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Probably the greatest strength to the Inner Sea is that each country largely stands alone. So each country could probably have it's own list.
I'd honestly suggest focusing on one area and exploring its theme or one theme and exploring its areas. There's a lot in the Inner Sea Region, to the extent that you shouldn't try to cram it all into one campaign.
Some of my favorites, in the order they occurred to me:
1) Goblins. Pathfinder goblins are hilarious and, if you hit the notes right, creepy at the same time. If you haven't dealt with them a lot, I'd download We Be Goblins to get the flavor.
2) Cheliax. It's a giant evil nation that's obviously evil, has a good reason for citizens to be okay with it, and is not completely dysfunctional.
3) Aroden. The death of Aroden and the subsequent failure of prophecy is a huge blessing. Don't let yourself get suckered into prophetic plots and, if you do, have the out of prophecy not being reliable anymore.
Bonus points for the Worldwound and the Eye of Abendego.
4) Kaer Maga. There's probably no reason to go up there unless you're in Varisia, but it's one of my favorite fantasy cities ever.
5) Magnimar. Also a great city, with some really good hooks in its monuments.
6) Thassilon. Great ancient civilization with lots of hooks to the modern day and a good feel that pervades its monuments.
Can you tell I'm running a game in Varisia now?
7) The Pathfinder Society. If you're going to run a game trying to visit everything cool in the Inner Sea, this is almost a must. They provide a good reason to go just about everywhere.
8) Axis. Not really in the "Inner Sea Region" per se, but the plane of law being a giant city should be done more often. Also, I have a soft spot for Axiomites.
9) Desna. Friendly goddess of Travel and Dreams, with just a little edge of creepiness.
10) Isger. It sounds weird, but I really like this place. There are a lot of places you can adventure, but damn does this place need adventurers.
Cheers!
Landon
Absalom, its the centre of the Inner Sea and the Waterdeep of Golarion and a good way to showcase things/characters/societies from all over the world.
On a similar note Katapesh when Absalom just isn't exotic enough for you.
Thassilon for reasons mentioned.
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Golarion is a great Pathfinder setting, because it allows everyone to play the superhero concept they want, and there's something in the setting to justify it.
So to answer your question, you should ask your players for ten things *they'd* like to see in the campaign, then go find something close to that in the setting. It's pretty dang inclusive, there's almost no fantasy trope you can't find somewhere.
I spend more time thinking about what *not* to include. For instance, if I run one campaign in Brevoy, I actually hold back on a lot of magic items and high level casters to give it a nice dark gritty fantasy feel. But right next door you can get Thundarr the Barbarian type sci fi from Numeria.
Basically, there's SO much going on in this world, that every person would pick a different ten things to answer your question.
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1. Human-centric setting, but the god of humans is dead.
2. Kitchen sink where everyone will find a place for himself/herself.
3. Cosmology that takes a deep bow to Planescape.
4. Solar system that's full of life and wonder, drawing upon best science-fantasy traditions.
5. Best reinvention of gnomes, ever.
6. Gods are fascinating and colorful but distant and don't meddle in the world.
7. No realm-shattering events.
8. Global organizations such as Pathfinder Society or Hellknights.
9. Low intensity of high magic.
10. Kaer Maga, the city done right.
10) Isger. It sounds weird, but I really like this place. There are a lot of places you can...
I can totally get behind this statement. It has a great recent history to build from with the goblin wars. There's not a whole lot in terms of specifics for the cities so you'll have to do a bit of city building if you're running anything in the country, but there's plenty of other things to build from.
I'm running my current campaign in Isger, and haven't regretted it one bit since I've started.
1. Human-centric setting, but the god of humans is dead.
2. Kitchen sink where everyone will find a place for himself/herself.
3. Cosmology that takes a deep bow to Planescape.
4. Solar system that's full of life and wonder, drawing upon best science-fantasy traditions.
5. Best reinvention of gnomes, ever.
6. Gods are fascinating and colorful but distant and don't meddle in the world.
7. No realm-shattering events.
8. Global organizations such as Pathfinder Society or Hellknights.
9. Low intensity of high magic.
10. Kaer Maga, the city done right.
I like this list except for number 9 (Golarion always seems like it has high magic everywhere to me).
