feel impactful enough to cast as the centerpiece of an adventure.

The monsters themselves are delightfully diverse, covering multiple levels, tones, geographical locations, and degrees of threat. You could throw a dart at a map of Golarion (or even our own Earth!), and there'd be a rockstar monster nearby. Their tales range from terrifying and bizarre to somber and sympathetic, and each has enough flare to spice up nearly any campaign, regardless of whether the party actually faces them down directly.

I also really liked the in-universe writing and artistic depictions of the monsters. It made them feel like a genuine part of the world (although none are so specific that they couldn't be lifted into another setting). The variety of TYPES of text--letters, poems, works of fiction, and so on--helped each chapter feel fresh, in addition to setting up tone and genre expectations for the monster that followed.

MISSES. There are three main weaknesses that hold Monsters of Myth back from being a surefire recommendation. First, there are a couple very obvious errors that repeat often enough for me to wonder if someone in formatting or editing was asleep at the wheel. For example, the text cuts off in multiple places without being continued on the next page, and Bestiary 6--a PF1e book--is repeatedly cited as a source for how to apply the Elite/Weak template (the correct citation is Bestiary, PAGE 6). There were also a few typos and passages with clunky wording, but the cut-off text and incorrect citations stood out the most because they kept happening.

Second, given how short this book is, the "how to use" sections feel like repetitive wastes of space. I think bullet-point lists of adventure prompts would have been of much higher value, rather than spending multiple paragraphs on a singular adventure outline that more or less just summarizes what was already in the lore or alternate abilities text. I also got a little irritated with the amount of "just homebrew it" suggestions that came up in reference to mechanics, locations, or creatures that have yet to be implemented in PF2e. Maybe suggestions for reskinning existing creatures or items would have been more appropriate?

But the biggest thing holding MoM back is its length. For such a short tome that only highlights 20 monsters, the asking price feels a bit steep. Granted, I know profit margins in the industry are narrow, but the entries provided were so fascinating and flavorful that I can't help but want more. On the bright side, this makes it a quick and easy read.

WISHES. I desperately want to see a follow-up to this book, as the actual content was incredible; it was mostly held back by its brevity and a few editing errors. Perhaps said follow-up could include a couple one-shots and maps as drop-in options for existing campaigns, both to allow GMs to use the book right away, and to provide examples that newer GMs can follow in their own adventure creation. I'd be more than happy to pay extra for a beefier page count, so long as that page count is utilized well.


Tons of Flavor, Setting Lore, & Plot Hooks

5/5

This is the book that I wish Legends had been. Each legendary monster entry had me thinking about the campaigns I could run with the hooks and lore I was being given in a way the Legends book just didn't. More like this, please!


More useful than Lost Omens Legends.

3/5

I would have liked to have seen more lower level "monsters of myth". The Sandpoint Devil and Spring Heeled Jack were the only ones included. Alternately putting statblocks for the "Spawn of _________" might have fulfilled the same purpose - giving lower level parties something to fight.

If you don't get above level 10, this book is of limited utility sadly.


Ah so thats why I love the book

5/5

I was wondering about if I'm biased or something because I inherently like this book a lot, but I realized what it is: It reminds me of the 3.5 Elder Evil books(admitedly only 3.5 D&D book I've read) that is one of my favorite similar style books ever :'D I just love the focus on singular creature and how to form story around them.


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what lvl is the new spawn of rovagug


belgrath9344 wrote:
what lvl is the new spawn of rovagug

Spoiler:
CR 21
Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
AceofMoxen wrote:
CorvusMask wrote:
Regarding Mosquito witch, it has lists of possible variation of differently themed abilities you can switch them around with and the standard statblock is more of representation of what it could be (or is said to be). Book gives mosquito witch multiple possible origin stories(it being Ghaulander related, being Deskari related or being sort of fey that adapts its form to current legends of the witch)
What rarity is the mosquito witch?

