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I had a question about xulgath and the Mushfens. I had always thought of xulgath as mostly subterranean, mostly residing in the Darklands and assorted caves, but Pathfinder Adventure Path #62: Curse of the Lady's Light features them warring with boggard tribes in the Mushfens. Is there a permanent population of xulgath in the Mushfens?
Yes, there is. Xulgath usually live in caves (that's why they were called troglodytes in earlier editions), but not always.
Part of my understanding of Pharasma's dislike of manipulating souls in certain ways is the disruption of the River of Souls, etc. So, no undead or making soul gems. But, what would her opinion be of someone bringing a Soul Gem to her domain with a simple, "I really didn't want anyone resurrecting this guy before you judged him and so made him unable to be rezzed. Not trying to block the flow of souls."
(quick edit: with the implication, of course, being that the soul's about to be freed from the gem)
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Part of my understanding of Pharasma's dislike of manipulating souls in certain ways is the disruption of the River of Souls, etc. So, no undead or making soul gems. But, what would her opinion be of someone bringing a Soul Gem to her domain with a simple, "I really didn't want anyone resurrecting this guy before you judged him and so made him unable to be rezzed. Not trying to block the flow of souls."
(quick edit: with the implication, of course, being that the soul's about to be freed from the gem)
She'd be annoyed and maybe furious at the person's pride and entitlement in thinking that they, some mere mortal, is equipped to decide who does and doesn't get to be part of the metaphysical ecosystem. That's basically the mortal saying, "I know what's best for this person's soul, not you, ancient goddess of death and life, so cool your jets and let me do my thing."
Pharasma can judge a soul the INSTANT the body dies. And honestly, in a setting where we didn't allow player characters to get resurrected, that's how it would work—resurrection would be a super rare event handled only by the storyline as needed, and would have entirely different flavor as for how Pharasma handled that sort of thing.
But since we have to have resurrection effects available to players, the game works the way it does, with the GM (aka Pharasma) being the one deciding when and if a soul gets judged before it gets resurrected.
But since we have to have resurrection effects available to players [...]
Was this not being the case ever seriously considered?
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But since we have to have resurrection effects available to players [...]Was this not being the case ever seriously considered?
No. Because the traditions laid down by decades of D&D prevented us from taking such a bold step, but also because the thing we knew at the time we did the best—long form campaigns that allow characters to go from 1st level up to nearly 20th—does not work well with the disruption of that character suddenly leaving the storyline because someone happened get a specific die roll.
How strong is the separation of the sexes in Drow society in Golarion? In D&D it seems like all clerics are female and all females have at least a few levels in Cleric. Is it like that in Golarion or less strict?
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How strong is the separation of the sexes in Drow society in Golarion? In D&D it seems like all clerics are female and all females have at least a few levels in Cleric. Is it like that in Golarion or less strict?
It's more like the women are in positions of power and the men are not. It doesn't strictly align to cleric class levels.
Dear James,
can you tell us a little bit about the reasons why Owlcat did chose Wrath of the Righteous as the story for the next Patfinder computer game?
Follow up question: which other Adventure Paths were in consideration?
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Dear James,
can you tell us a little bit about the reasons why Owlcat did chose Wrath of the Righteous as the story for the next Patfinder computer game?
Because they are intrigued by the storyline and are passionate about it, because they want to do a story with different visuals and themes than Kingmaker, because they're excited about how to incorporate the mythic side of things in a way that fits much better with the story, and because "fight demons" is a computer RPG trope that is insanely popular and resonates well with gamers (aka Diablo, Doom, etc.).
