| 11 people marked this as a favorite. |
Are there any Tian Xia locations in the setting chapter?
Yes. Garund, Avistan, Arcadia, Darklands, and Tian Xia. Some have more than one.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hope we'll get some new place in the Ruins of Azlant region. That place seems like it might have been pretty ripe for a lot of ghosts to appear at one point. Kinda want to see an entire community of Azlanti ghosts, living their lives in denial as if nothing had ever happened, in the wreckage of their former home. Everyone’s super nice up until the moment you point out there's no Azlant anymore. Then you start to see the spectral meteors in the sky.This just gave me a fun idea of an ancient Thassilonian individual who had been a restless spirit of some kind before New Thassilon happened. When reality tried to sort out the time paradox, their past living version slammed into their present restless spirit and they become some undead version of themselves. Maybe this doesn't work with the actual narrative established (No idea.) but it makes me grin.
IIRC they were in a kind of stasis, so per se it would not work. Now, what if someone was resurrecting them just when the stasis happened ?
Are there any Tian Xia locations in the setting chapter?Yes. Garund, Avistan, Arcadia, Darklands, and Tian Xia. Some have more than one.
I stand pleasantly corrected.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
I started to wonder if it will be possible to play as a mortic with this book.
Possibly. What's a mortic?
https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Mortic
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I started to wonder if it will be possible to play as a mortic with this book.
If be fairly surprised if we didn't see Mortics here. With how late they made it into 1e, I'd assumed we would see them relatively early in 2es life. Of course, there's always room for them in any other book with heavy undead emphasis. But I'm hoping to see them here.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
This book combined with Blood Lords is sure to be a delightfully pleasant time
I wish more previews have already started.
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Final cover is in today's blog and being release on social media starting yesterday.
| 10 people marked this as a favorite. |
AUTHORS
Jason Bulmahn and Jessica Catalan
ADDITIONAL WRITING
Brian Bauman, Tineke Bolleman, Logan Bonner, John Compton, Chris Eng, Logan Harper, Michelle Jones, Jason Keeley, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Liane Merciel, Patchen Mortimer, Quinn Murphy, Jessica Redekop, Mikhail Rekun, Solomon St. John, Michael Sayre, Mark Seifter, Sen H.H.S., Kendra Leigh Speedling, Jason Tondro, and Andrew White
DESIGN LEAD
Logan Bonner
DESIGNERS
Logan Bonner, James Case, Michael Sayre, and Mark Seifter
EDITING LEAD
Patrick Hurley
EDITORS
Janica Carter, Addley C. Fannin, Leo Glass, Patrick Hurley, Avi Kool, Ianara Natividad, K. Tessa Newton, Simone D. Sallé, and Shay Snow
COVER ARTIST
Wayne Reynolds
INTERIOR ARTISTS
Shafi Adams, Jason Artuz, Helge C. Balzer, Tuan Duong Chu, Josh Durham, Wilmar Ballespí Escarp, João Fiuza, Kent Hamilton, Dariusz Kieliszek, Mayra Luna, Damien Mammoliti, Artur Nakhodkin, Vladislav Orlowski, Mirco Paganessi, Roberto Pitturru, Sandra Posada, Kiki Moch Rizky, Roena Rosenberger, Luis Salas Lastra, Olli Slyusareva, Firat Solhan, Carl Springer, and Iana Vengerova
ART DIRECTION
Sonja Morris and Sarah E. Robinson
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Sonja Morris
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
James Jacobs
DIRECTOR OF GAME DESIGN
Jason Bulmahn
PROJECT MANAGER
Glenn Elliott
PUBLISHER
Erik Mona
Thanks again Aaron!!
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Just FYI: This book has been delayed from the March release as per the announcement thread.
Just FYI: This book has been delayed from the March release as per the announcement thread.
:(
Update: MARCH 2022 New Releases and Subscription Shipping. This product release is delayed in print, PDF, and digital tools.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Update: MARCH 2022 New Releases and Subscription Shipping. This product release is delayed in print, PDF, and digital tools.So when will it release now?
As they’ve done for literally every book before: once it arrives at the warehouse and is shipped. I imagine they aren’t giving a time window because it’s up in the air currently.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
As they’ve done for literally every book before: once it arrives at the warehouse and is shipped. I imagine they aren’t giving a time window because it’s up in the air currently.Update: MARCH 2022 New Releases and Subscription Shipping. This product release is delayed in print, PDF, and digital tools.So when will it release now?
Personally I am planning on April 27, but I'm sorry, no one really knows.
Problem is that they don't have the physical books, and whether they get those books is 100% out of their control, so the best they can do is tell us it may be next month.
Book 6 of Strength of Thousands is coming out the same day as book 3 of Quest for Frozen Flame because they just didn't have the book yet.
