Pathfinder Book of the Dead

The book has been sent to the printer! But it is in about 15 different PDF pieces. I'll slowly leak out questions as time permits. Eventually, there will be a consolidate PDF that I can run searches on.

Favourite piece of art?

how does playing as a vampire or lich work what abilities do we get?

How high level are vampire/ghost/lich options?

I wonder, do we expect 2 rule books in 2022, i.e. book of the dead and Dark Archive or is there the possibility of a 3rd book?

I wonder, do we expect 2 rule books in 2022, i.e. book of the dead and Dark Archive or is there the possibility of a 3rd book?

The usual pattern is three Rulebooks a year. so there should be a fall book, but it isn't announced yet.

Spring GenCon Fall
2019 - CRB and Bestiary GMG (pushed into 2020)
2020 Bestiary 2 Advanced Player's Guide Beginner Box
2021 Bestiary 3 Secrets of Magic Guns & Gears
2022 Book of the Dead Dark Archive Unknown

Ugh it just deletes spacing!!! :shakefist at PMG!

Aaron Shanks wrote:

The book is about to be sent to the printer. I’ll take a look at the final PDF for the first time next week. We are of the opinion that spoilers and previews via blogs aren’t what we’re looking for because they’re not evergreen. Buuuuuuut, how do you feel about an early AMA Q&A here on the product page? Try something new for 2022?

What level can a player character become a mummy?

Is there info on undead beyond the Inner Sea?

Answer of the Day:

So, one could be a mummy at 2nd level, or 1st if one uses the free archetype rule. Understand that I'm still getting to know the book and it is filled with guidance (because our authors are rockstars), so there might be nuance I have missed.

There is a chapter called Lands of the Dead and it does detail areas beyond the Inner Sea.

Does this help you know if you want to preorder or subscribe? Tell your favorite local game store if you like as I'm sure they will take your preorder. We want you to choose the purchase method that is right for you.

How long is the adventure, page wise? what levels?

Which of the new (to Pathfinder in general, not just 2E) creatures in the included Bestiary do you think has the coolest name?

Answers will continue on Monday. :)

I doubt it, but I would love to see an archtype for a white necromancero

I doubt it, but I would love to see an archtype for a white necromancero

The Hallowed Necromancer archetype was confirmed at Gencon, I think.

Aaron Shanks wrote:

The book is about to be sent to the printer. I’ll take a look at the final PDF for the first time next week. We are of the opinion that spoilers and previews via blogs aren’t what we’re looking for because they’re not evergreen. Buuuuuuut, how do you feel about an early AMA Q&A here on the product page? Try something new for 2022?

sounds great.

Are there rules for if a previously livingplayer character dies and becomes undead (ie how to handle the transition, stat changes, etc)?

Answer of the Day: Yes. Chapter 2, Hymns for the Dead, details playing undead. There are sections on playable undead options, roleplaying undead, running a game with undead PCs, and sidebars on becoming undead, starting out as undead, and healing, er stitching, undead. It includes all the archetypes I listed above. There are sidebars on INCORPOREALITY, FLIGHT, AND REJUVENATION (for ghosts), ROLEPLAYING A GHOUL, SOUL CAGE (for liches), and VAMPIRE VULNERABILITIES.

For the future, I'd love to know what a Hallowed Necromancer actually does, like what play style does it support?

and VAMPIRE VULNERABILITIES.

This for Vamp then. And no sidebar for mummies?

Aaron Shanks wrote:

and VAMPIRE VULNERABILITIES.

This for Vamp then. And no sidebar for mummies?

Right, no sidebar for mummies.

For the future, I'd love to know what a Hallowed Necromancer actually does, like what play style does it support?

It is a good necromancer.

They bolster the living and destroy the undead.

AJCarrington wrote:

Aaron - would it be possible to get a list of the artists who have contributed to the book? It's great to see all the authors and I would love to the artists as well.

An aside, any chance we could get more art released as wallpapers and such?

Yes, when the PDF is final I can list them from the Credits/Masthead. But I don't have access to which artist is responsible for which art. We are planning a "Thank you, authors" blog after release, too.

Answer of the Day:

As I mentions above, the cover authors are Jason Bulmahn and Jessica Catalan. Additional writing was provided by 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.

The cover artist is Wayne Reynolds. The interior artist are Sha 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

The last time we gave away wallpaper was as a reward for completing a Starfinder survey. (FYI, I'm pulling art from the Pathfinder and Starfinder wikis in order to post more evocative lore posts on social media. This art is already publicly available and that is less demand on the Art Team to supply me with daily art. You may see art you have missed before. But not wallpaper-sized.) We use a lot of half-page art in our fiction. We might post those as larger files... hm. Looking at the release schedule for next year you are giving me ideas...I'll probably make you jump through some minor marketing hoop to get it. But once one person has the file it goes on Reddit and everyone has it. And that's not a bad thing. ;)

Will the undead ancestries be PFS legal?

? What survey :O

Thanks Aaron. I’m pretty active on the ImaginaryGolarion sub-Reddit and actively follow Paizo artists (thanks for the low as well!!). Wallpapers are nice (to me) as they’re “official” and formatted for a wide variety of screen sizes. That being said, I do appreciate the additional workload on the art staff. For what it’s worth, I’d love art packs if they was something Paizo would ever consider.

Will the undead ancestries be PFS legal?

That’s not my area.

Is Blood Magic in this book? And is so, how does it work?

Is Blood Magic in this book? And is so, how does it work?

I don't see it. I suspect we may see it in Dark Archive, but I have not looked and won't spoil that one early.

