What is the best material to learn about Golarion?

[Anderlorn]

Thanks

And hopefully it is only one playing aid or online. The budget is strict.

[Cpt_kirstov]

Anderlorn wrote:

Thanks

And hopefully it is only one playing aid or online. The budget is strict.

The short answer: It depends what you're interested in. You can check out the Wiki for a more encyclopedic entry on many of the things you have questions on, then decide what you like....

[Mark Moreland]

Yeah, the wiki is going to be your best free resource, but it's structured differently than a sourcebook, so it might not be what you're looking for, even though it contains a wealth of relevant information. I would suggest the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting if you plan to GM, or the Gazetteer if you don't want any Golarion spoilers or just want a brief, broad-strokes overview of the world.

[Mairkurion {tm}]

If the budget is strict, he may want to start with the Gazetteer.

[Jarazix]

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

If the budget is strict, he may want to start with the Gazetteer.

If you are playing a specific AP they do good jobs of describing the areas ( get the gazeteer for the map )

For instance rise of the runelords describes the major cities ( of the region) in excellent detail

[Charles Evans 25]

What is the best material to learn about Golarion?
For a strict budget I would say Gazetteer (the dead tree version of which has a better regional map than the dead tree version of the Campaign Setting anyway) and double check things in Yoda's Wikipedia (which has been mentioned, although it is still under development) or ask one of the sages in the (unofficial) Pathfinder Chatroom. As luck would have it, Tuesday night is Paizo chat night (20:00 Paizo Standard Time, although many who know not Paizo's influence or awesome refer to it as Pacific Standard Time), when James Jacobs usually pops in to talk Pathfinder and Golarion (or anything else such as his favourite horror films or about lizards if/when Pathfinder related questions ar thin on the ground). Occasionally other Paizo staff/contributors show up for such chats too....

[Zuxius]

I would suggest going to the Wiki first. There you can feed off what strikes your fancy and follow up your desires wherever it takes you. Once you have hit rocks there, you can comeback here and pose a more indepth question to what you couldn't find there.