Malevolence spoiler question
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Malevolence spoiler question
** spoiler omitted **
To rescue them, the PCs would have to put to rest their undead corrupted souls/haunts, and then either destroy the statue containers so their brains die and their souls can then move on before the PCs resurrect them, or use methods like those outlined for Faldur, with complex operations and new bodies and that.
It's not really something that low level PCs are going to be able to do, unfortunately. It's intended to be tragic and unsettling. Of course, leaving the three brains in the statue until the PCs have resources to rescue the three could work. Depends on what your table prefers...
...but yeah, Malevolence has some despair in there to go along with the horror. Most of my favorite ghost stories have that element of sadness and grief, so this was something I was deliberately trying to capture in the adventure.
There are several places that grant adventurers mythic power. The Doorway to the Red Star is one of such founts of mythic power. That's why I was so excited when I found out that the PCs will visit the Doorway to the Red Star in Strength of Thousands adventure path. We will finally see the Second Edition mythic rules in October 2021, right?
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
|
I've really enjoyed the Owlcat PF Kingmaker game, and am looking forward to their Wrath of the Righteous game, especially since I've never played or read that AP so the game will be 100% new to me. I'm wondering though if for a theoretical PF computer game in the future if you would prefer another adaptation of an existing AP, or a brand new story not based on any specific Paizo AP or adventure?
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
We will finally see the Second Edition mythic rules in October 2021, right?
That's a silly thing to ask after this answer, isn't it?
In any event, it's not something we've announced, and I don't announce things in this thread... so for now, I guess just wait and see.
|
Creative Director
|
There are several places that grant adventurers mythic power. The Doorway to the Red Star is one of such founts of mythic power. That's why I was so excited when I found out that the PCs will visit the Doorway to the Red Star in Strength of Thousands adventure path. We will finally see the Second Edition mythic rules in October 2021, right?
Nope. There are no mythic elements in that adventure.
|
Creative Director
|
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
We will finally see the Second Edition mythic rules in October 2021, right?That's a silly thing to ask after this answer, isn't it?
In any event, it's not something we've announced, and I don't announce things in this thread... so for now, I guess just wait and see.
Not everyone reads every question/answer here. Please don't snipe at others for asking questions. Just give MORE HUGS!!!!
|
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I've really enjoyed the Owlcat PF Kingmaker game, and am looking forward to their Wrath of the Righteous game, especially since I've never played or read that AP so the game will be 100% new to me. I'm wondering though if for a theoretical PF computer game in the future if you would prefer another adaptation of an existing AP, or a brand new story not based on any specific Paizo AP or adventure?
A story not based on a specific Paizo adventure would require either a lot more work from us to ensure it's a story we want to tell, or a story we created for the game creator to build. That's not something we really have the resources to do at this time, so for now it's not gonna be an issue.
That said, I would love to create a story specifically for a video game or whatever and work with the licensor to see it realized. I probably wouldn't be the person in that position though, for various reasons.
For now, things like this will be sticking with adaptations of existing stories we've already created.
The veiled master Ogonthunn gifted a large, dark gem to Xin's family. It was a magnificent diamond imbued with runes of creation, secured from some Dark Tapestry denizen in exchange for unutterable secrets. Exactly which faction is this gem related to, the Dominion of the Black or the Elder Mythos?
How much do Kyonin and Sovyrian communicate and collaborate?
Also, were there desert elves in your homebrew setting?
|
Creative Director
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The veiled master Ogonthunn gifted a large, dark gem to Xin's family. It was a magnificent diamond imbued with runes of creation, secured from some Dark Tapestry denizen in exchange for unutterable secrets. Exactly which faction is this gem related to, the Dominion of the Black or the Elder Mythos?
Unrevealed.
|
Creative Director
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
How much do Kyonin and Sovyrian communicate and collaborate?
Also, were there desert elves in your homebrew setting?
There are regular communications between those two, but I've done no real thinking on how that works.
And yes, my setting has desert elves; the same ones that are in Golarion. Well... the same name at least.
The Dark Tapestry is a vile and evil place. Thus the gem must be evil, which means the Sihedron must be evil as well. But unlike the Book of the Damned, the Sihedron doesn't emanate evil aura. Is it an error?
Other than daemons, no monster or PC can attack souls (that means, before they are judged and become petitioners) directly?
|
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Other than daemons, no monster or PC can attack souls (that means, before they are judged and become petitioners) directly?
Daemons are the ones most often associated with attacking souls, but they're hardly the only ones. There's also things like night hags, soul eaters, devourers, demiliches, nabasus, deathsnatchers, etc. List goes on. Not all of them have text that directly mentions the word "soul," but that doesn't mean that, for example, the nabasu's ability to eat your death and turn you into an undead is not something that attacks souls.