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Soooo is final missing Aeon Orb reserved for future plotline, or is it missing only to give pcs reason to go to get one left in Darklands? I was kinda curious about continuing the campaign article not suggesting finding it, so I'm curious that if I expand campaign to allow pcs to look for it whether I'm tripping over myself when I want to run campaign that involves the final Orb somehow :O
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Soooo is final missing Aeon Orb reserved for future plotline, or is it missing only to give pcs reason to go to get one left in Darklands? I was kinda curious about continuing the campaign article not suggesting finding it, so I'm curious that if I expand campaign to allow pcs to look for it whether I'm tripping over myself when I want to run campaign that involves the final Orb somehow :O
Future potential plotline. But if you wanna use it for your own campaign expansion go for it. Don't let what we might or might not do in the future get in the way of your campaign today!
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It looks like the first three APs have the same level breakdown per adventure.
1-4, 5-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20Do you know if the split APs will follow that pattern and that the first volume of the second half will start at level 12?
The second half will start at level 11, at least for the Ruby Phoenix one. Others, if we do them in the future, will start at the right level for the story they want to tell—for Ruby Phoenix, that right level is 11.
What's the public opinion on elf tieflings in Kyonin? Are they outcast, accepted or something in between?
Hi James,
If one wanted to become more familiar with the publishing side of things - such as the OGL and its ins and outs, as well as what is public material and what isn’t, what would be the best source for that?
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Hi James,
If one wanted to become more familiar with the publishing side of things - such as the OGL and its ins and outs, as well as what is public material and what isn’t, what would be the best source for that?
Other than getting hired by a game company and learning that information as part of your job training, the best bet would be to find a professional who's very knowledgable about the topic and is willing to talk about it online, be it on forums or their blogs or at conventions or the like. Owen K C Stephens and Ron Lundeen both come to mind as great resources here if you're more interested in the self-publishing side of things, but their time as at a premium, so apart from what they might have put online on their blogs or wherever... dunno if they've got anything more to say.
There's certainly a lot of other knowledgable folks out there to chat with, so I'd just ask this same question, perhaps, in the Community Use forum here at Paizo.com, or maybe the general discussion board?
If you're just looking to self-publish not for profit, the Community Use board is the best bet though.
Thanks James.
Have you watched Dark yet on Netflix? I can’t recommend this series enough. Season 3, the final season due out Saturday. Think Stranger Things meets Back to the Future. Tight story, so good.
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Hi James,
I really debated posting this as I didn't want to tie you down to anything lorewise but for my campaign I'm running a major figure I have to consider is Areshkagal. As per lore I've read through/pieced together she is sister to Aldinach (who is daughter of Lamashtu), but there are also rumors as to her being a follower of Nyarlathotep during her "mortal life." Is her mother also Lamashtu, or did she share a father with Aldinach? Did they both have mortal lives once, or were they born demon children of Lamashtu? I don't want to force you into a "canon" answer but do you have any suggestions for a universe-consistent explanation I can give to Areshkagal's familial relationships? I won't touch on Nyarlathotep as I know that's an area you have kept deliberately shrouded in mystery, but I assume that the sisterly bonds being known indicates some knowledge of their parentage also being available to the informed being. Thanks in advance for your answer (or lack thereof if you cannot commit!)
I've not put much thought into Areskhagal beyond what is published in Book of the Damned. Feel free to expand that as you wish in your homebrew, but I prefer not to create new lore in this thread. Note that this is different than me sharing lore that I've already got created but hasn't yet been published (as is often the case with content from my homebrew game). But no such unpublished lore content exists for Areshkagal at this time.
But even if there were, and we were going to publish more at some point in the immediate future, that shouldn't limit you from developing Areshkagal in a way that's fun for your home game!
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Have you watched Dark yet on Netflix? I can’t recommend this series enough. Season 3, the final season due out Saturday. Think Stranger Things meets Back to the Future. Tight story, so good.
I haven't yet, but it's been on my watchlist since the first season dropped on Netflix. Unless it's a series that I really REALLY anticipate in advance, I generally prefer to let it build up and finish so that I can make sure I'm not gonna start watching a show that gets the rug ripped out from under it. I've also got a lot of other things that I'm watching, and lately The Last of Us Part II and a push to watch all my DVDs and Blu Rays that I've bought but haven't yet watched have been monopolizing my screen time.
