First off, this is my first post here and I apologize if it's in the wrong section of the forums. I'm looking for resources on Proteans, the Maelstrom and Chaos in general. I know about the Great Beyond Guide to the Multiverse and the Bestiaries but other than that I don't know where to look.
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Mwah-ha-ha-ha!
Welcome! And yes, you've posted in the right section. Congrats on your most excellent choice in beings, the proteans.
(Do you have The Great Beyond? If you don't, I highly recommend it for much more than just the protean content.)
Paizo sadly hasn't done much with the proteans. The biggest chunk of protean lore is the 10 page "Keepers of Chaos" article in AP #22: [LoF] The End of Eternity, and the imentesh and nanuet bestiary entires. TGB mentions them again and had the keketar bestiary entry. Bestiary 2 reprints abridged entries for all three, updating them from D&D 3.5 mechanics to the Pathfinder RPG, and adds the CR2 voidworm (which PCs can gain as a familiar). A quasi-protean/Maelstrom "construct", the ourdivar, has a bestiary entry in AP #92: [GS] The Hill Giant's Pledge. And fingers crossed, there might be a protean in the upcoming Bestiary 5.
Proteans pop up in
If you include third-party products, there is Rogue Genius' excellent Planar Races—Chaos: The Xaolings, written by Todd Stewart (author of The Great Beyond and "Keepers of Chaos" article). While not part of Paizo's canon, the xaolings are a Maelstrom-infused/protean planestouched race analogous to the fiends' involvement in tieflings.
I think Todd Stewart also just had a book published through Purple Duck Games detailing a pantheon of Protean Lords. Obviously not strictly speaking Canon for Paizo, but could probably be used as a substitute pending the release of more info.
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I think Todd Stewart also just had a book published through Purple Duck Games detailing a pantheon of Protean Lords. Obviously not strictly speaking Canon for Paizo, but could probably be used as a substitute pending the release of more info.
Linked here for anyone curious about it
Obviously nothing I say about proteans is canonical unless it's published in something by Paizo. But I like proteans. I like them a lot. More than a few folks at Paizo probably would label me obsessed with them.
Writing BotD3 seems to have mollified my daemon obsession, so for the moment I'm largely focused on proteans as my planar race of current fascination, and it's reflected to an extent in my 3PP work in the past year and a half.
There's also 'Chaos Magic of the Proteans' that I wrote for Kobold Quarterly #10. It's a 3.5 product, and third party, but Paizo looked over it before it went to print as it involves Golarion content. I'm not actually certain how it stands from the perspective of canonicity, though some ideas therein on protean pre-history have appeared elsewhere (proteans or corrupted proteans creating the Abyss or discovering it already preexistent and then creating a doorway they couldn't close). The content hasn't been overwritten at the very least. It talks about what they did and what cabals might have been involved (Chorus of Razored Discord, Chorus of Malignant Symmetry, etc)
I've also sprinkled protean references in various places (and the Maelstrom city of Galisemni has been name dropped a few times by me and others).
Zolo of Hungry Shapes (potentially a protean lord) was mentioned in 'Artifacts and Legends' by Wesley Schneider, and James Sutter put a protean and some of the first protean speech into one of the chapter openers in the Gamemastery Guide (it's exceptionally cool).
Tons of little minor references all over (that I watch for like a hawk).
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I've been wanting more protean content for a long time... or any CN/Maelstrom content, really.
I've got plans for a new race of CN outsiders that I want to add to the cosmology somehow, but I haven't really developed them past concept yet - I've been fighting a really bad spell of depression.
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I am in support of Paizo publishing "The Maelstrom Unleashed," or something along similar lines, if only to clarify the nature of Proteans and the realm in which they abide.
Here is the problem I find with Proteans, Slaads, and most other Chaotic Neutral Outsiders that have been written over the years: Few authors know how to write them without making them come off as Chaotic Evil. Proteans, like Slaads, come off as violently insane. At best, they are indifferent towards others, and at worst they are extremely vicious and delight in the ruination of others. Why can't there ever be a Protean/Slaad who shows some measure of kindness or decency, if only for a moment? How about a Protean who was chasing after the party trying to rip out their lungs then jumps in front of a villain's axiomatic arrow fired at the party's bard? And as the party gathers around the dying Protean and ask why it sacrificed itself on their behalf, it smiles and answers "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
But no. Violent psychotics, the lot of them. It seems that Proteans are simply cruel, capricious outsiders who are just as destructive as any demon, if just slightly less sadistic. As far as I am concerned, the only real difference between Proteans and Demons is that Paladins' Smite Evil ability and Holy Weapons have no effect on them.
^
This is relevant to my interests. I've actually had to sit down and think about this, since I actually rather like CN. Ultimately, what I've settled on for my own games is like this:
There are effectively two main groups of CN entities. The first is entities of the Dark Tapestry (Azathoth and Yog-Sothoth are canonically CN - sadly, many lesser DT deities are CE, which I think takes away from the "uncaring aliens" thing). The second group, of course, is the proteans - and I think one of the best excuses Chaos can use is "even in pure chaos, you will occasionally get patterns". Basically, it's chaos theory - so instead of being completely insane and functionally indistinguishable from Chaotic Evil, they could present themselves as intelligent, good at planning, often friendly (to adventurers whose actions often upset the local order), and just happening to be working to make the universe a little wilder.
Actually, it would be kind of nice to see the Proteans in a heroic, supporting role - they're not too fond of the Abyss, for example, and I can't imagine they'd be terribly fond of Abaddon or Hell either. In a way, they're natural allies for heroes trying to thwart infernal plans.
There is a Protean eidolon in Unchained, hinting to usual abilities of such creatures:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/unchained-classes/summoner-unchained/eidolo ns-unchained
EDIT: Furthermore, Ultimate Campaign has some extended entries about Chaotic Neutral (and, in contrast, Chaotic Evil):
CHAOTIC NEUTRAL
A rolling stone gathers no moss. There is only today. Be like the wind and be taken wherever fate sees fit. He who fights fate courts folly. You only live once. Power to those who do not wish for power. Avoid anything in a uniform. Challenge the old orders.
Core Concepts: Capriciousness, fate, freedom, individuality, liberty, self-possession, unpredictability
CHAOTIC EVIL
If I want something, I take it. Might is right. The strong rule the weak. Respect me or suffer. Fear me. There is only today, and today I take what I need. Anger brings out the best in me. I am the stronger one.
Core Concepts: Anarchy, anger, amorality, brutality, chaos, degeneracy, freedom, profaneness, violence
The forum always inserts a space in 'eidolons', so if you want to use the link, please remove it manually.
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Check the "How to format your text" button at the bottom of the text input for an explanation of how to create links. ^_^
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Mmhmm. Slaad in particular basically just demons by another name.
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Mmhmm. Slaad in particular basically just demons by another name.(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
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