Explore a region of classical high fantasy with this expansive hardcover guide to six key nations of the Inner Sea. Within the Shining Kingdoms dwell noble knightly orders, proud ancient cultures, and deadly courtly intrigue. Explore Andoran, a bastion of democratic governance and freedom for all; Druma, a trade hub obsessed with material gain; the Five Kings Mountains, home to fractured kingdoms of the dwarves; Galt, a land wracked from violence and revolution; Kyonin, the illusion-cloaked homeland of the elves; and Taldor, the ossified remnants of one of the most powerful empires in the Inner Sea. Each nation features an in-depth history, gazetteer, and a look at a major city to support a grand variety of adventures.
Each region also presents new character options including archetypes, equipment, magic items, spells, animal companions, and more! In addition to these new options, characters can also learn about and join important local factions. These include the virtuous Eagle Knights of Andoran, the stalwart defenders of the Shieldwrought Striders in the Five Kings Mountains, the demon hunters of Kyonin's Wylderhearts, and the Lion Blade spies of Taldor.
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!
Written by: Dan Cascone, Caryn DiMarco, Sen H.H.S., Laura Lynn Horst, Michelle Y. Kim, Stephanie Lundeen, Derry Luttrell, Matt Morris, Collette Quach, Gina Susanna, Esther Wallace, and Andrew White.
This entry feels like a critical fumble. Shining Kingdoms is the smallest of the Lost Omens regional books (Mwangi and Impossible Lands had over 120 pages of additional content, by comparison. So the $60 msrp for less content is the most obvious gripe about this release.
I've been a Kyonin fan since around 2011, when the Inner Sea World Guide was released. I've scoured every book for Kyonin tidbits, to the point where you could called me a "historian". I've waited a long time for a proper deep-dive into Kyonin lore, so this review is primarily biased by this content.
There's plenty of new information and hooks here, but for a demon-infested setting with a BDSM goddess, it feels like G-rated fantasy film. We do finally get an entry for Lethaquel! There's an Iadara statblock and some fun transposition spells.
I think the big issue for me is Paizo's "scorched earth" approach to retroactive continuity. I understand the OGL kerfuffle and the remaster. So the Winter Council and Lanternbearers are lost to the ages (because of Drow). But some of these choices are just plain frustrating. No mention of the Wasp Queens. No mention of the Leaves of Talhindir. No mention of Zuldanavox (though this could be due to outcome of the Spore War). Uprooter Scouts have been changed to Wylderhearts (though it's an archetype now so that's fun). The Walking Man is some topiary instead of a wooden construct (of Guthallath proportions).
I enjoyed the other entries of this book, as I have less experience/obsession with them. Overall, the content is fine and if retconned material doesn't bother you, you should have zero issues. I just imagine what an additional twenty pages of Kyonin content would look like.
If I was a Dragon, I would want Maya in my horde, because Maya is an absolute treasure!
THIS IS ADORABLE, AND I'M JOINING YOUR HORDE IMMEDIATELY.
WE LOVE YOU MAYA!!
Truly we are blessed to have you here :-)
Thank you so much, drakkonflye! I've enjoyed being a part of this community for years, so now actually being the specialist for the community is like a dream come true!
Well, what do you find interesting? Any fun lore bits you'd be willing to share? I'm especially interested in Kyonin and Andoran. Also, how about any of the factions? Which is your favorite?
Well, what do you find interesting? Any fun lore bits you'd be willing to share? I'm especially interested in Kyonin and Andoran. Also, how about any of the factions? Which is your favorite?
Haven’t actually had a chance to read any of it yet, but the one thing that stood out to me from my first look through was
Spoiler:
A bunch of beheaded ghosts intermingling with regular citizens in Galt.
Anything interesting done with Kyonin's otherworldly connections?
Elfy Things:
There is a faction emerging within the Elves that want to leave Golarion and return to their original home, even with the defeat of Treerazer, the rise of the Encarthan Alliance and the first royal wedding in centuries approaching. I do wonder how that will tie into the chaos soon to ensue with Battlecry and the Inner Sea War.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Cloud1802 wrote:
I would love to learn more about the archetypes and animal companions, if possible!
You can find a good amount of info about the archetypes on Reddit if you don't mind that format.
For the animal companions, there are six, I believe. Two in three different regions.
Druma has the Bacallia (an alpaca-like animal that has glittering fur, a mount that can ignore either extreme heat or cold, dazzles with its support benefit, and has a 1 action Spit advanced maneuver that deals acid damage) and the Keulia (a horned lizard that wears gems, coins, and metal as "shell", has a support benefit like the bear but bludgeoning damage, and has a two action advanced maneuver to Leap and Bite with extra piercing damage). Both are non-finesse companions but the Bacallia's Spit would be dex based, I believe.
The Five King Mountains has the Cragstone Bear (a cave bear that grows plates of rock over its fur with imprecise tremorsense, a support benefit that gives a circumstance bonus to AC to you while adjacent, and a two action advanced maneuver to roll in a straight line and make one Strike that knocks prone on a crit) and the Giant Rock Tuatara (a bigger version of the familiar Shardra has with a support benefit that inflicts clumsy, and a 1 action advanced maneuver that sheds its tail to escape from a grab or retrain as if it had critically succeeded, but then can't use its tail for ten minutes or until it receives magical healing). Both are strength based. (There's also a grindle-drake specific familiar)
Galt has two undead companions, the Gray Bladeling (a construct that can be void healed, with weaker than usual animal companion stats but many immunities from being both undead and a construct, a support benefit that bleeds or frightens if already bleeding, and a two action advanced maneuver to Strike a living creature and stun/confuse it on a Will save) and the Severed Head (a floating void healing head that is mindless, has a support benefit that slows and can prevent reactions, and a 1 action advanced maneuver to Strike an enemy it already hit this round with extra bleed damage). Both have finesse attacks but start with Str +2, Dex +1.
