Hi all, I am a new GM to Pathfinder, and I would like to know which book(s) are great for info about Varisia. I have bought the Inner Sea World Guide, but information there is sketchy.
I was somewhat considering the anniversary edition of Rise of the Runelords. But since I mostly make my own campaigns I am a bit iffy on shelling out for a product that might only be tangentially useful.
Ta-da! :)
Korvosa, Magnimar, and Kaer Maga also have their own sourcebooks, if you're interested in those cities in particular.
You can read about Sandpoint in the anniversary edition of Rise of the Runelords or in the original version of Burnt Offerings, and Riddleport is most fully covered in the Companion to Second Darkness and the first installment of that AP, Shadow in the Sky.
There's also Pathfinder Wiki for general information.
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The free players guide for the Rise of the Runelords re-release contains an extensive gazetteer of the region.
I didn't know that Magnimar and Korvosa had their own sourcebooks.
Ok. So basically the info about varisia is scattered over several supplements.
I'll probably end up buying the lot then :)
And thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.
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The best book ("only" book) for general Varisia information is Adventure Path #3, Rise of the Runelords:
It has a dozen pages of information broken into paragraphs on everything from Ilsurian to the Ashwood to Wartle to Korvosa to Jorgenfist to Lake Syrantula to the Churlwood to Sandpoint to the Storval Rise to Magnimar to Whistledown to Kaer Maga to the Ashwood to Riddleport to Roderick's Cove to Brinewall to the Mushfens to all the Shoanti tribes to Bloodsworn Vale to the Calphiak Mountains to Celwynian & the Mierani Forest to the Fenwall Mountains to the Sunken Queen to Urglin to the Storval Deep to the Cinderlands to Biston to, well, to everything else too.
Basically, take the crap-bag farce of the Inner Sea Guide section on Varisia, quentuple the number of entries and amount of information, and you'll have the article on Varisia in AP #3.
The other products are okay, I guess -- the Korvosa and Magnimar books obviously for 64 pages on each city -- but the Varisia article in Hook Mountain Massacre is the only real Varisia primer Paizo's published. None of their little things come close.
It's a MUST have.
There's also Pathfinder Player Companion: Varisia, Birthplace of Legends—a 32-page roundup of information on Varisia, with sections on the Shoanti, Varisians, regional archetypes, arcane schools, religion, regional gear, Janderhoff, Kaer Maga, Korvosa, Magnimar, Riddleport, Sandpoint, and Adventure Paths set in Varisia. It also contains an old-fashioned player-friendly map of Varisia, as well as maps of Shoanti tribal lands and Varisian caravan routes (this map also lists travel times between locations).
It's aimed at players, so it doesn't have e.g. mini stat blocks for leaders, but it does provide a great collection of background info to round out the setting.
There's also Pathfinder Player Companion: Varisia, Birthplace of Legends....
That's the first link in the first response in this thread. :)
There's also Pathfinder Player Companion: Varisia, Birthplace of Legends....That's the first link in the first response in this thread. :)
Whoops, I was scanning for titles and missed it (and was surprised no one had mentioned it yet! :P).
Could have been more clear if I'd mentioned the title in-thread rather than just linking to it. :)
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Oops, I forgot about the recently published Varisia: Birthplace of Legends 32 page Companion. Haven't seen it yet; hopefully it's really good.
You still need AP #3!
Speaking of Birthplace of Legends, is that Companion any good? What's in it that's not in AP #3? Or is it a lamentable waste of money like its older brother, Cheliax: Empire of Devils?
I suggest you check the reviews and discussion thread for that product, if you really want to know what people think of it.
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The best book ("only" book) for general Varisia information is Adventure Path #3, Rise of the Runelords:
It has a dozen pages of information broken into paragraphs on everything from Ilsurian to the Ashwood to Wartle to Korvosa to Jorgenfist to Lake Syrantula to the Churlwood to Sandpoint to the Storval Rise to Magnimar to Whistledown to Kaer Maga to the Ashwood to Riddleport to Roderick's Cove to Brinewall to the Mushfens to all the Shoanti tribes to Bloodsworn Vale to the Calphiak Mountains to Celwynian & the Mierani Forest to the Fenwall Mountains to the Sunken Queen to Urglin to the Storval Deep to the Cinderlands to Biston to, well, to everything else too.
Basically, take the crap-bag farce of the Inner Sea Guide section on Varisia, quentuple the number of entries and amount of information, and you'll have the article on Varisia in AP #3.
The other products are okay, I guess -- the Korvosa and Magnimar books obviously for 64 pages on each city -- but the Varisia article in Hook Mountain Massacre is the only real Varisia primer Paizo's published. None of their little things come close.
It's a MUST have.
This is the information you find in the free players guide for RotRL sans the races section and the encounter table, so while Hook Mountain Massacre is a great adventure, you don't need to buy it for the Varisia section.