In fact, any creature with the capability of turning something into undead is in this category. So ad vampires and wraiths and shadows and so on to the list.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Have you played Pillars of Eternity or Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire? I'm about 2/3 through Pillars of Eternity, and the story just keeps getting better and better. :-)
|
Creative Director
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Have you played Pillars of Eternity or Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire? I'm about 2/3 through Pillars of Eternity, and the story just keeps getting better and better. :-)
I've played both. Fun, but it was a bit tough trying to figure out the rules, since they were close enough to familiar to make me feel like I understood them but far enough to confuse me.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Beyond those three, the category of fiend that probably has the largest influence on Golarion is, I would hazard a guess, velstracs. If only because their boss, Zon-Kuthon, is one of the core 20 deities and as such is a lot more widespread than, say, a "boss" like Ahriman over on the div side.
Qlippoths are probably second, since their "boss" is Rovagug, also a core 20 deity, but since Rovagug is less "active" in the world (he's imprisoned, whereas Zon-Kuthon runs a nation), qlippoth are less active as well.
And that's just looking at the planet overall, of course. When you zoom in to continents or nations or cities, that all changes.
And now you have me worked up to see takes on Casmaron, Tian Xa or, particularly, Vudra, so as to see examples of divs, oni or rakshasa having an impact like that of devils on Cheliax or demons on the Worldwound.
Which, I'm sure, will have to join the queue after Geb and Nex and southern Garund, but I'm patient. (not) :)
Is there anyone at Paizo itching to explore Vudra at this time?
Thanks again for this great thread, and your Herculean patience!
|
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is less of a question and more of a little something for James Jacobs. I run a tabletop with some of your older, 1st Edition product still, and we pick up and pepper in the good material we find in the various splat books for related sections of the Golarion Setting where appropriate.
We're still running a very long-running Skulls & Shackles campaign that we've been pecking at for years. Recently, I had recommended to me the Lost Omens product for the Mwangi Expanse. Lovely book. I've already gotten my money's worth out of it with some adjustments to our setting from the Vidrian, Bloodcove and Senghor material to give added sense to the setting around the Shackles.
Anyway, the point being that we had a session on Sunday, and the previous week I jokingly commented that your writers actually included a spice rub for barbecue meant to reflect Bloodcove cooking. It was a Mustard Powder/Brown Sugar spice rub. Well, my wife cooked spare ribs with the rub this last weekend and we started the S&S session off with a little feast.
If you have the means to do so, please tell whoever put that spice rub in that it was excellent, and we love its addition. Little things like that really add to the immersion of the game.
|
Creative Director
|
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is less of a question and more of a little something for James Jacobs. I run a tabletop with some of your older, 1st Edition product still, and we pick up and pepper in the good material we find in the various splat books for related sections of the Golarion Setting where appropriate.
We're still running a very long-running Skulls & Shackles campaign that we've been pecking at for years. Recently, I had recommended to me the Lost Omens product for the Mwangi Expanse. Lovely book. I've already gotten my money's worth out of it with some adjustments to our setting from the Vidrian, Bloodcove and Senghor material to give added sense to the setting around the Shackles.
Anyway, the point being that we had a session on Sunday, and the previous week I jokingly commented that your writers actually included a spice rub for barbecue meant to reflect Bloodcove cooking. It was a Mustard Powder/Brown Sugar spice rub. Well, my wife cooked spare ribs with the rub this last weekend and we started the S&S session off with a little feast.
If you have the means to do so, please tell whoever put that spice rub in that it was excellent, and we love its addition. Little things like that really add to the immersion of the game.
Will do! Glad it was DELISH!
Have you seen the Blumhouse movie Freaky, which released last year? I found it an interesting mashup up of the slasher and body swap genres.
|
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Have you seen the Blumhouse movie Freaky, which released last year? I found it an interesting mashup up of the slasher and body swap genres.
Yup; that was one of the few movies of 2020 that I threw down a full 20 bucks or whatever it was to watch it from home on opening weekend. Loved it!
|
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
So I've got an "early planar lore" question. Before there were demons, did a qlippoth stand at the Devouring Court, to persuade neutral evil souls to come to the Abyss with them, rather than go to Abaddon? Or was there just a devil? Seems like they wouldn't do it, but on the other hand, I'm sure sometimes Yamasoth might get the munchies...
Mostly unrevealed, but before there were demons, the qlippoth were pretty much so deep in the Abyss that they didn't do much beyond that plane.
|
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Makes sense!
As a followup, who appoints the demon and devil to the position of "persuader of the neutral evil damned"? And what sort of demon/devil is there? Is this a prestigious position that advanced succubi are competing for? Or just the sort of thing an archdevil delegates to his least favorite drudge of the month?