Pretty much every article focus monster is unique

Liberty's Edge

4 people marked this as a favorite.

the variant of the krampus that carries a sack of golden broaches, which if one goes into your possession by theft, being willingly taken, or just being in you possession for a minute, you cannot remove it. the only thing it does is give you a cognisant awareness that krampus is watching you and is aware of what your doing, giving you a code of conduct which includes no stealing. every time you steal, it ticks down, lessening the reward and increasing the potential penalty. if you make it to winter with a spotless record in krampuses eyes, you get some gold or atonement for free. if it ever ticks down to 0 though, that little pin attached to you becomes a very dissappointed and angry krampus aware of your misdeeds. the test of the golden rods as its called is a great way to make krampus more than just some monster that puts people in a sack and beats them with chains, but a moral arbiter, a darker method of enforcing good morals.

i love the atonement thing though. you lose your powers because of some decision you made, only for krampus to be like "nah. your a good kid. keep it up."


Huh why is there no pdf option? Seems like a strange thing to not have.

Liberty's Edge

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
SoulknifeFan420 wrote:
Huh why is there no pdf option? Seems like a strange thing to not have.

Because they don’t put the pdf up until street date, which is the 22nd. So a week on Wednesday, it’ll be up


Ah maybe I should stay aware from online stores while half asleep then. Thanks, sorry.


Paul Watson wrote:
SoulknifeFan420 wrote:
Huh why is there no pdf option? Seems like a strange thing to not have.
Because they don’t put the pdf up until street date, which is the 22nd. So a week on Wednesday, it’ll be up

But I'm sure some of subbie got book

Silver Crusade

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Can confirm that subscribers have started to get theirs since I've gotten mine.


I received a note indicating that the files had been updated. However, when I went to my downloads, it appears that only the "File Per Chapter" version was new.

Just want to confirm that the update only applies to this option?

Thanks in advance.


5 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Wow. I was not expecting to like this book as nearly as much as I did. I thought this might be a mini-bestiary, or something. I didn't expect 20 sketches for homebrew APs! Mix that with amazing, evocative descriptions, juicy stat blocks, and some interesting player options, and you get an amazing book. My favorite "short" Lost Omens books so far.


11 people marked this as a favorite.

Was deeply skeptical of this book, but was desperate enough for my Arcadia fix to take the plunge, and I'm pleased to report that the Cuetzmonquali section alone is worth the price of admission.

Spoiler:
A glimpse at Arazni and Aroden's time together, a recurring continent-wide supernatural threat for Arcadia, new Arcadian myths, yet more love for Arcadian harrow traditions as both divination and fighting style, awesome 4e-style sketches of campaigns at different tiers of play with good advice for each, some new sakhil lore... it's a real treat.

EDIT: The Kaiju section is killer. I'm obsessed with how /weird/ Ebeshra is. I would've loved to see a Mogaru option for Sorcerers or Witches, or maybe an archetype for the Raindrops of Forests - let me be a kaiju cultist!

EDIT 2: I didn't expect a huge Taotake lore dump, but I'm absolutely not complaining.

EDIT 3: All the art in the Taljjae section is /horrifying/. Well done! Tian horror is a niche I'd absolutely love to see more of.

EDIT 4: Ulgrem-Axxan might be my favorite actual monster in the book. That illustration at the start of the section is stunning, and I can't help but feel for the poor, vicious creature. Arazni might like it as an untraditional herald? Motivated by revenge, furious at becoming undead, has a bone to pick with the nation of Geb... The arc it suggests (and the reward at the end!!) is an incredibly satisfying one I'd love to see played.

EDIT 5: Delighted to see an alternate origin for player Automatons!

I promise I'll leave the poor edit button be now.

Liberty's Edge

6 people marked this as a favorite.

Please don't :-D


Out of curiosity, what's the highest CR Monster in the book?


I noticed that amazon lists this exact ISBN as softcover.

I'm assuming this is actually hardcover?

Marketing & Media Manager

1 person marked this as a favorite.
kaffien wrote:

I noticed that amazon lists this exact ISBN as softcover.

I'm assuming this is actually hardcover?

It is a hardcover.


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Mewzard wrote:
Out of curiosity, what's the highest CR Monster in the book?

Fafnheir is level 24.


keftiu wrote:
Mewzard wrote:
Out of curiosity, what's the highest CR Monster in the book?
Fafnheir is level 24.

