Page 67 of Tower of the Drowned Dead talks about the celebrated capital of Azlant, the so-called City of Golden Gates. This must be a nickname, not a real name. What is the name of the capital of Azlant, then? Have the developers already made a name for it?
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Page 67 of Tower of the Drowned Dead talks about the celebrated capital of Azlant, the so-called City of Golden Gates. This must be a nickname, not a real name. What is the name of the capital of Azlant, then? Have the developers already made a name for it?
I wasn't involved in writing or developing that Adventure Path. You'll need to ask Adam Daigle about it, but yeah, it is indeed a nickname, not the actual name. The capital MIGHT be Azlant, in fact.
I've personally put zero thought into the matter though.
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Greetings James! Huge Fan!
Now that you created this mighty fine town I thought I'd share this with you and ask what you think of it :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wkY_RPttgc&t=1531s
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Creative Director
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Greetings James! Huge Fan!
Now that you created this mighty fine town I thought I'd share this with you and ask what you think of it :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wkY_RPttgc&t=1531s
Hi there! Thanks for the kind words! If I remember I'll check out that link later after work (again, I avoid checking out links and videos AT work when I can).
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Hi there! Thanks for the kind words! If I remember I'll check out that link later after work (again, I avoid checking out links and videos AT work when I can).Greetings James! Huge Fan!
Now that you created this mighty fine town I thought I'd share this with you and ask what you think of it :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wkY_RPttgc&t=1531s
Awesome thanks! (It's a visual guide to Sandpoint, I think you will like :) )
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I've searched high and low and I can't for the life of me find anything concrete but... is it actually mentioned anywhere (and if so where, please!) what the unnamed Eldest that Pharasma snatched up and bound into her court for siphoning off part of the river of souls to play with with the gnomes is now currently named?
It's been something that really grabbed my imagination but despite the mention that it's in there somewhere, from the Secrets of Golarion panel, I haven't had any luck finding it.
It goes unsaid perhaps too often that your and the team at Paizos work on the lore and story of Golarion is absolutely fantastic, you've given endless hours of fun to so many people, so... thank you!
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I've searched high and low and I can't for the life of me find anything concrete but... is it actually mentioned anywhere (and if so where, please!) what the unnamed Eldest that Pharasma snatched up and bound into her court for siphoning off part of the river of souls to play with with the gnomes is now currently named?
It's been something that really grabbed my imagination but despite the mention that it's in there somewhere, from the Secrets of Golarion panel, I haven't had any luck finding it.
It goes unsaid perhaps too often that your and the team at Paizos work on the lore and story of Golarion is absolutely fantastic, you've given endless hours of fun to so many people, so... thank you!
Not everything that goes into the game crosses my desk—I don't have the time to personally vet and be familiar with every bit of lore that gets created for the game. As creative director, I help to set the vision to ensure that the rest of our amazing writers, be they in-house or freelancer, come up with ideas and plots that fit in well with the rest, and the idea of Pharasma snatching up an Eldest is certainly intriguing...
...but it's not one of my ideas, nor is it something that's been drawn to my attention particularly at all ever until you just asked about it. So at this point, you probably know more about this topic than I do!
Glad you're having fun with all the lore, and in a case like this, a big part of the fun if you're a GM is that you get to come up with your own solutions and explanations for how things work in your own version of Golarion!
I have thought that alchemists in Golarion use cauldrons to make magic items. But now I come to think of it, it seems that it was witches who use cauldrons to make magic items. So I ask you. Do alchemists use cauldrons or not? Or should I say, if people saw an adventurer making magic items with a cauldron, would they regard the adventurer as a witch instead of an alchemist?
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I have thought that alchemists in Golarion use cauldrons to make magic items. But now I come to think of it, it seems that it was witches who use cauldrons to make magic items. So I ask you. Do alchemists use cauldrons or not? Or should I say, if people saw an adventurer making magic items with a cauldron, would they regard the adventurer as a witch instead of an alchemist?
Thematically, it's more appropriate for a witch to use a cauldron; an alchemist would use a lab of gear and equipment that could include a cauldron as part of the whole but wouldn't be the entirety.
Page 143 of The Emerald Spire Superdungeon said Iluchtewhar stole a pair of Vault Seeds. But you also said you have no idea why you ended up writing a pair of Vault Seeds instead of a Vault Seed. Thus it seems like a typo, I guess. Can I assume that, if you have found out this error before the publication of the book, would you have changed the word "a pair of stolen Vault Seeds" into "a stolen Vault Seed", to prevent confusion?
