Pathfinder Lost Omens: Absalom, City of Lost Omens

With the Lord of the Black Sands returned to its May release, this is the only Pathfinder book that has been or is expected to be delayed (I don't know the Starfinder releases).

I wonder what makes this book different from the others, including SE rulebooks and the July Lost Omens title. Is it the map folio?

Anyways. Eagerly awaiting news on this one, and of course we all hope it's good news.

How crucial was this book to the upcoming AP?

How crucial was this book to the upcoming AP?

I'd hazard a guess that as much as Guide to Korvosa was for CotCT. Useful, but not essential.

That makes sense.

any news when this book releases ?

I'd sit back and wait for updates. Erik, who is writing this, is likely 120% busy saving Paizo from the fallout of COVID-19.

I thought it was already written. Bestiary 2 has a date, so what happened here?

Bestiary 2 and APG were off to printer last month or so, this was still in development. Erik's spare time for writing was likely eaten up by his duties as publisher, with the pandemic throwing the market upside down and whatanot.

There's more than one writer for this book. I'm not sure where you got the impression that Erik was the only author for this entire 296-page hardcover. Do you have a source for that, Gorbacz?

There's more than one writer for this book. I'm not sure where you got the impression that Erik was the only author for this entire 296-page hardcover. Do you have a source for that, Gorbacz?

I think he was the head of this one, though. I know he had to specifically delay Dead God's Hand this last winter to work on the Absalom offering. How much of this one rests entirely on his shoulders is probably not public knowledge.

There's more than one writer for this book. I'm not sure where you got the impression that Erik was the only author for this entire 296-page hardcover. Do you have a source for that, Gorbacz?

I got that impression from the fact that Absalom is Erik's part of Golarion, he's meant to write this book for who knows how long and he's the one author on this one, and if there are any others, it's still his book.

Paizo is respectful of who "owns" which part of Golarion and just like a book on planar stuff is for them unimaginable without at least James Jacobs and Todd Stewart on the author list so is a book (finally) tackling stuff such as siege castles or the secret history of the city.

So, it's Erik or no book. Given that it's on hold and not cancelled, I believe that Erik, who happens to be Paizo's publisher, is so busy with publishing that the book has to wait.

Lindley Court wrote:

There's more than one writer for this book. I'm not sure where you got the impression that Erik was the only author for this entire 296-page hardcover. Do you have a source for that, Gorbacz?

I got that impression from the fact that Absalom is Erik's part of Golarion, he's meant to write this book for who knows how long and he's the one author on this one, and if there are any others, it's still his book.

Paizo is respectful of who "owns" which part of Golarion and just like a book on planar stuff is for them unimaginable without at least James Jacobs and Todd Stewart on the author list so is a book (finally) tackling stuff such as siege castles or the secret history of the city.

So, it's Erik or no book. Given that it's on hold and not cancelled, I believe that Erik, who happens to be Paizo's publisher, is so busy with publishing that the book has to wait.

And to Piggyback on this Erik's adventure was also pushed back. Amazon does say December for all of them but who knows if that is true or not.

December is what you have to put if you are still hoping to have a product out in the current year but don't have an exact date yet.

Hoping we get some news about the delay/release at Paizcon Online!

I always been inspired by Absalom, and was super excited to hear this announced (And the Awesome Huge Poster Map). A bit bummed when I heard of its delay, but understandable, and I will excitedly wait to I can (hopefully) give it a good read /use . :)

Erik Mona content is like fine wine. Cellaring it for a while just makes it better.

So I assume this will get published only after the 6th and final installment of Agents of Edgewatch.

So I assume this will get published only after the 6th and final installment of Agents of Edgewatch.

We'll find out this week.

Just a heads up, this book has been delayed until end of year or even beginning of next year per Erik Mona.