I'm ok with this as long as Bloodlords AP comes out on time with no delays, as this book is the key for that AP.
Cheers
Tom
|
|
| 7 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'm ok with this as long as Bloodlords AP comes out on time with no delays, as this book is the key for that AP.
Cheers
Tom
Prophecy does not work anymore alas.
RL has truly entered the age of Lost Omens.
And now we all know how Pharasma felt.
Not to mention Cheliax.
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
the book was delayed and that is fine but can we get some content in the meantime?
--thanks
CrimsonKnight, You will find a good number of spoilers above. I am in the process of planning Paizo LIVE in which I have invited both Jason Bulmahn and Jessica Catalan, the authors on the cover to discuss Book of the Dead on the show. I will show full page art from every chapter in the book. We are also making blogs, designer AMA's, live plays, email campaigns, interviews, exclusive media articles and videos, press releases, and social media posts. This product is one of our biggest of the year, one of over 100 we will promote. And the schedule has just been turned on its head. Thank you for your enthusiasm, patience and patronage.
— Adventures Ahead!|
|
I'm ok with this as long as Bloodlords AP comes out on time with no delays, as this book is the key for that AP.
So... bad news about that, unless the books somehow ended up being pushed to front of the list of all other products that printer has in the queue and have been printed and sent to port or the container ship that actually transports them finds a way to cut in line as well as also getting top priority for being unloaded then I don't really think that literally any of the products that have physical components are going to come anywhere even close to what the initial estimated date for delivery. The delays for things shipped from overseas are still somewhere in the 2 - 6 months range and in some cases, it's even worse than that since even after it gets stateside it needs to be checked, unpacked, sorted, and then shipped off to the destination warehouses and distribution centers which themselves are ALSO dealing with major backlogs on their own.
Again, maybe Paizo already adjusted the delivery date for the AP knowing this was an issue, that I don't know, but if they haven't... people should almost certainly expect it to be delayed. Given that the delivery date hasn't been updated since it was announced we must either assume that the shipping crisis delays are already baked into the delivery date or that there is no feasible way that the first installment would arrive this coming July.
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Hasn’t Quest for the Frozen Flame been on time for both volumes so far?
It is kind of a head scratcher. I was hoping that we were past all the delays.
It is kind of a head scratcher. I was hoping that we were past all the delays.
One can hope, but the mess that is global shipping won't be untangled easily. I expect we'll see issues pop up intermittently for at least a year.
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
It is kind of a head scratcher. I was hoping that we were past all the delays.
I mean, the pandemic hasn’t stopped - why would the delays?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I feel like I just walked into a trap or something. I was agreeing with you in my previous post. Either way, forget I said anything.
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
I'm honestly kinda wondering whether Key of Geb lore gets brought up at all since I think Geb would still be mad at Whispering Tyrant for that one :'D
Like it kinda makes me feel like "Am I only one who read that one article in Tyrant's Grasp? Nobody else seems to mention it"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm honestly kinda wondering whether Key of Geb lore gets brought up at all since I think Geb would still be mad at Whispering Tyrant for that one :'D
Like it kinda makes me feel like "Am I only one who read that one article in Tyrant's Grasp? Nobody else seems to mention it"
You know I've wondered about that myself.
It was The Whispering Tyrant that made ig possible for Arzani to permanently escape from Ged control. I thought Geb would be more agery about it. But he is too obsessed with the possible return of Nex to really care.| 12 people marked this as a favorite. |
Anyone that's interested in what stuff was spoiled and talked about in last Friday's Paizo LIVE!, I've written down everything that I could write about right HERE.
There's a TON about Book of the Dead talked about between Jason Bulmahn and Jessica Catalan, and a TON of art was shown off as well (and I've screencapped it all for y'all to enjoy!). Give it a read when you get the chance.
Speaking of iconics, Paizo has stepped away from providing character sheets for these guys. Can anyone explain why?
|
|
Speaking of iconics, Paizo has stepped away from providing character sheets for these guys. Can anyone explain why?
They've explained that by creating pregens for all of the Iconics it makes a kind of conundrum whereby they end up having to choose between often being unable to recreate their equipment that they're pictured with as a pregen OR they would find they'd want to ask WR and the other artists to hold back on equipping the Iconics illustrations with equipment that they either couldn't afford, actually USE, or be able to carry.
I see. Oh, well. I kind of like the pre-gens we have, warts and all. Guess I'll have to make my own from now on. :-)
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Speaking of iconics, Paizo has stepped away from providing character sheets for these guys. Can anyone explain why?
There are pregens for all of the core and APG classes, I believe.
I love that Siabrae are back. They have a great backstory.
I hadn't seen them before. The similarity between them and the Hermes is interesting given that they are both made from Druidic magic.
| 10 people marked this as a favorite. |
For those of you who are curious about what the page shown on Paizo Live says, but can't make it out, here you go (please forgive any possible errors):
Lich:
"The desire to love eternally motivates a spellcaster to become a lich, and necromantic knowledge makes the desire real. The typical lich takes the most direct path, keeping their undead form fairly close to their appearance in life. But undeath can also bring greater freedom for those with a less conventional view of what they can become. The horde lich and runecarved lich reshape themselves entirely. Rules for creating a standard lich from a spellcaster appear on page 220 of the Bestiary."
New Alternate Lich Abilities:
"In addition to the alternate abilities found on page 221 of the Bestiary, you can use these abilities to create a more unusual lich. Substitute any one of the following abilities for frightful presence, hand of the lich, Drain Soul Cage, or paralyzing touch.
- Animate Cage: the lich has placed their soul cage inside an animated object that fights fiercely to defend itself, or at the very least to elude capture. If the liches body is destroyed, the lich can control this animated object directly, although they can't cast any spells while inside the vessel. The liches body is often restored inside this object, being ejected from the animated object after 1d10 days in the normal manner for a soul cage. The animated object is usually at least 4 levels lower than the lich, but it doesn't engage in combat unless directly threatened or if the lich is in control of it.
- Aura of Rot (arcane, aura, necromancy): The lich is surrounded by pervasive, supernatural rot. Unattended food and drink within 30 feet of the lich immediately spoils. Anyone attempting to eat or drink within this area must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or become sickened 1 as the sustenance spoils before it can be ingested (ruining potions and other magical food and drink). Ordinary plants that remain within this aura for more than 1 minute wither and begin to die (depending on their size, this might take significantly longer).
- Familiar Soul: The lich has an undead
familiar (using the familiar rules from page 217-218 of the Core Rulebook, except it's undead instead of an animal). Instead of a traditional soul cage, this lich stores their soul in the body of their undead familiar. While soing so makes it significantly more vulnerable, the moment the liches body is destroyed, it can take over the body of the familar. After 1 hour. The lich can use this body to cast spells, assuming it has an appendage capable of making somatic components. After 1d10 days, the liches body reforms as normal.
- Mask Dead <1 Action> (arcane, transmutation): The lich changes their appearance to look as they did in life. This effect lasts indefinitely, but if the lich takes damage, their rotten flesh beneath becomes visible until the ability is used again.
- Metamagic Alteration <1 Action> (concentrate, metamagic): If the lich's next action is to Cast a Spell, they can alter it in one of two ways.
-- Increase the range of that spell by 30 feet (giving it a range of 30 feet of it's a touch spell).
-- Alternatively, the lich can change the area of the spell if the spell has an area and doesn't have a duration. If the spell is a burst with a radius of at least 10 feet, increase the radius by 5 feet. If it is a line or a cone that has an area of 15 feet or smaller, add 10 feet to the area.
- Pillage Mind <Reaction> (arcane, divination, mental); Trigger: The lich deals damage with their hand Strike; Effect: The lich pulls a memory or thought from the target's mind. The lich Recalls Information with a skill of their choice, using the target's bonus with the skill instead of their own. If there's a very specific piece of information the lich hopes to uncover, and the target knows that information, the target can attempt a Will save to keep it secret. On a critical success, the target can give the lich faulty information instead.
- Steal Soul <Reaction> (arcane, evil, necromancy); Trigger: A creature dies within 30 feet of the lich; Effect; The creature must attempt one final Fortitude save. On a failure, the lich siphons the soul from the dying creature, storing it in a black mote of energy that orbits the lich's Skull. The creature can't be brought back from the dead while its soul is trapped in this way. Once per day, as a single action, the lich can consume a mote to heal a number of Hit Points equal to double the soul's level. This utterly destroys the soul, making the creature impossible to bring back to life without a wish, miracle, or similar magic. The lich can have a number of motes orbiting them equal to their Charisma modifier (to a minimum of one mote). If the lich gains an additional mote the oldest one is released, its soul free to travel to the afterlife.
- Unholy Touch: The lich's touch is suffused with evil, dealing evil damage instead of negative. On a critical hit, the target also takes persistent evil damage equal to half the lich's level."
Sidebar: The Whispering Way:
"Some believe that undeath is the purest form of existence, free from pain or fear, unshackled from the cycle of life and death. Loosely organized, adherents to this philosophy call it the Whispering Way, and although it may act like a cult in many regards, it has no true leader or structure. Membership is achieved only by pledging oneself to undeath with the goal of eventually achieving that state through some means or another. Lichdom is seen as one of (the) beat ways of achieving this, though other means are generally acceptable. Undead who need the living to fuel their unlife generally shun this philosophy, as it's true goal of turning all life to undeath runs counter to their needs. Of all its adherents, the Whispering Tyrant is by far the most famous and successful member, nearly achieving the group's goal before being defeated by a massive alliance of mortal forces. Now that the Tyrant has returned, those who follow this philosophy are hopeful that their time of ascendancy is finally at hand."