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So will the monsters in the bestiaries of the adventure paths in second edition still have two pages, or will they have one page like in starfinder ?They'll have one page or two pages, depending on the needs of the monster, but most will be one page entries.So that means they won’t be divided into sections like “ecology” and “habitat and society” anymore?
Correct. That information will be in the entries as appropriate, or in sidebars, but the space "wasted" on a big header for "Ecology" or the like is two more lines of flavor text we can fill.
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Page 143 of The Emerald Spire Superdungeon said Iluchtewhar stole a pair of Vault Seeds. But you also said you have no idea why you ended up writing a pair of Vault Seeds instead of a Vault Seed. Thus it seems like a typo, I guess. Can I assume that, if you have found out this error before the publication of the book, would you have changed the word "a pair of stolen Vault Seeds" into "a stolen Vault Seed", to prevent confusion?
Sure.
Would you be so kind as to tell us a little about your gloomblade tengu (Michael Sayre mentioned the character when referencing the Return of the Runelords office campaign) and what the experience of playing that archetype has been like?
In the world of Lost Omens, people have access to healing magic such as purify food and drink, create water, cure disease, and restoration. So can I assume that no disease can become epidemic or pandemic, right? The general lifespan of humanity would be much higher on Golarion than on the medieval or modern Earth.
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Would you be so kind as to tell us a little about your gloomblade tengu (Michael Sayre mentioned the character when referencing the Return of the Runelords office campaign) and what the experience of playing that archetype has been like?
I don't know who or what he's talking about—I've never had a gloomblade tengu character. I played Chuko, who was a thiefy type, back in Jason Bulmahn's Eberron campaign over 10 years ago, and who I recycled into Kintargo, but he didn't use gloomblade stuff. Not sure where that claim came from.
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In the world of Lost Omens, people have access to healing magic such as purify food and drink, create water, cure disease, and restoration. So can I assume that no disease can become epidemic or pandemic, right? The general lifespan of humanity would be much higher on Golarion than on the medieval or modern Earth.
Not everyone can afford that type of magic, and there's certainly not enough spellcasters to cast those spells on everyone all the time to prevent diseases and epidemics and the like. In fact, the number of spellcasters in the setting compared to everyone else is pretty small. Don't confuse the fact that every adventuring party has healer spellcasters with the idea that everyone on the world has a good friend who'll heal them for free.
More to the point, check out Curse of the Crimson Throne, particularly chapter two of that book, for an example of how a disease can become an epidemic in this setting.
Short version: In Golarion, diseases are fought via things like remove disease. On Earth, diseases are fought by science and medicine. In both cases, diseases can be cured, but in both cases diseases can get out of control.
You once said that, even with comprehend language or similar spells, people cannot understand the magic language(I mean, the language that magic spells are written in or that verbal components are composed of). Why? Is it because the magic language is a distinctly incomplete language? That it consists entirely of formulas for casting spells and thus a mage cannot hold an actual conversation in the language because it inherently lacks several vital vocabularies that is needed to have an ordinary conversation?
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You once said that, even with comprehend language or similar spells, people cannot understand the magic language(I mean, the language that magic spells are written in or that verbal components are composed of). Why? Is it because the magic language is a distinctly incomplete language? That it consists entirely of formulas for casting spells and thus a mage cannot hold an actual conversation in the language because it inherently lacks several vital vocabularies that is needed to have an ordinary conversation?
Because it's magic, and in order to understand it you have to understand how to cast magic. It's not really an actual "langauge" in that regard, I guess.
Magic sometimes doesn't make sense. If it did, it'd be science instead.
If my sorcerer PC somehow opens the efreeti bottle and is granted three wishes and he says, "I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world.", would he become sorcerer 20/archamge 10 instantly? If you are a GM and one of your players do this, what would you do? Punching him in the face? Or giving him what he wants?
THAT ALL SAID: regarding the new edition... the only advice I have is to ask them to try it out. If the thing they love most about Paizo stuff is the lore and the setting, that won't change at all; the new edition doesn't alter Golarion's history, and the adventures we're doing for the new edition would have worked perfectly well in 1st edition, and vice versa.Does that mean we can pass on the updated setting book?I hope not, because the more folks buy our books, the more job security I have and the more I'll be able to make more books for you to buy.
The updated setting book is no more required to run for the 2nd edition Adventure Paths, than the prior one was for 1st edition Adventure Paths. You can do it without, but you'll have a richer experience if you do.
The choice is yours. I'm not a fan of telling people what they must or must not buy.
Does the updated setting book presume the outcome of some of the APs?
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If my sorcerer PC somehow opens the efreeti bottle and is granted three wishes and he says, "I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world.", would he become sorcerer 20/archamge 10 instantly? If you are a GM and one of your players do this, what would you do? Punching him in the face? Or giving him what he wants?
