Pathfinder Lost Omens: Shining Kingdoms

Announced for June! Product images and descriptions are not final and are subject to change. :)

Probably not a ton for me here outside of Kyonin, but I hope the fans of all the classics enjoy this one :)

Here's hoping next year is Arcadia's year!

Oh hey back to regional books :D Time to see if Five King Mountains get finally expanded to being more interesting

(though tbf, lot of those countries do have interesting tidbits people forget including me x'D maybe we should make another setting thread and go through those)

Hey, there's a classic red-colored dragon on the cover. With a bestiary included in this book, I wonder if this will be the time to re-introduce Remastered versions of the Chromatic/Metallic dragons?

Looking forward to this book coming out! Thanks as always for the amazing material, Paizo.

Hey, there's a classic red-colored dragon on the cover.

The very first post here seays the cover isn't final. Chances are there will be no red dragon on the final version.

Ezekieru wrote:

Hey, there's a classic red-colored dragon on the cover.

The very first post here seays the cover isn't final. Chances are there will be no red dragon on the final version.

That is literally the first post of every single product page thread, whether the art on the book mock-up is on the actual cover or not. If someone recognizes the art featured as being from a previous book, please let me and everyone else know. If the art is, in fact, new, it's more likely to be either the art to be used on the "final cover", or a piece of art to be featured in the book itself.

In the section of the Godsrain in WoI, they mention that Daralathyxl the Great Wyrm Red Dragon in the Five Kings Mountains is a Cinder Archdragon.

So chances are that we will see the Remaster red dragons as the Cinder Dragons in this book.

After all Daralathyxl is a prominent threat in the Shining Kindoms region.

I'll be interested to see how long this book is. The price listed is the same as for Impossible Lands (from two years ago) which was around the 340 page mark; whereas the Tian Xia World Guide was $20 more than that for around 300 pages. Could mean that this one's substantially shorter than the previous region books unless they've managed to lower their prices; I think the most recent pricing update had a $60 hardcover at around 192 pages?

Sweet! Very much looking forward to updated information on Taldor. The other parts are interesting as well to me. :)

I don't see any mention of new ancestries, so that's 40 pages smaller right there.

Nice! Hoping for Cheliax next:) then we will have everything for the war

Nice! Looks like those knights caught up with the dragon from the Lost Omens World Guide picture lol.

Awesome, as a huge fan of Taldor and Galt in particular, I am psyched for this. Any chance we will see a new map for Cassomir? I'm setting my campaign there and love the city as a setting but I feel like the map from 1e's Cities of Golarion looks like a small town of a couple thousand at best.

I'm so happy to see the "meat and potatoes" of classic fantasy tabletop RPG's return to Paizo.

I'm by no means complaining about the diversity we've seen, but it's definitely felt like the core of Pathfinder has been lacking for a little while.

Hmmmm, if we get the Golden Road next, then all of the Southern Inner Sea regions are covered. That would be dope.

*takes mic*

"Andoran political parties."

*drops mic*

*leaves*

Curious to see if the Eighth Army gets expanded in here at all.

Oh, I am interested in this for sure!

It's Derry!!!!!!

About the dragon: It could also be a diabolic dragon. But it's possible that it could be a cinder dragon too. But i wouldn'T expect the "other" dragons to be in there, I would expect the rest to be "remastered" one by one, in different books, to limit the "similarities" to D&D, and not present them as a "group" like in that other, now unrelated, TTRPG. :P

I'm excited for this for so many reasons. Political shenanigans! Daemonic scheming! Post-Treerazer Kyonin/Tanglebriar! Developments with Torag's Shield! Andoran on the verge of continental war!

ETA: That is definitely a Red/Cinder Dragon. The horns are wrong for a Diabolic Dragon (those are curved horns like a ram has), and Daralathxyl is the big threat now that Treerazer is out of the picture.

The mockup isn't representative of what the final product might look like, but it's definitely the final cover art. :)

Hmmmm, if we get the Golden Road next, then all of the Southern Inner Sea regions are covered. That would be dope.

Still missing the High Seas (which includes chunks of Garund).

The book also includes a bestiary of monsters inhabiting the region and a gorgeous fold-out poster map to serve as a centerpiece to any Shining Kingdoms campaign

Oooh, just noticed this bit about the poster map...great news, it was a real bummer to not get one in either Mwangi Expanse or Impossible Lands.

LET'S GET CHIVALROUS!

Let's goooo, so delighted about this.

"the illusion-cloaked homeland of the elves" "the demon hunters of Kyonin's Wylderhearts"

So exciting!

FallenDabus wrote:

Hmmmm, if we get the Golden Road next, then all of the Southern Inner Sea regions are covered. That would be dope.

Still missing the High Seas (which includes chunks of Garund).

I would not complain about that either!