Sidebar: Less Common Liches:
"Most who seek this form of unlife are powerful arcane spellcasters - wizards in particular. Clerics and druids almost never seek lichdom. Bards are less rare, due to their inquisitive nature and exploration of the occult. Some sorcerers seek out lichdom, especially those of the undead bloodline. Witches sometimes follow this path, especially if they learn the secret of transforming their familiar into a soul cage."
Horde Lich:
"At first glance, a horde lich looks like a skeleton packed with too many bones. In combat, the true purpose of these extra parts becomes clear as limbs peel off, expanding and reassembling into another nimble skeletal form. Regardless of the number, a single lich mind controls them all, and if any of then survive an encounter, they can rebuild the whole given enough time and raw materials."
"Horde Lich - Creature 15
<Rare, NE, Medium, Undead>
Perception: +25, darkvision
Languages: Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Jotun, Necril, Undercommon
Skills: Acrobatics +27, Arcana +31, Crafting +25 (can craft magic items), Deception +27, Intimidation +22, Religion +25, Stealth +27, Thievery +27
Str: +2, Dex: +6, Con: +0, Int: +8, Wis: +4, Cha: +6
Items: scroll of teleport, wand of dispel magic (6th)
----
AC: 35, Fort: +21, Ref: +27, Will: +27, +1 status to all saves vs. positive
HP: 250, negative healing (page 213), rejuvenation; Immunities: death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious; Resistance: cold 10, physical 10 (except magic bludgeoning)
Rejuvenation (arcane, necromancy): When a lich is destroyed, their soul immediately transfers to their soul cage. A lich can be permanently destroyed only if their soul cage is found and destroyed.
Shatter Block <Reaction>; Trigger: A creature scores a critical hit on the horde lich; Requirements: The horde lich has at least one servitor attached (See Servitor Assembly); Effect: The critical hit is a normal hit instead. One of the horde lich's servitors detaches from them and is place in an open, adjacent space, prone. The servitor takes the damage from the triggering attack.
----
Speed: 25 feet
Melee <1 Action>: hand +27 (finesse, magical); Damage: 5d8 negative
Arcane Prepared Spells: DC 39, attack +31; 8th: horrid wilting, power word stun, uncontrollable dance; 7th: power word blind, project image, spell turning, true target; 6th: disintegrate, feeblemind, repulsion, true seeing; 5th: command, cone of cold, crushing despair, hallucination; 4th: confusion, fly, freedom of movement, veil; 3rd: haste, paralyze, slow, stinking cloud; 2nd: hideous laughter, invisibility, mirror image (×2); 1st: alarm, command, illusory disguise, unseen servant, Cantrips (8th): daze, detect magic, electric arc, mage hand, shield
Servitor Assembly <1 Action> (manipulation): A horde lich has three servitor bodies folded up and attached to themself, usually in the ribcage, on the arms, and around the legs...."
Hope this helps and excites anyone. Not sure if it's even okay to put it here, but I figured I would for those who may not be able to read it.
Thank you very much, Ly'ualdre
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The desire to love eternally motivates a spellcaster to become a lich
Ah these loving liches :D
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
That is typo right?
Course not. Hell hath no fury like a love-scorned lich. Their soul cage is actually their still living heart kept inside of their chest; which, with every beat, suffuses their undead being with potent necromantic energy. This makes them incredibly powerful,but infinitely more vulnerable, as one if when they put their heart on the line.
This also gives me inspiration for a mummy lich, whose soul cage is actually multiple canopic jars, for which they keep their still living organs in, which supplies them with ludicrous power. After all, postive energy does fall into necromancy.
Make it happen Jason.
| 10 people marked this as a favorite. |
I did some research. Yes it’s a three day weekend for me, but I’m just a obsessed about this stuff as you folks are… lol.
Mortics debuted in a Pathfinder first edition Adventure Path volume.
They can be found in Pathfinder Second Edition Bestiary 3. There will be 3 more in Book of the Dead. There are no rules for playing them that I see at this time. On one hand, I think those rules could be added as a virtual heritage in a future publication much like dhampir. On the other hand they’re very specific combinations of an ancestry (such as gnome) and an undead (such as ghost). They are awesome, but I feel like they have niche appeal. I can see why the creative team didn’t prioritize them with the limited number of pages in this book. They focused on playing undead rather than half-undead. Adventures Ahead!
Speaking of iconics, Paizo has stepped away from providing character sheets for these guys. Can anyone explain why?There are pregens for all of the core and APG classes, I believe.
Yes, there are, but not for the newer classes