Thanks!

Guess my dream of some horrifying CR30 monstrosity will have to wait.

Any Great Wyrms yet? Last I saw, we were still peaking with Ancient Dragons.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Mewzard wrote:
keftiu wrote:
Mewzard wrote:
Out of curiosity, what's the highest CR Monster in the book?
Fafnheir is level 24.

Thanks!

Guess my dream of some horrifying CR30 monstrosity will have to wait.

Any Great Wyrms yet? Last I saw, we were still peaking with Ancient Dragons.

Well, there is an entry for a class of monsters too powerful to get stats (the book flatly states that level 15-20 characters aren't powerful enough to deal with them)...


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Porridge wrote:
Mewzard wrote:
keftiu wrote:
Mewzard wrote:
Out of curiosity, what's the highest CR Monster in the book?
Fafnheir is level 24.

Thanks!

Guess my dream of some horrifying CR30 monstrosity will have to wait.

Any Great Wyrms yet? Last I saw, we were still peaking with Ancient Dragons.

Well, there is an entry for a class of monsters too powerful to get stats (the book flatly states that level 15-20 characters aren't powerful enough to deal with them)...

Guess that's when you bust out Epic Levels/Mythic.

Liberty's Edge

6 people marked this as a favorite.

I would say that is when you run.


5 people marked this as a favorite.

Unless/until we get some kind of mythic system, there isn't really any point to giving level 26+ creatures stats, and doing so would potentially lead GMs into the trap of trying to actually run them in combat against the party.

You definitely don't want to risk players having to go through the ordeal of playing a proper initiative combat session (which tend to go on for a pretty long time compared to the GM just narrating things) against an enemy where their dice rolls and spells and etc literally just don't matter, just because the GM saw the statblock and made the mistake of running a futile combat.

Smart GMs will usually look at the thing and just narrate "it utterly destroys all of you in moments*" but enough GMs wouldn't think to do that that it could cause a lot of bad experiences for players.

*not necessarily fun, but quicker and less tedious than getting utterly destroyed in slow motion over an hour long combat session.


7 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Now granted, I do personally want Mythic-- specifically I envision it as an Archetype you take at level 20 or 21, that gives you 5 more levels of progression, resulting in level 25 PCs. Say "Archmage" for instance, or maybe "Divine Herald" stuff like that.

They're Archetypes so that the work to implement doesn't balloon with every class, they can create as many as they feel is right for the game and production schedule, and each Archetype would have its Archetype feats for Mythical-feeling post 20 abilities themed after the kind of Mythic hero you're becoming.

The Goal is that Level 25 PCs would be able to take on Creatures up to Level 29, which is the top of the Demigod tier from 1e, if I understand correctly. The Archetype could include any necessary math progression perks if any are necessary, I'm not sure if there are any post-20 bumps in the linear number increases for Monster Stats.

That Windsong Testament verse that mentions the manifestation of Dahak stronger than Fafnheir, the Whispering Tyrant, and the prospect of fighting actual Demon Lords, or Great Old Ones, is all super exciting to us.


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Sooo...I've got one issue with this product...the cover. As fearsome as Fafnheir looks, the canopy of Grungir Forest seems to tower over the Father of All Linnorm's head. I was under the impression that Fafnheir was colossal in size so shouldn't he be taller than the trees of the forest?

And yes, I say this knowing full well that Paizo has put out artwork of Frost Giants towering over pine trees and Fire Giants as large as multi-story buildings (and yet for some strange reason both Frost Giants and Fire Giants continue to be large sized).


Actually he looks pretty consistent through all the artwork in the book compared to the cover. I think the difference between him and giants is that he’s gargantuan in length (60 feet I think) versus the height of giants.


4 people marked this as a favorite.

Trees are also... pretty varied in scale, especially in a fantasy setting. PF2 doesn't have a colossal category (gargantuan is just "anything this big and up"), and only really defines sizes by how many spaces a creature occupy, but starfinder defines colossal as roughly 64 feet long or tall, and the biggest trees in the real world can grow to in excess of 300 foot tall.

PF2 also isn't necessarily beholden to PF1s scale - sometimes the scale of things in old editions is a bit silly, and a new edition is a great opportunity to redesign things.