Wishses are 100% up to your GM as to how they work. If I were the GM and a player wished for that I'd have the efreeti laugh at them and as them what they REALLY wanted. If they persisted, I'd do something like transport them into a demiplane world where they were the only one there and not change their sorcerer level at all.
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Does the updated setting book presume the outcome of some of the APs?
That's the primary driving force behind the update, in fact. The APs are one of the most important things to happen to the setting since we let PCs into the world. The updated book presumes the outcome of ALL of them.
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Creative Director
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If my sorcerer PC somehow opens the efreeti bottle and is granted three wishes and he says, "I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world.", would he become sorcerer 20/archamge 10 instantly? If you are a GM and one of your players do this, what would you do? Punching him in the face? Or giving him what he wants?I don't want to hijack the thread, but if I were GM and I felt evil, I'd immediately kill every other sorcerer in the world that's above his level.
Please leave this thread to me answering questions, so as to not clutter things up.
Hi there! Thanks for the kind words! If I remember I'll check out that link later after work (again, I avoid checking out links and videos AT work when I can).Greetings James! Huge Fan!
Now that you created this mighty fine town I thought I'd share this with you and ask what you think of it :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wkY_RPttgc&t=1531s
Wow! this is amazing! do you know of other videos put together either by Snasgot or others along the years which you find worthy of sharing with us?
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Creative Director
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Wow! this is amazing! do you know of other videos put together either by Snasgot or others along the years which you find worthy of sharing with us?Hi there! Thanks for the kind words! If I remember I'll check out that link later after work (again, I avoid checking out links and videos AT work when I can).Greetings James! Huge Fan!
Now that you created this mighty fine town I thought I'd share this with you and ask what you think of it :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wkY_RPttgc&t=1531s
There's been quite a few, but I don't keep a list of them, alas. Might be a good topic for a new thread to start up though!
Do you see an update to the Technology Guide on the horizon?
Have you heard of the new Color Out of Space film in development? Any thoughts, hopes, or concerns about it?
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Do you see an update to the Technology Guide on the horizon?
Anything's possible, I guess.
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Have you heard of the new Color Out of Space film in development? Any thoughts, hopes, or concerns about it?
I have indeed heard of it and I'm super eager and hopeful, espeically considering this is one of the EASIEST of Lovecraft's stories to convert to film (it's been done several times already, in fact, to varying degrees of success). Richard Stanley certainly has the passion to do this justice; just hope he doesn't have the funding or support yanked out from under him partway through, and I hope Nicholas Cage isn't TOO over the top...
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Lately I feel like I've been in a bit of a rut in terms of my gaming: not only are my characters starting to appear the same in terms of trappings (mostly knightly do-gooder types, as if my username wasn't a clear indicator) but their NAMES are starting to sound the same: Arcalinte, Arloric, Aveyron, Arrandur, Orendel, Saraon, Soter, etc.
How do I break this bad habit?
Hi James,
Putting game mechanics aside: which is more powerful, the Book of the Damned or the Necronomicon?
Do you still remember who wrote the Thornkeep gazetteer and the Echo Wood gazetteer in Thornkeep and the Fort Inevitable gazetteer in The Emerald Spire Superdungeon? The book didn't specify which author wrote those articles. Can you tell me who were they?
How much did you work on the latest Qadira book, and who can I ask about locations in the region?
How would you describe the appearance of a Vorpal weapon, when gifting treasure to a party?
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Creative Director
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Lately I feel like I've been in a bit of a rut in terms of my gaming: not only are my characters starting to appear the same in terms of trappings (mostly knightly do-gooder types, as if my username wasn't a clear indicator) but their NAMES are starting to sound the same: Arcalinte, Arloric, Aveyron, Arrandur, Orendel, Saraon, Soter, etc.
How do I break this bad habit?
Huh... I replied earlier but the site ate the post I guess.
If you enjoy playing knights with those types of names, I put it to you that it's not a bad habit. I can't see how playing those types of characters over and over hurts you or anyone else.
That said, if you want to branch out, look to make names using letters you've not used often, and play characters who aren't good and/or aren't heavy armor wearers and if you don't like it, it's okay to play the types you prefer.
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Hi James,
Putting game mechanics aside: which is more powerful, the Book of the Damned or the Necronomicon?
Necronomicion, no contest. Because it was invented by a writer who managed to trick a lot of folks even to this day that the book is real. That's not something we can pull off with the Book of the Damned. Also because the Necronomicon has decades and decades of real world presence.
If you're looking for game stats, both have been statted up, so anyone can make that call for themselves as regards raw rules power in Pathfinder.