What's the Undead Eidolon Initial Ability :)

Answer of the Day:

It goes on for another paragraph.

Is the Lich going to be explicitly evil, or will the ability to create a soul cage be a roleplay element up to the GM. In some settings there are “good” liches who become immortal to protect their communities. Anything like that?

I guess, brass tacks, can you tell us the alignment requirement of the lich archetype, soul cage or whatever you deem most appropriate?

Aside from almost certainly, “the ability to cast spells from slots,” are there any prerequisites I should start building my Wizard toward as I approach 12th level while waiting for publication?

Second question: Will there be an archetype that facilitates undead companions, a la the Beastmaster or Cavalier?

Please tell me that the Nightshades will be in the bestiary section. I miss them.

I'll be out for a few days, so I'm batching some answers.

Liches:
There is a sidebar on THE EVIL OF UNDEATH giving GM's some options. I don't see anything about liches or soul cages that require being evil.

Companions:
There are undead familiars, companions and eidolons. The Soul Warden Archetype, who consider themselves an honorary psychopomp, can get a psychopomp familiar. For companions the "Undead mast" archetype is there, yes.

Nightshades:
I don't see any by that name.

Adventures Ahead!

Whenever you can get to it; is there any Arcadia info?

Whenever you can get to it; is there any Arcadia info?

There is a chapter called Lands of the Dead and it does detail areas beyond the Inner Sea, including the Path to Valenhall in Arcadia, with a half-page image and a half-page of text.

Thank you for the answers Aaron, may you only roll Nat20's.

If we're still taking questions, are there any Class Archetypes and if so any examples?

Thank you so much for answering the questions!

I'll be out for a few days, so I'm batching some answers.

Companions:
There are undead familiars, companions and eidolons. The Soul Warden Archetype, who consider themselves an honorary psychopomp, can get a psychopomp familiar. For companions the "Undead mast" archetype is there, yes.

BURTS THROUGH WALL

This book is practically an auto-buy, then!

Still taking questions, but I'm out until Tuesday. :)

Aaron Shanks wrote:

I'll be out for a few days, so I'm batching some answers.

Companions:
There are undead familiars, companions and eidolons. The Soul Warden Archetype, who consider themselves an honorary psychopomp, can get a psychopomp familiar. For companions the "Undead mast" archetype is there, yes.

BURTS THROUGH WALL

This book is practically an auto-buy, then!

Look out! It's the attack of the BURTS!

;P

Aaron is incredibly thorough here and also very careful just in case we sneak something in: for example, he is technically correct when he said nightshades aren't in the bestiary section... under that name.

Aaron is incredibly thorough here and also very careful just in case we sneak something in: for example, he is technically correct when he said nightshades aren't in the bestiary section... under that name.

They also got name change from D&D? :'D

In a way kinda sad about that since D&D nightshades haven't really appeared since 3e

Aaron is incredibly thorough here and also very careful just in case we sneak something in: for example, he is technically correct when he said nightshades aren't in the bestiary section... under that name.

Belladonoids? :P

keftiu wrote:

Aaron Shanks wrote:

The book is about to be sent to the printer. I’ll take a look at the final PDF for the first time next week. We are of the opinion that spoilers and previews via blogs aren’t what we’re looking for because they’re not evergreen. Buuuuuuut, how do you feel about an early AMA Q&A here on the product page? Try something new for 2022?

What level can a player character become a mummy?

Is there info on undead beyond the Inner Sea?

Answer of the Day:

Skeleton is an ancestry (OMG skeleton heritages!!!). All the other playable undead are archetypes. All of them start with a 2nd level feat, except lich is higher at 12.

So, one could be a mummy at 2nd level, or 1st if one uses the free archetype rule. Understand that I'm still getting to know the book and it is filled with guidance (because our authors are rockstars), so there might be nuance I have missed.

There is a chapter called Lands of the Dead and it does detail areas beyond the Inner Sea.

Does this help you know if you want to preorder or subscribe? Tell your favorite local game store if you like as I'm sure they will take your preorder. We want you to choose the purchase method that is right for you.

Are any of the skeleton Heritages not medium?

Will the Necrocraft creature appear in this book?

And will the Necrograft items return as well?

Can you tell us the name of at least one Skeleton Heritage?

Apart from Geb, are there any regions in Garund that get a write-up?

Tell me something juicy about the ghoul archetype

Undead mast? An undead companion archetype? Oooooo boy an undead summoner with that and animate dead spells will have that Diablo necromancer vibe I'm itching for! Mayhap shoot for a familiar granting ancestry ,with dhampir to get even more undead in your menagerie. Luckily the action economy of the game means you can't break things regardless of how big your horde gets. Gods help me if anything in the session deals positive damage.

xNellynelx wrote:

What's the Undead Eidolon Initial Ability :)

Answer of the Day:

Negative Essence: Your undead eidolon has a link directly to your life force, which grants it a twilight state between living and undead. This renders it a living creature and therefore susceptible to many ailments that bother only the living, though it does possess some resistances to these effects.

It goes on for another paragraph.

I wonder how it interacts with a Dhampir (or undead) Summoner.

Is the undead mast archetype the analogue of undead master from ultimate magic?

Nah, that's an Archetype for a very select group of hipster necromancers who started a social club and specialize in only ever using a Skeletal/Zombified/Muffified Mastadon as their companion.

Nah, that's an Archetype for a very select group of hipster necromancers who started a social club and specialize in only ever using a Skeletal/Zombified/Muffified Mastadon as their companion.

Sign me up! I wanna introduce them to golarions version of the dead poet society.

Can you tell us the name of at least one Skeleton Heritage?

Answer of the Day: