I just got my PC: Gazetteer today, promptly sat down to read some of it, and have been very impressed. It’s a gorgeous book, just like the rest of my ever-growing Pathfinder collection. It’s nice to get a larger view of the world than just the Varisia region (which I'm itching to set a campaign in ASAP).
I’ve only been able read a few sections in detail and have skimmed the rest. Two questions that I have are:
1) Shoanti/Kellid
The Shoanti, as described in the RotRL AP and the Pathfinder’s Journal of that AP in particular, seemed analogous to Earth’s Native American culture and appearance. The picture and description of the Kellid in the human sub-races sidebar also suggest a people/culture inspired by Native American culture. Do the two peoples share a common ancestor race? Are the Shoanti a Kellid offshoot or are the Kellid a more primitive offshoot of the Shoanti?
The Shoanti were not among the subraces listed in the human descriptions. I don’t know if this was an oversight or intentional but between the info on the Kellid and the lack of info on the Shoanti, I started down this line of inquiry.
2) Knights of the Realm
The continents of Avistan and Garund certainly have a wide range of cultures and governments which I really like. I definitely got a classic sword-n-sorcery vibe similar to Howard’s Hyborian Kingdoms without it being generic or feeling too much like a typical D&D “kitchen sink” setting. One thing I did notice, however, was that there were few classical monarchies/feudal societies that would support the classic concept of the knight.
Now given that Pathfinder is evolving out of a D&D 3.x base, that’s not particularly surprising. However, the classic medieval feudal structure is, well a classic for a reason I suppose. I’ve personally found it an easy structure for injecting PCs into the politics of the realm at any level of the power scale because the manorial lord or even the local baron don’t have to have the resources of say a government-sponsored agency, merchant consortium, etc.
For players and DMs seeking realms that support Arthurian themes or Game-of-Thrones style politics and knightly pageantry, what realms are good candidates? If the realms of Avistan and Garund don’t fit the bill, will other countries on other continents in future supplements?
Personally, I tend to prefer cultures and technology closer in line with the Middle Ages than the Renaissance for my RPGs, let alone some of the apparent Victorian-themed elements cropping up in Golarion. (No top hats or other Victorian garb in my Golarion.) Like magic, I tend toward a less-is-more approach and feel it’s easier to ramp the cultural and technological elements up rather than ratchet them back.
Knightly orders of a religious nature clearly exist, primarily to support the paladin class I assume. But what about the adventuring knight errant? I mean, so far, we run the gamut from barbaric nomadic tribes, to Vikings, Egyptian-inspired elements with hints of the Asian cultures (I know how well loved ninjas are within Paizo) and India. Surely there’s room for the classic knight as well?
Overall, I love the book and it’s making me wish the Campaign Setting hardcover would get here sooner. Another home run, Paizo!
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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The shoanti are sort of a regional ethnicity rather than a full-on subrace, though of course these things are a bit subjective. The Kellid touchstone is really meant to be more of a Hyborian/Conan look than a Native American look, but you could certainly run the Kellids that way.
I'm really glad you're enjoying the book. It was a labor of love that didn't birth easy. But I am enormously proud of the work Jason and I (and others) put into it.
As for knights, I think you can easily run traditional stuff in Taldor (especially--think of the border with Qadira as full of crumbling Crusader castles), Brevoy (the Aldori swordlords are perfect for this), Cheliax (no foolin'), and of course Mendev, which is packed to the gills with knights from all over the continent. Heck, knights pilgrimage up the Sellen to reach the warlands of the north, so their influence is widespread. And then there are the Eagle Knights of Andoran, who add a political and almost James Bond element to the chivalry, which may be a little more risque than what you are looking for.
But I go on. :)
...But I go on. :)
Oh please do. Don't mind us. And the book is awesome.
The shoanti are sort of a regional ethnicity rather than a full-on subrace, though of course these things are a bit subjective. The Kellid touchstone is really meant to be more of a Hyborian/Conan look than a Native American look, but you could certainly run the Kellids that way.
I'm really glad you're enjoying the book. It was a labor of love that didn't birth easy. But I am enormously proud of the work Jason and I (and others) put into it.
As for knights, I think you can easily run traditional stuff in Taldor (especially--think of the border with Qadira as full of crumbling Crusader castles), Brevoy (the Aldori swordlords are perfect for this), Cheliax (no foolin'), and of course Mendev, which is packed to the gills with knights from all over the continent. Heck, knights pilgrimage up the Sellen to reach the warlands of the north, so their influence is widespread. And then there are the Eagle Knights of Andoran, who add a political and almost James Bond element to the chivalry, which may be a little more risque than what you are looking for.
But I go on. :)
Thanks, Eric! I hadn't thought to consider the Kellid as Cimmerian-inspired but I like it - and it dovetails nicely with the northern cultures.
Thanks for the tips on knight-friendly realms as well. Whether I'll ultimately use it or not, I've no doubt that if there's a way to have knights serving a democratic nation you guys can pull it off. James Bondish knights? That should certainly make for interesting reading!
There's also the Black Eagles of Lord Arnefax of Lambreth
By the gods! SIX years!