It varies; sometimes a powerful fiend, sometimes a fiend demigod or deity, sometimes the plane itself.
|
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oh, I guess what I was asking was, if you're a neutral evil soul that travels to the Boneyard and are judged, you meet the demon and the devil that are stationed at the Devouring Court, authorized by Pharasma to persuade souls sent to Abaddon to choose Hell or the Abyss instead. So who is that demon? A demon lord? One of Lamashtu's balor generals? A succubus bard loyal to Pazuzu specialized in negotiations with neutral evil souls? Or just someone with no particular skill in persuasion that Nurgal wants to get out of his hair, so he ships them off to the Boneyard for this thankless job?
Your answer about "sometimes it's the plane itself" made it sound like the Abyss is sentient, and literally manifests a piece of itself to talk you into going there, which sounded interesting-but I think I misunderstood what you were saying.
(The reason I'm asking is because my PCs may soon be visiting the Devouring Court to look for a recently-dead soul, and I'm looking to flesh out the background and character of the demon and/or devil for RP purposes)
Ah, that's unrevealed, as far as I know, and is also likely a post that changes out over the eons with new devils and demons. It's certainly below the interests of a demon lord, but also having a demon lord or archdevil "working" in the Boneyard sends very much the wrong message, and it'd only be a matter of time before that fiend did something to get kicked out by Pharasma.
The Abyss IS sentient, but not in a way that it talks to people.
As for RP purposes for your PC, you're better off working with your GM, since I don't know how they're adjusting things for their game, and your GM will be able to offer you personalized advice I could never match.
|
Creative Director
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Is there anything to prevent the demon or devil from attacking each other? For instance, if they both see an especially juicy soul coming that both would like to tempt away from Abaddon, is it possible they get into a fight before it arrives to guarantee that only one of them is available to try to woo said soul? And does that happen on a regular basis?
Attacking each other is something that would get them "fired from their job" for one thing. In addition, the idea that devils always fight demons and vice versa is more a D&D Blood War thing than a Pathfinder thing.
In your head-canon, does Tar-Baphon have a hobby (excluding conquest, murder, torture, ascending to godhood, etc.)? Y'now, like cross-stitch?
|
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
In your head-canon, does Tar-Baphon have a hobby (excluding conquest, murder, torture, ascending to godhood, etc.)? Y'now, like cross-stitch?
No, but I've done VERY little creative work at all for Tar-Baphon myself, so I've never really put much thought into him or his stories at all.
As a result, I pretty much have zero head-canon for him at all.
Is there any way a dead cleric of Pharasma could come back to live and still be a cleric of Pharasma?
(Yes it basically is a GM decision but I would like to know your take on this.)
|
Creative Director
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Is there any way a dead cleric of Pharasma could come back to live and still be a cleric of Pharasma?
(Yes it basically is a GM decision but I would like to know your take on this.)
Yup; same way any other cleric woudl come back to life. Pharasma is anti-undead, but she's pro-resurrection. Even if a character dies, becomes undead, and is then destroyed, she won't block resurrections.
Resurrections aren't disruptions to the life/death cycle, since eventually that soul will die and move on. Might take a while if they're super powerful or have lots of resources in some cases.
From Pharasma's point of view, if you're resurrected, that's fate saying "You're not done forging your soul for the afterlife," whereas if you become undead, that's an external force outside of that cycle saying "I'll just use this resource for my own gain."
If souls were plastic bottles, resurrection is like grabbing an empty bottle off the side of the road, cleaning it up, and re-using it. Reincarnation would be recycling that glass bottle into something else. Letting the glass break down and re-enter the environment is letting it pass on to be judged and on to the afterlife. To make that glass bottle undead, you'd use some sort of magic to turn it into a plastic bottle instead, so that it causes long-term damage to the environment regardless of what happens in the future, unless you use similar magic to turn that plastic black to glass.
|
Creative Director
|
| 11 people marked this as a favorite. |
Wrote a wall of text to the wrong person, but I'll do what I can to address the concerns...
First of all, HUGS! Hope you find a game you enjoy if Pathfinder isn't doing it for you!
Second: I'm telling the truth when I say I've seen fighters/martial classes contribute a lot to the game at high levels in campaigns I've run, so that's the truth. Sorry you weren't a player or an observer to those games, or that I didn't record them to generate proof of the table's overall enjoyment of the game to high level, so if you don't want to take my word for it, I'm not sure what else to say there other than...
Third of all, 2nd edition Pathfinder is specifically the design team's attempt to fix the problem you have identified. If it didn't fix it or it did but then turned things into a different game than you want, again, I'm sorry, and I hope you find a different game to enjoy.