I'd replace that with:
9*. There arent many heroes beyond the PCs (and no widely operating 'good guys'). If you uncover a world threatening problem, you'd better do something about it - running to get help isnt going to work.
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Well, what I meant is that crops in Taldor don't grow magically and sick townsmen in Andoran can't just have a local 10th level Cleric solve their woes, but in places where you do get magic, you get it on the ohmigosh level, such as in Nex/Geb or Jalmeray.
But Steve's point stands too, Golarion has little to no Elminsters and Harpers ready for PCs to become their sidekicks. The assumption is that the PCs are always, front and center, protagonists and main players on the "not evil" side.
6. Gods are fascinating and colorful but distant and don't meddle in the world.
7. No realm-shattering events.
8. Global organizations such as Pathfinder Society or Hellknights.
While I agree with most of that list...
6. That's rather subjective.
7. Worldwound? Eye of Abendego? Earthfall? Rovagug? Mhar?
8. Pathfinders have little presence in Tian Xia. Hellknights have NO presence outside Avistan.
...but none of these are deal breakers for me. I still like the setting itself aside from the humanocentricism, and even that is threatened with the god of humanity kicking the bucket!
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By realm-shattering events I mean things like the recent 4E Forgotten Realms "everything goes upside down so that we can justify dragonborn warlocks running around everywhere and splitting elves into elves and eldarin" kind of stuff. And I mean such events introduced during the setting's lifecycle, not as a historical background. Basically, anything that makes all your books obsolete and forces you to re-learn the setting from grounds up.
I don't know why you felt the need to specifically point that out.
Either way, Numeria's existence seems to be both good and bad for the setting.
The divisive nature of the area at least points towards that. I don't care about it that much myself.
** spoiler omitted **
What distinguishes golarion (IMO) is that in general, if the players win there's no dramatic change to the status quo. I don't really mind having huge negative consequences for failure but i dont want it to happen if its imposed by fiat (in a "...uh oh the god of magic is dead!.....again!" Kind of way).
Chris, I was saying that "don't know why you point that out" thing to Gorbacz.
Steve, I get what you mean with that, though there IS at least one AP* where the status quo shifts.
And I really hope nobody plans to turn this thread into a "Forgotten Realms > Golarion / Forgotten Realms < Golarion" debate.
Steve, I get what you mean with that, though there IS at least one AP* where the status quo shifts.
Yeah, they all have an impact but its not that huge (not at the death of a god level, anyhow). Jade regent is a pretty significant political event too.
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Greyhawk > Forgotten Realms.
I am tempted to flag it for trolling...
I flagged it for the attempted de-railing.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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The best part about the setting (touching on what Gorbacz and Icyshadow were talking about) is that the "realm-shattering events" are all barely contained, and ready to break out at any moment. (just in time for your heroes to stop it!)
Dozens of instant adventure hooks, no matter your game, and when you want to play again, you're not suddenly in a setting where the rules have changed drastically (i.e. FR).
Want to play a group of crusading knights trying to stop a demonic invasion? Mendev and Worldwound.
Do you like elves? Want to play a dark Ferngully-esque campaign? Treerazer's trying to build a name for himself in Kyonin
Pirates and Sailors more your thing? There's a giant, 100 year old hurricane that's getting stronger. Can you uncover the secret of the Eye?
There are seven sleeping wizards in Varisia just waiting to be awakened by the right conditions.
How about a group of samurai loyalists holding off a hobgoblin invasion? Tian-Xia's got that (among other things!)
How about stopping ancient aberrations from the depths of the oceans from finishing what they started 10,000 years ago. The total destruction of humanity!
A scrappy survival game against hordes of undead to stop the resurrection of the most powerful evil Golarion has ever seen? Lastwall and Tar-Baphon's prison is just your thing.
Each one an EPIC campaign by itself, each one barely contained by the forces canonically in place to stop it.
9*. There aren't many heroes beyond the PCs (and no widely operating 'good guys'). If you uncover a world threatening problem, you'd better do something about it - running to get help isn't going to work.We did this in Writing Class. From a story line POV, the 'heroes' are the starts. Despite the presence of the whole Pathfinder Society (read American Homeland apparatus or Catholic church, etc.) the whole flow of actions means that the party can't waste resources on bringing in the heavy hitters, they must do this (see also John MacClane or the appropriate martyr). Even if their were, it takes time for the local rulers to assemble forces, arrange for the daily chores, et all (chopper in the FBI or organize a Crusade to protect pilgrims).