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Do you still remember who wrote the Thornkeep gazetteer and the Echo Wood gazetteer in Thornkeep and the Fort Inevitable gazetteer in The Emerald Spire Superdungeon? The book didn't specify which author wrote those articles. Can you tell me who were they?
I don't remember exactly. I didn't do the development or outline for those books. I THINK it was Rich Baker though.
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How much did you work on the latest Qadira book, and who can I ask about locations in the region?
I developed the book, so you can ask me... but it's been years since I had my head in that space, so don't expect deep revelations on every question.
John Compton wrote a few pages and is pretty deeply involved in the region's lore. Jessica, who wrote almost all of the book, isn't at Paizo anymore, alas.
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How would you describe the appearance of a Vorpal weapon, when gifting treasure to a party?
By describing it as looking VERY sharp, very fancy, and maybe by using a word like saying "It looks like it could cut down manxome foes easily. It's blade is kinda mimsy when the light hits it."
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If you had to make a wizard who exclusively used a single school of magic (eg. they cast nothing but enchantment spells or nothing but divination spells, etc.), which school would you think would be the most fun?
Depends on the campaign, but all things being equal, illusion.
If my sorcerer PC somehow opens the efreeti bottle and is granted three wishes and he says, "I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world.", would he become sorcerer 20/archamge 10 instantly? If you are a GM and one of your players do this, what would you do? Punching him in the face? Or giving him what he wants?Wishses are 100% up to your GM as to how they work. If I were the GM and a player wished for that I'd have the efreeti laugh at them and as them what they REALLY wanted. If they persisted, I'd do something like transport them into a demiplane world where they were the only one there and not change their sorcerer level at all.
Sigh. It seems that Genie in Aladdin wasn't genre savvy enough. Anyway, I know no sane GM would allow such things, but flavor wise, do you think grandting a class level or a mythic tier, or outright making a character the king of Taldor is beyond the power of a wish or a mythic wish spell?
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...but flavor wise, do you think grandting a class level or a mythic tier, or outright making a character the king of Taldor is beyond the power of a wish or a mythic wish spell?
It's probably not, but that's a boring story. Wishes should not neutralize a good story, they should ENABLE a good story.
What are some tips you could give about running solo adventures for a single player? Things to avoid, things to focus on, combat considerations; whatever you think would be helpful.
How much did you work on the latest Qadira book, and who can I ask about locations in the region?I developed the book, so you can ask me... but it's been years since I had my head in that space, so don't expect deep revelations on every question.
John Compton wrote a few pages and is pretty deeply involved in the region's lore. Jessica, who wrote almost all of the book, isn't at Paizo anymore, alas.
Alas indeed, but that's well beyond the scope of this post.
I was asking because I'm looking into developing Naamat (Qadira, JotE; p.50) and thus nearby Butraf, as adventuring hubs. Do you remember any ideas you three had for those locations.
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What are some tips you could give about running solo adventures for a single player? Things to avoid, things to focus on, combat considerations; whatever you think would be helpful.
Anything that takes a PC out of combat and removes agency is bad for this mode, even if it's for one or two rounds. Things like stun, paralyze, dominate, and the like. I'd consider either removing them entirely or giving the player extra bonuses or attempts to escape. Ambushes are bad too. Also, fights against multiple foes really get deadly fast.
It's really best to have a helper NPC or two travel with the player character to provide aid and support. This is a great way to build up storyline too, since it lets the player interact with other NPCs as party members a lot, but also keeps the focus on the player as the "main" character. In that way, single player games are really rewarding and fun.
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How much did you work on the latest Qadira book, and who can I ask about locations in the region?I developed the book, so you can ask me... but it's been years since I had my head in that space, so don't expect deep revelations on every question.
John Compton wrote a few pages and is pretty deeply involved in the region's lore. Jessica, who wrote almost all of the book, isn't at Paizo anymore, alas.
Alas indeed, but that's well beyond the scope of this post.
I was asking because I'm looking into developing Naamat (Qadira, JotE; p.50) and thus nearby Butraf, as adventuring hubs. Do you remember any ideas you three had for those locations.
Beyond the scope of this post and beyond what I'm interested in talking about in public.
I don't remember anything additional about those locations, and I'm pretty sure that what was intended for them is in the book. As a general rule, we writers don't try to come up with more than 100% of the ideas; it's a waste of time and energy and inspiration and morale to overwrite for things, after all.
Plus, that gives the GM more room to fill in the gaps with their own ideas, or to bring in plots from other books that they enjoy from areas they aren't going to directly use in their game. For example, if you love a bunch of ideas from the Andoran book but have no interest in running an Andoran-based game, use the storylines there as you can, reskinned for Qadira flavor.