I like the Player Companion, but it has much less setting fluff then the article in the players guide / HMM, it is more about character options. But since I also liked the Cheliax companion and more or less all of the entries in the Inner Sea Guide, my opinion is probably invalid to you ;-)
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(Our opinions' strength only really matters to the OP, yes? He's the one looking for some info, afterall. But all opinions are valid somewhere. ;P )
I checked the RotRL Players' Guide again cuz it's been so long since I'd looked at it and I was pleasantly surprised by how much info is in there.
But it's nothing at all compared to the primer in AP #3. Not even close.
10 of 13 pages of the Players' Guide hold the Class, Race & PC stuff, solid fluff! (Great Free product) Then on pages 12-13 there's some good general info over the subcontinent as a whole, plus a solid page or so on Sandpoint -- but it's not a substitute for AP #3.
Here's a few samples:
(From the) rocky land that slopes from the high Kodar Mountains in the north to the drenched fens of the south, Varisia is a realm sculpted from stone. Yet between the mountain ranges that carve the region, wildly disparate and vibrant lands flourish.
What follows is a gazetteer of the region known as Varisia.
While much of this rugged land remains unexplored, what little is known tempts the daring and holds the potential for untold adventure. For fortune-hunters, Varisia is a land of limitless opportunity, its ancient monuments reminding them just how far the driven can rise.
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Bloodsworn Vale: A fey-haunted pass to southern lands.
Brinewall: A mysteriously ruined sea-fortress.
Riddleport: A depraved pirate city whose ancient harbor bears a massive, rune-carved arch.
Bloodsworn Vale: The site of a bloody engagement between invading Chelish forces and desperate Shoanti barbarians, Bloodsworn Vale was a primary trade route between Cheliax and its Varisian colonies. It fell into disuse after the empire’s collapse. As a few Varisian port cities grow increasingly wealthy from southern trade, many land-locked towns have begun clamoring for the pass to be reopened.
Brinewall: Originally settled by Chelaxians out of Korvosa, and once the northernmost Chelish holding in Varisia, this fortress was perfectly situated to defend against and facilitate trade with the harsh warriors from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Despite the constant threat of Nolander barbarians, the dragon-helmed militia manning the fort’s eponymous curtain wall proved more than capable of rebuffing attacks. Twenty years ago, however, all communication with the fortress stopped. Investigations revealed an empty citadel, devoid of all evidence of attack or disaster. Although most blame the Nolanders, the complete absence of bodies and pristine shape of the empty ships bobbing in the harbor speak toward a more sinister calamity.
Riddleport: Varisia’s northernmost port, the infamous city of Riddleport is renowned as a haven for scoundrels, outcasts, and worse. Cutthroats fill its harbor and dockside brothels, with Riddleport’s officers of the law being just another gang of thieves (and hardly the most powerful one at that). Yet even in such a den of inequity and vice, scholars and historians abound, attempting to decipher the runes of the great arch known as the Cyphergate, which spans the mouth of the harbor and looms over each vessel that passes into the city. Although any progress on the inscription has been kept quiet, recent excavation hints that the massive arch might actually be just one segment of a ring that extends into the cliffs surrounding the port.
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Numerous dense deciduous forests also huddle against Varisia’s numerous mountain ranges. While spiders and other vermin infest the Churlwood, the ghosts of werewolves are said to haunt the Ashwood. Few dare brave the Lurkwood, for its dark trees grow and shed their leaves in an order not set by the seasons. Deadly and deathly things have also long been rumored to haunt the northern Sanos Forest, but the gnome population of the wilderness’s southern arm has done much to dismiss such tales. Finally, the Mierani Forest was once and is now again a home to elves.
Ashwood: While many forests in Varisia bear dark reputations, Ashwood’s is legendary. Everyone within a hundred miles claims to have a relative or friend-of-a-friend who personally encountered a ghost, werewolf, or other spook within the wood’s brooding borders. Yet while locals might boast excitedly and exchange tales by day, at night they bar their doors and pile firewood high. The Church of Erastil takes these stories particularly seriously, and worshipers of Ol’ Deadeye are frequently seen patrolling the dells and towns along the forest’s ragged edge, making sure the dark creatures within its borders stay there.
Churlwood: A tangled forest choked by tenacious vines, Churlwood is almost impossible for non-natives to navigate, making it the perfect refuge for the bandit gangs and goblin tribes that raid from its borders. With its plentiful game and renowned ability to confuse even the most canny trackers, the wood is a popular destination for wanted men, its borders a haven for rogues and escaped slaves alike—hence the expression, “Safe as a thief in Churlwood.” Of course, what the stories of outlaw folk heroes and egalitarian bandits fail to mention is just how many men who enter the forest are never seen again.
Lurkwood: Once the home of countless elves, the Lurkwood is now staunchly avoided by its one-time protectors for reasons they refuse to name. Locals whisper that the forest has come loose from the march of years, and stories circulate of travelers who wandered into it, only to emerge far younger or older than they ought to be. One thing’s for certain—the seasons in Lurkwood don’t appear to correspond to those of the land around it, its leaves changing colors and falling even while farmers’ fields are new and green.