As a big fan of how well Mwangi handled fantasy-African cultures, how well Tian-Xia handled fantasy-Asian cultures, and how well Highhelm handled a non-human culture; I am very excited here. The Mwangi book was what drew me to Pathfinder 2E, before I even saw the second edition rules.

In recent Years Paizo has dramatically raised the bar on regional deep dives into cultures. Historically the hobby has stereotyped fantasy-Europe just as much as it has other regions. A lot of gamers not noticing this as much due to assumed familiarity, but it's led to looking at tRPGs written in Europe showing just how much has been left out or incorrectly presumed.

I am hopeful experts on specific aspects of European history that most closely resemble the inspirations of these 6 nations are brought on board to give this the kind of high quality treatment we've now grown used to from Paizo.

As someone who doesn't have a Euro-centric background, but is also a history fanatic with a lot of 'specific moments in time' context; I could really use a book for these places that helps me 'cover the gaps' and am very excited to see Paizo's level of quality on this.

It's Derry!!!!!!

It's me!!

I am hopeful experts on specific aspects of European history that most closely resemble the inspirations of these 6 nations are brought on board to give this the kind of high quality treatment we've now grown used to from Paizo.

Without saying too much, I hope, the answer is yes! I'm Irish (like, from the island, not descended), and I was able to talk to people on this book about cultural stuff one mightn't see in other depictions of this specific type of fantasy. I'm also half Swiss-French, and I was able to use *that* side of my ancestry to help around with other places too. The entire team did an amazing job with portraying cultures individually, and I'm really, really pleased with how accurate each one feels. Like I said, I have a lot off feelings to share when this book comes out! I'll need to be incredibly vague til then, but for now, rest assured: it's got the same cultural respect as any other book, rather than generic fantasy schlock.

As someone who only got into Pathfinder with 2E, I love these regional setting books! I've been hoping for more!

Scrip wrote:

It's Derry!!!!!!

It's me!!

I'm so, so grateful to have worked on this book-- I have a lot of feelings to share when it comes out, and a lot of maniacal laughter to let loose when people see some things I helped with. Be excited!

arcady wrote:

I am hopeful experts on specific aspects of European history that most closely resemble the inspirations of these 6 nations are brought on board to give this the kind of high quality treatment we've now grown used to from Paizo.

Without saying too much, I hope, the answer is yes! I'm Irish (like, from the island, not descended), and I was able to talk to people on this book about cultural stuff one mightn't see in other depictions of this specific type of fantasy. I'm also half Swiss-French, and I was able to use *that* side of my ancestry to help around with other places too. The entire team did an amazing job with portraying cultures individually, and I'm really, really pleased with how accurate each one feels. Like I said, I have a lot off feelings to share when this book comes out! I'll need to be incredibly vague til then, but for now, rest assured: it's got the same cultural respect as any other book, rather than generic fantasy schlock.

If I might respectfully hazard some guesses...

Druma seems pretty Switzerland coded, what with the mountains and the banking and the neutrality. Mind you, the PoK's influence means that Druma doesn't focus on fostering positive international relations the way that Switzerland does. The Prophets also don't enjoy many popular Swiss foods (maybe fondue, but chocolate would be hell on their outfits and rosti is out), but there is a counterculture that would love them.

Galt is, or rather was, Revolutionary France, and is now due for an examination because the Terror is over. I admit I wonder if we'll get Notpoleon and/or Nosephine. However, while Taldor is basically a take on the Byzantine Empire, there's also a commonality with France. Both are former superpowers navigating life after falling from glory while retaining some of their old might.

Andoran is pretty America-coded, but I think I can see how Ireland might have an influence as well. Both are countries that broke away from what was the most powerful empire of the time, but Ireland has to deal with Britain in ways that America doesn't due to sharing a land border. They were also part of Taldor, now that I think of it. I can see how the legacy of imperialism would be a part of their culture.

A new identity for Galt is something I'm incredibly curious about seeing.

Well the Final Blades are up and walking around so things probably aren't the best.

If I might respectfully hazard some guesses...

Druma seems pretty Switzerland coded, what with the mountains and the banking and the neutrality. Mind you, the PoK's influence means that Druma doesn't focus on fostering positive international relations the way that Switzerland does. The Prophets also don't enjoy many popular Swiss foods (maybe fondue, but chocolate would be hell on their outfits and rosti is out), but there is a counterculture that would love them.

Galt is, or rather was, Revolutionary France, and is now due for an examination because the Terror is over. I admit I wonder if we'll get Notpoleon and/or Nosephine. However, while Taldor is basically a take on the Byzantine Empire, there's also a commonality with France. Both are...