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** snip ** I prefer not to create new lore in this thread. Note that this is different than me sharing lore that I've already got created but hasn't yet been published (as is often the case with content from my homebrew game) ** snip **So this part of your response brought up a question. What percentage of your Homebrew content makes it to official publication?
Hmmm... I'd guess somewhere between 25% and 50%.
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Hmmm... I'd guess somewhere between 25% and 50%.** snip ** I prefer not to create new lore in this thread. Note that this is different than me sharing lore that I've already got created but hasn't yet been published (as is often the case with content from my homebrew game) ** snip **So this part of your response brought up a question. What percentage of your Homebrew content makes it to official publication?Neat, that's actually more than I was expecting. Follow-up questions (if you don't mind):
What about other staff that run home games; does much come in from them, anything especially worth mentioning?
What metrics do you use to decide what you want published and what you don't? (how cool it is, how much fun it was, a certain je ne sais quoi, some eldritch combination of the three?)
Just off the top of my head, 2/3 of the core deities are from my homebrew, the basic plots of adventure paths like Rise of the Runelords and Curse of the Crimson Throne are from my home brew, factions like the runelords and Red Mantis Assassins are from my homebrew, elves being aliens and having places like Kyonin and Celwynvian are from my homebrew, a LOT of NPC names are from my homebrew, starknives are from my homebrew, the majority of the locations in Varisia are from my homebrew, the Shoanti are from my homebrew, and so on. The total is PROBABLY closer to 25%, but what I've "sold" to Paizo from my homebrew is scattered across every possible element of the setting that it's honestly tough to nail down a percentage. That said, this isn't the same as saying "25% to 50% of Golarion is from my homebrew." That percentage is not even close, and it diminishes each day as the world expands. I could probably fit all that I've written down about my homebrew into a few books the size of the Core Rulebook, for example, and there's an awful lot more of Pathfinder and Golarion out there today than a few books!
When I say "Homebrew" I include things that I do from home games. But also, I haven't actually worked on my homebrew much at all since starting work on Golarion, since I've instead been working on Golarion.
The metrics I use is whether or not something is appropriate for publication varies. Some of my homebrew uses intellectual property of other writers, as is the case of most homebrew settings; some of my homebrew uses much more mature content than Paizo publishes, some of my homebrew content is in retrospect goofy and best left unmentioned, and some of it is content that I want to maintain ownership of in the case that in some future I want to do something of my own with the stuff rather than sell it to someone else. Sometimes, I use homebrew content to save time—such as using a map of a city I created for a turnover that had an awful author map turnover and there's no time to redraw the map. Sometimes I use homebrew content because I'm curious to see how other authors might expand on the topic. Sometimes I use it because I'm super proud of it and want to share it with a larger audience than my game table. And particularly at the start of Pathfinder, I used stuff because we had less than a month to generate a year's worth of content, and pulling in things I'd been working on and revising for 15 years is the only way to meet a deadline like that.
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Hey James, in preparation for a pathfinder 2e setting session, I want to learn about the Bellflower Network. Which paizo product has recent, detailed info on this organization?
The most recent details on the Bellflower Network would be in Age of Ashes, part 3.
The most up-to-date place to look in 1st edition would be Adventurer's Guide, which has plenty of lore in there that's edition neutral.
Do you have any pets?
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What do temples of Nocticula look like?
I assume you're asking about modern goddess Nocticula and not old-tyme succubus Nocticula.
Her temples are often well-hidden nooks in areas where artists are persecuted, and tend to be portable, with things like small tapestries and artwork that can be bundled up fast if the worshiper has to beat feet to get somewhere safe. In areas where her worshipers are free to be out in the open and put down roots, her temples are open-air things, like outdoor art galleries.
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What do temples of Nocticula look like?I assume you're asking about modern goddess Nocticula and not old-tyme succubus Nocticula.