Both products are currently delayed. I messed up and didn't assign enough pages to the Absalom book to do it right, so I'm holding it back until it's as awesome as we can make it. James Jacobs and I have added about 20 additional locations to the manuscript (the city now has a temple for every core god, for example). We've also been working on an NPC appendix that has short summaries of more than 300 inhabitants of the city. So when you go to a shop, you can cross reference the shopkeeper in an NPC appendix and find out who she is friends with, who she is plotting against, and how all of it might play out into an adventure hook to lure the PCs into adventure.

We're hoping the book will be out by the end of the year. If not, it will be very shortly thereafter. The map folio will come out at the same time as the hardcover.

https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sh8t?Pathfinder-News-From-PaizoCo n-Online#discuss

If the delay will result in the final product containing more goodies and being more excellent...I say all fine, all good. The NPC appendix sounds great.

I Was really looking forward to this book. Have we heard anything new about it, Im getting worried that its just stuck in limbo :(

I Was really looking forward to this book. Have we heard anything new about it, Im getting worried that its just stuck in limbo :(

We heard about it during GenCon in panels. They are hoping for early next year but not confident on giving an exact date seeing as they delayed it too often already.

I'm hoping to see the introduction of Starfinder's Naur as a player option in Pathfinder. Starfinder lore suggests that once lived within Absalom, so this seems like fitting book to add them to Pathfinder. I think a decent way to explain their inclusion is to suggest that they are a rare occurrence during Human births due to the same curse that causes Minotaur to be born from Humans. Tie it into Starfinder by adding that their is no explainable reason behind this phenomenon. I dont expect their addition here honestly, but I'd like to see them at some point. That or a playable Minotaur. I wish to play a bullboy.

I do expect to see Centaur added here as playable though. Considering they are one of the prominent people on the Starstone Isles.

I think its important to remember that Pathfinder and Starfinder are alternate universes from each other :p Like writers are allowed to import details from one setting to another, but they aren't meant to be perfect fit continuity wise.

Also Nuar in Starfinder are reference to Minotaur Prince of Absalom Nuar Spiritskin in Pathfinder who is human sized minotaur with albinism. Gag is that SOMEHOW during gap he went from single person to entire species :p

But yeah playable minotaurs is more likely I think

All we have confirmed is that we would get Gillmen in this book. I don’t think this book has enough space for two ancestry.

All we have confirmed is that we would get Gillmen in this book. I don’t think this book has enough space for two ancestry.

I missed this. When was this said?

How will the announcement of the Mwangi setting book affect this product?

Probably not a lot. If this gets delayed much more, it's going to be awkward to push the two out so close together though, especially with Bestiary 3 and the LOAG in that time frame as well.

Edit: All the writing sounds done now, so we should find out a more definitive release date soon.

My local store is having an impossible time getting new product even close to the release month. Who could I have him contact to be sure he has this and the folio on release day, whenever that turns out to be?

Thanks!

Depends. Does he normally work through a distributor or does he buy direct from Paizo? In either case, he should know who his primary contact is.

Still no news ?

The release schedule now goes through February, and this isn't listed. So I guess it won't be out until at least March.

pretty sure this will fall in the pf society guide slot, with ancestry guide taking the gods and magic slot and mwangi expanse taking the legends slot. So I guess it should be out september 2021.

I know it is probably nothing and I shouldn't get my hopes up but this is now showing on the Upcoming Releases section of the Paizo front page.

I know it is probably nothing and I shouldn't get my hopes up but this is now showing on the Upcoming Releases section of the Paizo front page.

Thanks for calling that to our attention. It is not upcoming for December and will be removed, as well as Dead God's Hand. Sorry for the false alarm.

Bit worried about how much this book has gotten delayed since Agent of Edgewatch is almost finished, so I'm wondering by time I find gm for it if this book still isn't released :'D

Helvellyn wrote:

I know it is probably nothing and I shouldn't get my hopes up but this is now showing on the Upcoming Releases section of the Paizo front page.