Fourth of all... your comment has been directed to the wrong person. I'm the creative director, not a designer—I have NEVER had the word "designer" in my title. The focus of my job is the lore side and world side and flavor side of all things Pathfinder. Where those elements impact the rules, I provide advice and help as needed. And in cases where additional design work is needed, I help out (for example, by supplying the design team with the first rough drafts for the alchemist and the gunslinger back in the day). But the actual work on the core, underlying rules of the game itself is run by the Design team, and while their decisions and goals are largely parallel to my own, that team does not report to me. And then back to my previous point—they HAVE tried to solve the problem with 2nd edition. I think they did a great job at it.
Penultimately, please post questions to this thread, not comments.
And finally, more hugs! Please be kind to yourself and to others! I know times are particularly awful these days, so we should all do all we can to support each other.
Have you had a chance to crack open the Wrath of the Righteous game yet? (I think my computer might be too old to run, major sad face for me.) What do you think?
|
Creative Director
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Have you had a chance to crack open the Wrath of the Righteous game yet? (I think my computer might be too old to run, major sad face for me.) What do you think?
I'm about 6 hours in and loving it so far! Playing Shensen as a cleric of Sarenrae this time around, as opposed to playing her as a bard in Kingmaker.
|
Creative Director
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Oh boy! I love this type of worldbuilding discussion!
So how does undeath "harm the environment" in the extended metaphor? For instance, I know the typical alignments of most undead are some shade of evil-but do good-aligned undead have a right to exist (in the eyes of other good-aligned creatures / clerics of Pharasma)? Or are they essentially toxic waste to the natural cycle, and purges of even good-aligned ghosts and liches and the like are usually justified?
And if you're a lich living in, say, the Maelstrom, do you still harm the environment/the cosmos?
Souls are essentially the raw material to keep the Outer Planes a thing. They're constantly being eroded away by the Maelstrom (which erodes itself as much as anything else), so that once there's no more souls going through the system, all of reality goes into much more rapid decay and then eventually collapses on itself to restart a new cycle... hopefully!
When a soul is taken out of that system by becoming undead, it quickens that decay.
Put another way, "souls" are the energy on which reality functions, and when you take that away, reality fails.
And put another way, souls are water, and they gather in an ocean and go on a cycle of evaporation and reintroduction into the system, and every drop of water you destroy or remove entirely from the system makes it that much closer to the end of the world. A soul that becomes undead is like taking a drop of water and removing it from reality.
If everything went undead, then it'd be a matter of time (probably on a vast scale) before the underlying structure of reality simply failed and all would end.
Location is irrelevant if it's all part of the same reality, so it doesn't matter if the lich lives on Golarion or the Maelstrom or anywhere else.
Even good aligned undead cause this problem, which is why good aligned undead are so rare. A good undead who understands this issue is likely at some point to sacrifice themself, if they can, for reality's greater good, which only FURTHER makes them more rare.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Have you had a chance to crack open the Wrath of the Righteous game yet? (I think my computer might be too old to run, major sad face for me.) What do you think?I'm about 6 hours in and loving it so far! Playing Shensen as a cleric of Sarenrae this time around, as opposed to playing her as a bard in Kingmaker.
Glad to hear it, I’ve loved seeing Shensen since Shackled City. Any recommendations on starting the game, options wise?
|
Creative Director
|
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Glad to hear it, I’ve loved seeing Shensen since Shackled City. Any recommendations on starting the game, options wise?Have you had a chance to crack open the Wrath of the Righteous game yet? (I think my computer might be too old to run, major sad face for me.) What do you think?I'm about 6 hours in and loving it so far! Playing Shensen as a cleric of Sarenrae this time around, as opposed to playing her as a bard in Kingmaker.
The amount of options available are kind of staggering. I suggest playing the type of character you want and going from there!
THAT SAID: If I did have one thing to offer... the way that flanking works in this game and the fact that you have total control over your party's level up choices... give all your melee characters Precise Strike as soon as you can. It's a free 1d6 whenever you attack a target that's threatened by another character.
AND THAT SAID: For sure play on turn-based mode. SO much more fun, plus also lets you appreciate the game more because you get to admire the look of things as you go.
OH AND ONE MORE THING: You can import your own character portraits, which I did, since I have some pretty rad art of Shensen, thanks to Wayne.
|
Creative Director
|
So...how does this affect the Inner Planes? Are they being eroded by the Maelstrom? Would, say, the Negative Energy Plane (source of undead animation energy, after all) survive total entropic collapse? How about the Positive? Not that there's actually an experimentally determined answer, but what do the sages think?
This erosion affects all of reality. Including the energy planes. Without those, of course, no more life or undeath could exist—that's all part of the end of reality.
What the sages think is all over the place—when I'm working on world lore, my preference is to present the facts so that the GM can then use them to go from there. The construction of "sages say that..." in front of world lore only weakens the lore by making the creator seem hesitant and timid and unsure of themselves.