Honestly the Byzantine empire influences feel mostly scraped off Taldor at this point (which I find something of a bummer, as someone who was into that whole part of it). They've felt mostly superficial as it goes, barring the Ulfen Guard obviously, unless there was some resurgent emphasis on such things in 2e that I've otherwise missed.

I always felt that Taldor was colonial Britain more than anything else. Will be interesting to see how these countries change considering they have all had some significant changes in APs and adventures and not been looked as in this way since those changes.

The one I'm looking forward to most is Golden Road.

Though that's only because I don't know how likely they are to do Vudra.

Luis Loza confirmed in today's Paizo LIVE! that the dragon on the cover is in fact a Cinder Dragon. And as his spoiler for the segment, he's said that we'll get stats for the Cinder Dragon before the end of 2025!

(So, likely, stats for the Cinder Dragon won't be in *this* book, but in a future book to come out in 2025).

(So, likely, stats for the Cinder Dragon won't be in *this* book, but in a future book to come out in 2025).

Wonder if it will be a book featuring Brevoy: Choral the Conqueror is associated with Red Dragons in previous editions, so they'd probably want to update that.

Luis Loza confirmed in today's Paizo LIVE! that the dragon on the cover is in fact a Cinder Dragon. And as his spoiler for the segment, he's said that we'll get stats for the Cinder Dragon before the end of 2025!

(So, likely, stats for the Cinder Dragon won't be in *this* book, but in a future book to come out in 2025).

Dragon book, maybe?

Ezekieru wrote:

Luis Loza confirmed in today's Paizo LIVE! that the dragon on the cover is in fact a Cinder Dragon. And as his spoiler for the segment, he's said that we'll get stats for the Cinder Dragon before the end of 2025!

(So, likely, stats for the Cinder Dragon won't be in *this* book, but in a future book to come out in 2025).

Dragon book, maybe?

Maybe a Monster Core 2

Structurally I think Taldor definitely remains Byzantium (western reach of a once sprawling empire) with the exception that it retains its former capital, but is *aesthetically* Camelot (specifically typical fantasy conception of it, shining knights etc.). Which is an interesting line to walk.

I'm curious how this will handle Kyonin and Tanglebriar,; I feel like usually Paizo avoids slapping a "Cannon Ending" to any of its adventure paths for at least a few years. Mengkare and Hermea go pointedly unmentioned in Player Core and GM Core's Lost Omens sections, presumably so not to step on the toes of however your group decided to finish Age of Ashes. Addressing the end of Galt's terror and how Torag's WoI changes of heart are affecting 5KM seems a given, but with this coming out JUST post Spore War, will it be set in the middle of that adventure?

The fate of Hermea has been confirmed as of War of Immortals

The fate of Hermea has been confirmed as of War of Immortals

In a book that re-established a Lot of the setting, and also came out 5 years after the AP. Admittedly there's probably a lot less variability in the climax of Spore War, I doubt there will be a "Redeem the Demon Lord" minigame. But it still feels out of Paizo's character to tell you how your adventure ended two months after its published, maybe before your group has even finished it.

It might detail that the spore war is currently going on but I’m more curious to see if it mentions anything about the wardens of Wildwood AP

Structurally I think Taldor definitely remains Byzantium (western reach of a once sprawling empire) with the exception that it retains its former capital, but is *aesthetically* Camelot (specifically typical fantasy conception of it, shining knights etc.). Which is an interesting line to walk.

Eastern core, but yes, where culture fails to make analogues we can always fall back on geography.

Which is why Andoran is a hypothetical Mazzinian Italy no matter how much they dress up in tricorns and regimental coats a la the Continental Army. Besides, it's not like early-to-mid nineteenth century military dress was all that different to late eighteenth century military dress.

TheTownsend wrote:

Structurally I think Taldor definitely remains Byzantium (western reach of a once sprawling empire) with the exception that it retains its former capital, but is *aesthetically* Camelot (specifically typical fantasy conception of it, shining knights etc.). Which is an interesting line to walk.

Eastern core, but yes, where culture fails to make analogues we can always fall back on geography.

Which is why Andoran is a hypothetical Mazzinian Italy no matter how much they dress up in tricorns and regimental coats a la the Continental Army. Besides, it's not like early-to-mid nineteenth century military dress was all that different to late eighteenth century military dress.

It's on this same premise that I tend to argue Cheliax is Habsburg Spain (plus Hellknights loosely filling the role of the Inquisition). But does that make Ravounel out to be Portugal post-Restoration, or the Netherlands post-80 Years' War? My instinct is the latter, with Isger as a Portugal equivalent instead, But Nidal being the 'Nether'lands does have a certain rationale to it.

Hmmmm, if we get the Golden Road next, then all of the Southern Inner Sea regions are covered. That would be dope.

What would be more is covering the continent of Arcadia. Hopefully something similar to last year’s Tian Xia release of a world guide and a character guide.