I would love to learn more about the archetypes and animal companions, if possible!
You can find a good amount of info about the archetypes on Reddit if you don't mind that format.
For the animal companions, there are six, I believe. Two in three different regions.
Druma has the Bacallia (an alpaca-like animal that has glittering fur, a mount that can ignore either extreme heat or cold, dazzles with its support benefit, and has a 1 action Spit advanced maneuver that deals acid damage) and the Keulia (a horned lizard that wears gems, coins, and metal as "shell", has a support benefit like the bear but bludgeoning damage, and has a two action advanced maneuver to Leap and Bite with extra piercing damage). Both are non-finesse companions but the Bacallia's Spit would be dex based, I believe.
The Five King Mountains has the Cragstone Bear (a cave bear that grows plates of rock over its fur with imprecise tremorsense, a support benefit that gives a circumstance bonus to AC to you while adjacent, and a two action advanced maneuver to roll in a straight line and make one Strike that knocks prone on a crit) and the Giant Rock Tuatara (a bigger version of the familiar Shardra has with a support benefit that inflicts clumsy, and a 1 action advanced maneuver that sheds its tail to escape from a grab or retrain as if it had critically succeeded, but then can't use its tail for ten minutes or until it receives magical healing). Both are strength based. (There's also a grindle-drake specific familiar)
Galt has two undead companions, the Gray Bladeling (a construct that can be void healed, with weaker than usual animal companion stats but many immunities from being both undead and a construct, a support benefit that bleeds or frightens if already bleeding, and a two action advanced maneuver to Strike a living creature and stun/confuse it on a Will save) and the Severed Head...
Anything interesting done with Kyonin's otherworldly connections?
** spoiler omitted **
Sad to not have a little bit more of their weird Castrovelian flavor come through (I always imagined Kyonin with Lashunta embassies), but I suppose one plot hook is better than none. Thanks!
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Benjamin Tait wrote:
What new beasties are there in the bestiary?
An undead focused on greed; a troop of frost fey; a.. fey, plant, scorpion beast that improves nearby poisons; a daemon that represents death by bureaucracy as a four-armed weasel humanoid; an adjustment to make a creature into a failed Kalistrade prophet; a frosty water-snake that has gold flecks on its scales, a nightmarish pixie that focuses on darkness and blindness; a person-sized vulture that can emit deathly calls; an undead that represents someone drawed-and-quartered; a dragon-like crocodile beast that hoards treasure; and an undead of someone sealed alive in a wall or other enclosed space.
I think the PDF download is missing the poster map. Or am I missing something?
You are right! The PDF is missing the map! We're working on adding it now and getting it updated in the website. I'll message here when it's been fixed!
I can confirm this file has been fixed to also include the poster map! To make sure you get the new file, just click "Problems downloading this file? Click here," under the download and then follow the steps as normal. Thanks all for your patience in this and for pointing it out to us!
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Maya Coleman wrote:
I can confirm this file has been fixed to also include the poster map! To make sure you get the new file, just click "Problems downloading this file? Click here," under the download and then follow the steps as normal. Thanks all for your patience in this and for pointing it out to us!
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Elfteiroh wrote:
magnuskn wrote:
I am *highly* amused how much Carrius is being a reluctant isekai protagonist.
That would be closer to a reluctant reincarnation, or Tensei, protagonist. xD
Yeah, it's really uncanny.
Spoiler:
He was reincarnated/resurrected after being hit by dad-kun, after being ressurected he was possessed by six former emperors and turned into a super villan for a short while until getting rescued from that, now he already has been the regent for his sister (and I honestly don't feel too secure Eutropia is going to make it for much longer at this pace of assassination attempts on her), now has secret mythic powers and six, yes, SIX lovers, who work together to support him, i.e. he has an anime harem and secret OP powers. ^^ I wouldn't wonder if one of his lovers is a catgirl and another a half-dragon or something like that.
In the Andoran entry on page 30 Honey and Ships seem to be represented by a person, then Technology next to ships has a picture of a ship which feels off.
On page 21 it says "ravaged kholo raiders" in the sidebar instead of "ravaged BY kholo raiders"
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
I love the artwork on page 6. I wasn't expecting to see the Would-Be Bride and the Escaped Lovers again, and I'm intrigued by what the picture suggests. She's saving the Firebrand who took her Unwilling Groom away? Said Groom is carrying her veil and shoes? There's a story here!
I love the artwork on page 6. I wasn't expecting to see the Would-Be Bride and the Escaped Lovers again, and I'm intrigued by what the picture suggests. She's saving the Firebrand who took her Unwilling Groom away? Said Groom is carrying her veil and shoes? There's a story here!
I asked Luis about this actually because I was curious too, and he just said, "The three are now kinda working together and getting into trouble!" It's a fun mini story enjoyed by the team, and he's really pleased people are catching the easter egg of it all!