Malgorian Mountains: While adventurous herdsmen make this one of the most civilized mountain ranges in Varisia, it’s also one of the most geologically active. Although it contains few volcanoes of any real size, geysers, hot springs, and bubbling tar pits dot the range, filling the mountains with strange and sometimes choking clouds and making travel treacherous for those unused to such hazards. Though close-mouthed about such things to other races, the gnomes of Sanos Forest seem particularly taken with these geologic features, and troops of the little folk can sometimes be found ringing a geyser long after sunset, performing some sort of private prayer or ritual.
Mierani Forest: The regional home of the elves since time immemorial, the Mierani Forest is a place of enormous, spreading trees and abundant wildlife. The Mierani elves maintain the forest as a civilized wilderness, allowing the course of nature to run unimpeded and protecting it from monstrous threats and axe-wielding interlopers. While small elven communities guard the wooded fringe and wandering feral-born patrol the depths, the elves are still in the process of cleansing the forest after their centuries-long absence, their most persistent quarries being tribes of ettercaps, ravenous plants, and a singularly elusive green dragon known as Razorhorn.
Chorak’s Tomb: The giants of the Storval Plateau were not always the barbarians they are today, and perhaps the best proof of this lies on the tiny island in Lake Skotha known to the giants as Chorak’s Tomb. Here, it is rumored, the descendants of the giant warlord’s honor guard still cling to the remnants of civilization, protecting the last traces of their race’s glory. All of this remains speculation, however, as any sentient creatures attempting to approach the island are bombarded with rocks or shot down with rune-carved ballista bolts. Not even other giants know what secrets lie at the island’s center, and for now, beyond a few glints of metallic structures in the distance, the mystery of Chorak’s Tomb goes unanswered.
Lake Stormunder: Lake Stormunder takes its name from the extensive underwater geysers that boil and churn in its depths. On its shores, fishermen are sometimes forced to take shelter as rocs skim low over the surface looking for prey.
Spire of Lemriss: Not exactly a tree, the Spire of Lemriss is
an enormous spike of plant matter stretching hundreds of feet into the sky, its near-vertical sides covered in an arm-deep shell of vines and its inner structure made of twisted and braided wooden trunks sprouting from each other in an endless cascade. Within its branches, birds and rodents nest and breed, their hoots echoed from the nearby Churlwood, along with the occasional screeching of something far larger. While some believe the spire to be a sprouted cutting from the World Tree, its true origins remain unknown.
And 12 more pages of that.
Like I said earlier, take everything from the 2 pages on Varisia in The Inner Sea Guide plus the entire content from the Players' Guide, albeit edited, and add 10 more pages; that's what's in AP #3!
HOPE ALL THAT HELPS!
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You are looking at the wrong players guide! Paizo did a new one when they republished RotRL as a hardcover. Look at the new one and do the comparison again (I linked to it earlier in the thread) ;-)
Oh, my comment about the value of my opinion to you was only about my opinion of the Varisia player companion - since you asked for opinions about it.
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LOL
I had no idea there was another Players' Guide out there from the hardback compilation.
(And I totally misread your comment on the Birthplace of Legends Companion; I thought you were talking about the Players' Guide Companion. Rereading it I wonder how I read it wrong in the first place, my blunder.)
I just downloaded and browsed the new RotRL Players' Guide and it is a great primer on Varisia. Even though it's a good 4 pages smaller than the primer in AP #3, the new RotRL Players' Guide is a FREE PDF, so... I have to agree with master Feytharn -- it's the best bet for info on Varisia!
Also, much thanks Feytharn -- I didn't know it existed at all and now its relaxing comfortably in my downloads.
Creative Director
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Yup. The new Runelords guide omits a few small spoilery bits from the gazetteer, but I'd say that the majority of the words in it are the same as those from the article in PF #3... since that's where we started from.
(There's a fair amount of art and info in the PF #3 article, such as the nearly 2 pages on races, that we didn't need to reprint since, unlike that first article, we have a Campaign Setting book out now.)
Instead of starting a new thread, I will ask here.
I am currently running a campaign that takes place in Varisia and now heads towards Riddleport. I have checked the few sources about Riddleport (Pathfinder 13 & 14, Player's Guide to Second Darkness, Varisia Birthplace of Legends, the Inner Sea World Guide, and the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting). However, I am still not entirely satisfied with my knowledge of Riddleport as most of these sources repeat the same data. Does anyone know of additional sources about Riddleport?
There's not much I can think of, but the fiction in the Shattered Star Adventure Path is set in Riddleport.
There's not much I can think of, but the fiction in the Shattered Star Adventure Path is set in Riddleport.
Thanks for your answer. Perhaps it will help me to flesh out the feel of the city. Thanks in any case.
I normally wait with reading the journals until all books of an AP have been released, but I guess this will be the exception to the rule.