(I actually wish that PF2 had taken the opportunity to upgrade true giants from large to huge, as it differentiates them from ogres and trolls a lot more, and matches most of the miniatures currently available for them).

Silver Crusade

That makes it harder to have half-giants though.


Tender Tendrils wrote:

{. . .}(I actually wish that PF2 had taken the opportunity to upgrade true giants from large to huge, as it differentiates them from ogres and trolls a lot more, and matches most of the miniatures currently available for them).

Pathfinder 1st Edition Giants already have a decent admixture of Huge examples and a couple of Gargantuan examples.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
The-Magic-Sword wrote:

Now granted, I do personally want Mythic-- specifically I envision it as an Archetype you take at level 20 or 21, that gives you 5 more levels of progression, resulting in level 25 PCs. Say "Archmage" for instance, or maybe "Divine Herald" stuff like that.

They're Archetypes so that the work to implement doesn't balloon with every class, they can create as many as they feel is right for the game and production schedule, and each Archetype would have its Archetype feats for Mythical-feeling post 20 abilities themed after the kind of Mythic hero you're becoming.

This is pretty close to what I'm wanting out of Mythic. Main difference is that I want it to be an archetype that scales over the full level range of the character. Certainly takes more page space than your suggestion, but I think it opens up more stories. Ex: Percy Jackson, or other child-of-gods-but-pretty-close-to-human stories.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

^Why not have both? Mythic scaling over the normal character levels (access unlocked by a quest(*)), and then Epic, which you get with a level 20 Dedication.

(*)Related to this, did 1st Edition's Story Feats ever make a reappearance in 2nd Edition?

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.

I much rather have mythic/epic be higher level stuff than a template you slap on, not a lot in P1 Mythic actually felt… Mythic, it was just higher numbers.

Mythic Owlbear, Mythic Chimera, Mythic Hobgoblins… you could remove the Mythic aspect from it and others and the encounter and story didn’t really change.

Of course with P2’s emphasis on tighter math that might not be an issue this go around.

Dark Archive

Maybe mythic would work better the way they did it in the video game of wrath if the righteous?

Liberty's Edge

Kevin Mack wrote:
Maybe mythic would work better the way they did it in the video game of wrath if the righteous?

How does it work there ?


The Raven Black wrote:
Kevin Mack wrote:
Maybe mythic would work better the way they did it in the video game of wrath if the righteous?
How does it work there ?

You basically level a parallel "class" (Mythic Path) that gains 2 lvls per rank (up to 10 ranks).

As for the abilities not feeling mythic enough, I'd hope that the balance point for these hypothetical feats would be way more powerful that a similarly-leveled feat in the current game.


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Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

I wouldnt love that personally, because it would add an extra layer of complexity at a level that has existing complexity, and mess with the current encounter guidelines. It should do the least damage to the existing game structures possible, and with free archetype being so popular id like for it to remain compatible with that too.

Level is a rating of relative power, so layering power onto the existing levels essentially just throws off that rating. Similarly you'd need effects appropriate to all levels. Whereas having the 21 threshold function as a gate sort of empowers them to be more gonzo about that next tier of power.

You play normal Pathfinder 2e until your characters can smash through their upper limits sort of deal.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

I’m the opposite; using Mythic as a way to mess with current encounter guidelines would be 67% of the appeal of using it at all.

I play solo a lot, so I see mythic as a way of making a level 1 character with the power of a level 3 or 4, and so able to survive soloing at even the lowest levels.

Liberty's Edge

Easiest way to do low-level Mythic is to play 2 levels higher. No need for special rules.

Sovereign Court

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Could have mythic just boost your proficiency by one level, taking it beyond legendary at the top.


^That does have the advantage of being easy to implement and easy to balance . . . .


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

Personally I would do Mythic like how the school subsystem works in the Strength of Thousands campaign. You pick a path that can separately level up in parallel to your character level, and those level ups can come with more feats and skill increases (easy insert for mythic feats here), but those level ups are more tied to story progression than the player level.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
The Raven Black wrote:
Easiest way to do low-level Mythic is to play 2 levels higher. No need for special rules.

