First of, I love Pathfinder, I have sunk most of my disposable income, minus the wife parts into Pathfinder to gather up all of the back issue product put out. The products themselves are top notch. Still acquiring, figure another 4-5 months to get it all.
Random blurb, please make really nice counters with Pathfinder art for us to purchase.
Now here is my problem. I have skimmed through much of what I have purchased, but where should I really start to digest all that is Golarion. It is a huge world with a very large shelf full of material to read through. Should I wait a while to get the Inner Sea Guide or acquire the Campaign Setting PDF? After that, what would you consider to be the best order to digest material in?
I hope this has not been covered before. If it has, it should be a faq or at least a sticky.
Cheers,
James
The best brief intro would be the Gazetteer or the Inner Sea Primer in my opinion. Both give a good overview of Golarion without going into the full detail of the Campaign Setting or upcoming World Guide: The Inner Sea. Reading one of those would then be the logical second step.
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Definately start with the Inner Sea Primer. That's what it's made for.
One important point about Golarion is that the setting was specifically designed to be modular. That is, each nation is designed to facilitate a different kind of fantasy setting (Osirion for faux-Egyptian, Qadira for Arabian Nights, Numeria for techno-fantasy, and so on). Therefore, if you're running a campaign, and not using one of the Adventure Paths, you're probably going to want to find the one country that suits the story you want to tell, and focus on it. If you're lucky, the country you want will already have a Campaign Setting and/or a Player Companion book written for it. Otherwise, you're going to have to go looking through the original Gazetter and Campaign Setting books for the entry, but they are kind of a dog's breakfast of detail dumped haphazardly between covers. The new Inner Sea World Guide looks like it will be much better, but won't be out for a month.
Candied ginger can aid in digesting your Golarion...
Or the Campaign Setting.
A good way I've found to start with a new system/ setting is to go through all of the available books and find any maps therein. Just look them over and find names of places and geographical features that stick out. Most RPG books simply throw names around, assuming you know what/ where they are, and a general overview of the landscape can save you a lot of flipping between books mid-read.
As a resource, I think the Inner Sea Primer and Guide is the way to go.
As an approach, I would suggest starting with the adventure you plan on playing. Learn all about that area, and then start with connections to that area. Next thing you know, you will start to get familiar with all of Golarion.
Best.
Director of Game Development
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Something else that might help augment your delve into Golarion material is the PathfinderWiki. I frequently use it as an index so I know which book to pull from the shelf for further research.
Thanks guys, I saw this and went and added an Inner Sea Primer to my subscription this month. I'm keen on the upcoming Campaign Guide, but I wanted something that would help a new group ease into the setting. While I love massive tomes that you can bludgeon a cow to death with, plonking the 350-page Campaign guide on the table next to the Core Rulebook would probably send my prospective players (and indeed most sane people) running in fright. :P
The primer looks to be just the ticket. Cheers Are and uriel222.
Edit to add Are to thanks.
Good post - I to am just getting in to Pathfinder and have already dropped a decent amount of coin in to this. I have always been a die-hard Greyhawk fan and have disdained most other settings along the way. The Kingdoms of Kalamar was the one setting I really liked other than Greyhawk but I couldn't find anyone that wanted to play it. Go figure!
I was recently introduced to Pathfinder and was immediately sucked in. Fantastic setting and rules system.
Thank you to all that made suggestions here. They gave me a good starting point.
If you're into conventions, besides any local Pathfinder Society activity which may be going on in your areas, I gather that the big events in the US are PaizoCon in Seattle (which being a short distance from Paizo HQ can guarantee a good Paizo staff turnout) and GenCon.
When is PaizoCon in Seattle? That's only a short hop for me.
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I would recommend that you begin with the products that were first designed to introduce us all to Golarion.
1. Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide
2. The Geography articles in the first AP
3. Reading the adventures of Eando Kline
After that you should probably have enough of an understanding to 'follow your nose' and begin with the areas of Golarion which interest you.
A side question:
What are the symbols for before someones avatar name?
ie: GeraintElberion has a crown and Thomas LeBlanc has what appears to be a hawk.
A side question:
What are the symbols for before someones avatar name?
ie: GeraintElberion has a crown and Thomas LeBlanc has what appears to be a hawk.
IIRC they're faction symbols from Pathfinder Society play... There may be more to them though... :\
IIRC they're faction symbols from Pathfinder Society play... There may be more to them though... :\
Ohhhhh, ok - thanks.
I haven't ordered the faction guide yet.
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IIRC they're faction symbols from Pathfinder Society play... There may be more to them though... :\Ohhhhh, ok - thanks.
I haven't ordered the faction guide yet.
The "factions" in Pathfinder Society are better interpreted as national allegiances - the factions in the Faction Guide are independent orders that may or may not be associated with particular nations.
The symbols next to people's screen names are for allegiance to either Andoran (eagle), Osirion (beetle), Taldor (crown), Qadira (scimitars), or Cheliax (circled red cross). Or else the purple golem, the symbol for actual Paizo employees. (The CEO herself will frequently post on these boards, if she can spare the time - and not for CEO big deal stuff, but she's known to be found working in the warehouse if there are a lot of orders to ship out!)
(The CEO herself will frequently post on these boards, if she can spare the time - and not for CEO big deal stuff, but she's known to be found working in the warehouse if there are a lot of orders to ship out!)
I like her already. It's always good to see a boss willing to get dirty to make sure the job gets done.
(The CEO herself will frequently post on these boards, if she can spare the time - and not for CEO big deal stuff, but she's known to be found working in the warehouse if there are a lot of orders to ship out!)I like her already. It's always good to see a boss willing to get dirty to make sure the job gets done.
I went to the con in '09, before the release of the core book. I'll go again, if I get the chance.
I got to hear Lisa talk at one forum, and even played a short PF game with Mr. Jacobs. The big dinner at the end was fantastic, and full of side-splitting humor. Everyone I talked to was as pleasant as they could be.
The folks at Paizo PLAY THE GAME, love it, and are as nice as they can be. I'm not just a fan of the game, I'm also a fan of the people who work hard to bring it to us.
When is PaizoCon in Seattle? That's only a short hop for me.10th-12th June 2011 according to the information here on the Paizo website. Using Internet Explorer I currently see a large link PAIZCON2011 on the left hand side of most pages on the website (close to the top) to click on for further information and links for booking.
Hopes this helps, and think about popping over to the UK maybe some other year... (At present we're either the second or third weekend of July.) :)
Thank you!
Everybody's already answered the original questions, but I will add my "Welcome to the Boards" and oven-fresh warm cookies and cold milk.
Everybody's already answered the original questions, but I will add my "Welcome to the Boards" and oven-fresh warm cookies and cold milk.
NOM-NOM-NOM-NOM!!
Thank you!
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and great information. Looking forward to getting to digest all of the info.
Cheers,
James
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Director of Sales
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Personally, I always assumed that the best way to digest Golarion would be to free Rovagug.
Personally, I always assumed that the best way to digest Golarion would be to free Rovagug.
~laughter~ Smartass!
Personally, I always assumed that the best way to digest Golarion would be to free Rovagug.
Too slow. Curse you, Cosmo!! *shakes fist*
And welcome to the boards Ricca.
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Everybody's already answered the original questions, but I will add my "Welcome to the Boards" and oven-fresh warm cookies and cold milk.
I am a True Fan {TM} of Liz's cookies, but when I look at that new avatar of hers she could very well intimidate me into eating asbestos cinder blocks. Even without the milk.