Her temples are often well-hidden nooks in areas where artists are persecuted, and tend to be portable, with things like small tapestries and artwork that can be bundled up fast if the worshiper has to beat feet to get somewhere safe. In areas where her worshipers are free to be out in the open and put down roots, her temples are open-air things, like outdoor art galleries.
I was.
*nods*
Speaking of, where does Nocticula live now?
that's a cute cat name! what is it that makes cats such good pets do you think?
Do you find yourself getting particularly attracted to Familiars and animal companions in games you play?
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What do temples of Nocticula look like?I assume you're asking about modern goddess Nocticula and not old-tyme succubus Nocticula.
Her temples are often well-hidden nooks in areas where artists are persecuted, and tend to be portable, with things like small tapestries and artwork that can be bundled up fast if the worshiper has to beat feet to get somewhere safe. In areas where her worshipers are free to be out in the open and put down roots, her temples are open-air things, like outdoor art galleries.
I was.
*nods*
Speaking of, where does Nocticula live now?
Elysium. There's a bit of info about her realm in Gods and Magic .
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that's a cute cat name! what is it that makes cats such good pets do you think?
Do you find yourself getting particularly attracted to Familiars and animal companions in games you play?
For me, what makes cats good pets is their grace, their adorableness, their softness, purring, the personality, the playfulness, their
independence, the noises they make, their cleanliness, their pride, their companionship, and everything else.I don't normally play characters with familiars or animal companions, though, but when I do, yes. My Warcraft character kept her raptor companion pretty much forever, regardless of whether it was the "best" choice.
Hey James! Question about crafting wonderous items. Is it possible to add feats to an item? For example Monk's Robe with the Monastic Legend feat? I'm playing a rather squishy monk/swashbuckler and just want to know if something like this is possible and how much would something like that would cost?
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Hey Jacob! Question about crafting wonderous items. Is it possible to add feats to an item? For example Monk's Robe with the Monastic Legend feat? I'm playing a rather squishy monk/swashbuckler and just want to know if something like this is possible and how much would something like that would cost?
You can do anything your GM allows when designing items, but as a general rule, the design philosophy we follow is not to duplicate feats with magic items. The resources that should be spent to attain a feat are feat slots, not magic items. There are exceptions, but that's what they are: Exceptions. And generally super expensive. The GM gets to make the call here in the end.
Cats are the secret rulers of the multi-verse.
Regarding games in general, and CRPGs in particular, do you tend to play a good game multiple times, or just once?
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Cats are the secret rulers of the multi-verse.
Regarding games in general, and CRPGs in particular, do you tend to play a good game multiple times, or just once?
Generally just once because I usually have a dozen or two other games to play once I finish one. Same with movies and books.
Hi James!
I always love stories about outsider that act against their nature and assume different alignments. Other than Nocticula (the easy answer ;) ) do you have a favourite outsider that’s done this?
Are there any notable Psychopomps that have broken rank and become good aligned?
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Hi James!
I always love stories about outsider that act against their nature and assume different alignments. Other than Nocticula (the easy answer ;) ) do you have a favourite outsider that’s done this?
Arueshalae, from Wrath of the Righteous and Tabris from Book of the Damned are probably tied for my favorites in this regard.
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Now that Kyra has finally made Merisiel an (not entirely) honest woman (but certainly a faithful one!), are any other Iconic couples out there that might get some development?
Valeros and Imrijka, or Seelah and Seltyiel (she'll get get his priorities in line yet!), perhaps...
Valeros and Imrijka are the only two that I know of that have a thing beyond Kyra and Merisiel, so far.
Our chances to tell stories about the Iconics are limited (more so now than before, since it's mostly just limited to web fiction at the moment), and specific stories about them that come into print are often primarily because someone on staff has an urge to write about that story. It's very difficult for those two things to converge at the right place and the right time. Took me half a decade to get to a point where I was able to get Kyra and Merisiel's latst story out, for example.
As PC stand-ins, the iconics themselves simply don't sync well with the vast majority of our products, where the only place we get to use them is as PC stand-ins in art.