3 actually if you’re talking about soloing. 2 is if you’re dual classing, and only sometimes. Both options are laid out in the gamemastery guide, and I use them regularly.

I don’t need special rules, I want special rules to accomplish this same goal in additional ways.

Liberty's Edge

Ellias Aubec wrote:
Could have mythic just boost your proficiency by one level, taking it beyond legendary at the top.

I had this idea for quick and dirty PF2 Mythic : you choose a path (Strikes, AC, Spells, saves, Class DC, Skills) where your proficiency automatically increases to the next level. With Legendary becoming Mythic = lvl+10.


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Mewzard wrote:
keftiu wrote:
Mewzard wrote:
Out of curiosity, what's the highest CR Monster in the book?
Fafnheir is level 24.

Thanks!

Guess my dream of some horrifying CR30 monstrosity will have to wait.

Any Great Wyrms yet? Last I saw, we were still peaking with Ancient Dragons.

Great Wyrms are mentioned as early as Bestiary 1 (i.e. Serzilian, the Great Wyrm Black Dragon), but no stats exist for them yet. I suspect we won't see anything outside of Young, Adult, and Ancient Dragons until we see a Dragon focused book. And that's a big maybe imo.

Interestingly, the Beginner Box actually features stats for a Wyrmling Green Dragon, but I'm not certain those stats would be technically canon.

I actually would love to see Paizo take a page out of media like Monster Hunter and have a semi-unique age category after Great Wyrm called Elder Wyrms. Make them near godlike with each possessing unique customized abilities based on their family or species. How exactly would this work? No clue. But sounds cool.


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

There is of course the Great Wyrm that is in Age of Ashes, whose statblock lists them at level 23. That's probably our best guess at the general level range of any future Great Wyrms.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Eh. I mean that is probably the closest we will see to one for a while. But Mengkare's age is questionable at best.

discussion:
Those stats claim he is a Great Wyrm, but the Bestiary and other parts of AoA describe him as an "ancient gold wyrm". This could be taken as A. He's an Gold Wyrm (aka a dragon) of the Ancient age category, or B. He's a Gold Dragon of the Wyrm age category who is in fact ancient (as in the adjective). The latter would make the most sense. One could simply reason that by the time AoA ends, he's advanced from Wyrm to Great Wyrm in that case. But idk. Still seems odd, especially when you factor in 1e products and the wiki describing him as being Ancient.

Either way, if we get any other age categories, I'm firmly of the belief that it'll be with dragon themed products.


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^Maybe he just leveled up after eating a preceding PC party?

Contributor

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Ly'ualdre wrote:
dragon stuff

It's a bit late, but that probably should've been spoilered >_>


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

My apologies. I didn't realize how long that ended up being.

As a side, I just had a thought. Would anyone else be interested in seeing this sort of book continued, but about specific groups of monsters? They could do a book themed around say Dragons or undead, and give detailed information on a number of the most well known examples alongside heavy lore. And I don't mean simply your run of the mill examples, but incredibly unique or powerful creatures, or those bearing names or heavy ties to Golarions lore.

Some examples could be Daughters of Urgathoa in an undead book, or Daralathxl, Sixth King of the Five Kings Mountains in a dragon book. And the dragon book wouldn't be restricted to just true Dragons, but draconic creatures in general.

Sort of a spiritual successor to books like Undead Revisited or Dragons Unleashed.


3 people marked this as a favorite.

Huh, I had thought at first glance that Tehailai was a creature that was tied to Minata, but it’s a whole new culture I don’t think I’ve seen written about before when it comes to the Okaiyo Ocean, I’m intrigued to learn more of the different cultures.


6 people marked this as a favorite.
VerBeeker wrote:
Huh, I had thought at first glance that Tehailai was a creature that was tied to Minata, but it’s a whole new culture I don’t think I’ve seen written about before when it comes to the Okaiyo Ocean, I’m intrigued to learn more of the different cultures.

The opening of Tehailai's section references the Taotake, a Polynesian-inspired culture introduced very briefly in a Tyrant's Grasp backmatter article. I'm very glad to see more of them!

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