Thanks for calling that to our attention. It is not upcoming for December and will be removed, as well as Dead God's Hand. Sorry for the false alarm.

So to be clear, there is no news on the release date for this or dead gods hand?

Aaron Shanks wrote:

Helvellyn wrote:

I know it is probably nothing and I shouldn't get my hopes up but this is now showing on the Upcoming Releases section of the Paizo front page.

Thanks for calling that to our attention. It is not upcoming for December and will be removed, as well as Dead God's Hand. Sorry for the false alarm.

So to be clear, there is no news on the release date for this or dead gods hand?

That is what not saying anything means in PR-speak, yes.

Aaron Shanks wrote:

Helvellyn wrote:

I know it is probably nothing and I shouldn't get my hopes up but this is now showing on the Upcoming Releases section of the Paizo front page.

Thanks for calling that to our attention. It is not upcoming for December and will be removed, as well as Dead God's Hand. Sorry for the false alarm.

So to be clear, there is no news on the release date for this or dead gods hand?

Last week, Erik mentioned that this book is in layout now. I'm not sure exactly what that means time-frame-wise, but my guess is we don't see this book before third quarter of next year?

After layout comes copy editing then printing, shipping, order fulfillment. I'd say in 5-6 months time (middle of second quarter 2021).

After layout comes copy editing then printing, shipping, order fulfillment. I'd say in 5-6 months time (middle of second quarter 2021).

Spring would be such a bonus! I'm just not sure if they won't delay it a bit were it to look like it would release too close to the Mwangi book.

Oliver von Spreckelsen wrote:

After layout comes copy editing then printing, shipping, order fulfillment. I'd say in 5-6 months time (middle of second quarter 2021).

Spring would be such a bonus! I'm just not sure if they won't delay it a bit were it to look like it would release too close to the Mwangi book.

Heavens I hope not. I've been pining for this book over everything else. I'd love if it came out in May, a year after the original release date.

Read somewhere that this book is gonna have a gillmen ancestry but couldnt seem to find a source for that, anyone know if its true?

Read somewhere that this book is gonna have a gillmen ancestry but couldnt seem to find a source for that, anyone know if its true?

Do a search for "azarketi". According to the Pathfinder Wiki, that is what they call themselves. I think there might be a relevant posting about them under that name.

Edit: This post is all I could find on the Paizo site. Sorry, but James Jacobs made no specific product mentions for them.

Luis Loza said it during PaizoCon and in an interview with the Find the Path people on their twitch stream.
Here a Reddit post that mention both.
The PaizoCon panel he said it in should be available on the Paizo YouTube channel.

Find the Path interview

About this book starts at 28:30.
Content breakdown: 31:50
Gillmen mention: 33:00

cool thanks

I would take anything said that early with a massive grain of salt. They didn't intend to delay this book that much, but now that they have, they may have cut stuff to cram other stuff in.

I would take anything said that early with a massive grain of salt. They didn't intend to delay this book that much, but now that they have, they may have cut stuff to cram other stuff in.

Possibly, though we also know this book got larger when they decided to build the NPC section.

Yes, but recall also that the reason they needed to add all those pages was because they misallocated in the first place.

Also there are certain page amounts that it costs less to print at. Hitting exactly the correct number of pages is what they're paid to do, but I think it is entirely possible there was revisions and layout modifications once they had all the extra writing completed in September. Almost inevitable really.

I also saw on the Lost Omens Ancestry page that there are more surprises in store for that book. Gillmen moving from this to that would certainly be a welcome surprise, and might make sense for both.

Hopefully we'll get news soon.

I would take anything said that early with a massive grain of salt. They didn't intend to delay this book that much, but now that they have, they may have cut stuff to cram other stuff in.

Not only they said they added page to add more content, but Gillmen are confirmed to have extra feats coming in the Lost Omen Ancestry Guide, and not the full ancestry, so I greatly doubt they would have cut the base ancestry.