Personally, I prefer to be the hero in the game and not rely on the cavalry to bail my butt out every game. The Guild is there to back me resource wise, not drain off exp I need to level up. I played with too many special ops in college to want Puff the Magic Dragon hanging on my tail.
One of the few things I actually dislike about Golarion is the presence of world spanning organisations (pathfinders, red mantis, apsis consortium, etcetera). In my mind that does run counter to the "PCs are the heroes" schtick paizo generally try to convey. However, it's easy enough to deemphasise those organisations, to downplay their reach and effectiveness, or to assume that they are all engaged in perpetual, finely balanced struggles with rivals.
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One of the few things I actually dislike about Golarion is the presence of world spanning organisations (pathfinders, red mantis, apsis consortium, etcetera). In my mind that does run counter to the "PCs are the heroes" schtick paizo generally try to convey. However, it's easy enough to deemphasise those organisations, to downplay their reach and effectiveness, or to assume that they are all engaged in perpetual, finely balanced struggles with rivals.
Or just say that they're not heroes.
Pathfinder Society are treasure hunters that publish books of adventures and lore. In my campaign if I mention them at all, I mention their books as possible resources of information. (I don't mention them much though because my players find it strange that there's a group in the game named after the game. I assume the game is actually named after them, but my players don't seem to see it that way.)
Red Mantis? They're assassins, right? Sounds like they're more likely to occur as villains.
Apsis consortium? Might serve as competition for the party, but they're just organized tomb robbers. They lack heroic motivation.
I'm running a game in Ustalav so one organization I want to introduce is the Sleepless Detective Agency. (They're sort of like the Pinkertons of Ustalav, IMO.)
But more to the point of the thread:
Things I'd emphasize: Religions and local customs/local history.
If you're using monsters Paizo has written ecologies for, I'd recommend reading their ecologies because they provide a lot of flavor.
Like... how Varisians have a tradition of scarves, including the kapenia, a scarf representative of the individual, or how Ustalavs think foxes are evil because they're red like the fires of Hell, or how trolls have augers (mystics) that divine fortunes by studying their own entrails, or how goblins fear writing and dogs, and love to sing, or how Shelyn's faithful have that holy day where they whisper warm thoughts to dolls that are then thrown into the darkness for Zon-Kuthon, that he may receive them.
Things like that, that make Golarion's Inner Sea distinct.
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Specific to Darkmoon Vale. In no particular order.
1. Lumber Consortium (make great mafia bad guys)
2. Carnival of Tears Module
3. Werewolves
4. "Valers" distrust outsiders
5. Darkmoon Forest is filled with all sorts of fantastic locations. Tales of the Margreve could probably be used within the forest setting.
6. Druids
7. Droskar Crag and its connection with ancient dwarven civilization
8. The game of "knivesies"
9. Geo-thermic activity from dormant volcano
10. Trade of Darkwood
The above posters have mentioned the many of the good stuff, but...
What got me interested was the Test of the Starstone. Imagine that there was/is a "plausible" way to become an all mighty being!
AND THEN some guy got drunk, was called out on a dare, went to the Starstone Cathedral and "took the test". POOF the God of Drunken Style!
(WAIT...that's not roight? Is it?!?!?!) ;p
Although in Real Life I don't like mixing peanut butter and chocolate, but Pathfinder can (in you and your group's game) have different "technologies": Science =/= Magic.
Until you've had a talk with your group what they want to do "to have fun" then Golarion is your oyster!
Rom001
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Golarion as a setting is very diverse, and offers up myriad opportunities for adventure. A few I've come to like and appreciate, in no particular order:
1. Daemons
2. Mwangi Expanse
3. Geb/Nex/Mana Wastelands
4. Clockwork constructs
5. Varisia
6. the APG
7. the River Kingdoms
8. dwarves
9. elves
10. Haunts
To add some banter, I like the presence of Pathfinders, Red Mantis, Aspis Consortium, Pirates of the Free Shackles, etc as "global" organizations because it gives the party the opportunity to engage the world in a manner that is not dependent on their actions alone. It reminds them that their actions influence the world they live in, for good or ill (and profit).
Heroes need both allies and foils, and a standing order of each helps to root players in the immediate moment.
