
Garretmander |
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Archpaladin Zousha wrote:I thought the same thing, but apparently Lao Shu Po became divine from consuming a Kami.
My personal headcanon is Lao Shu Po shanked him and stole his divine power.
I don't know why, but this makes me think that the secret to becoming a god is just eating a kami. Not a god like one, could be just the wizard familiar type kami. At the center of the starstone is just a buffet with them pre-cooked.

Metaphysician |
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Xenocrat wrote:Norgorber suffers from having an often mocked name and too much overlap with the cooler and better fit to the setting Lao Shu Po. Better to let him fade away.My personal headcanon is Lao Shu Po shanked him and stole his divine power.
Likewise, with an added element of "Norgorber had absolutely zero friends, because he's a thoroughly unlikable monster, whereas Grandmother Rat is actually capable of diplomacy". Like, Lao Shu Po is still a terrible person, but she's not the God of Serial Killers, to put it one way. When Golarion vanished ( or had whatever Gap-related disaster happen to it ) and Norgorber's resource base took it in the teeth, Lao Shu Po basically went to war, and took over his domain and empire. She now lives and rules over the Axis undercity, and Norgorber, *if* he's still alive, sits and seethes in what used to be Lao Shu Po's home in Abaddon ( which she "conceded" to him as part of the "armistice"/surrender terms ). But except for the broad official statement that "All the old gods are still around except where specified", I'd totally go with "He is super dead".

Metaphysician |
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Also, yeah, I know Lao Shu Po was already a god long before Starfinder. However, there is a difference between being "a god", and being "one of the twenty most powerful and influential deities that stand out as the major figures of the setting". The latter doesn't *necessarily* require an increase in power ( a lot of deities aren't Big 20 simply because their area of cultural focus is elsewhere or they just don't have many worshippers ), but it certainly is compatible with such. Like if she ganked a rival deity when given the opportunity.

Xenocrat |
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Asmodeus doesn't have some divine right to be worshipped. It's not weird that a sophisticated, cosmopolitan society like the Pact Worlds doesn't have a critical mass of devil worshippers. In PF1 his status as a core god was contingent and historically new with the ascension of house Thrune establishing a base of operation and positin of superiority in one of the most important nations of the setting that no one else could successfully invade and overthrow during at least the last several decades.
If you need a deity of law in Starfinder, Abadar has you covered. The slavery and tyranny aspects don't fit in the Pact Worlds, you either need to be in control of some territory ala Cheliax/Thrune or competing for individual souls. He's just being outcompeted in the modern era and no significant planetary governments have been successfully held by his worshippers

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Also, yeah, I know Lao Shu Po was already a god long before Starfinder. However, there is a difference between being "a god", and being "one of the twenty most powerful and influential deities that stand out as the major figures of the setting". The latter doesn't *necessarily* require an increase in power ( a lot of deities aren't Big 20 simply because their area of cultural focus is elsewhere or they just don't have many worshippers ), but it certainly is compatible with such. Like if she ganked a rival deity when given the opportunity.
Take a look at the populations of the pact worlds. there's no ysoki planet except maybe akiton (and reallly if you want it, you can have it) but ysoki are 10 to 20% of EVERY planet including the idari, crammed into nooks crannies and niches taking up a lot of engineering and menial jobs.
And everywhere we go, grandma gets her cut. Even if it's "Oh grandma not in the face not in the face" or "may the punching of my cheekpouches be light..."

Leon Aquilla |
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Asmodeus doesn't have some divine right to be worshipped. It's not weird that a sophisticated, cosmopolitan society like the Pact Worlds doesn't have a critical mass of devil worshippers.
I don't know if you read the title, but it's Galactic Magic, not Pact Worlds Magic.
Regardless the boons/curses and other mechanical benefits are so abstract that you're not really missing out on much by not getting a full page.

Greydoch |
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Asmodeus doesn't have some divine right to be worshipped. It's not weird that a sophisticated, cosmopolitan society like the Pact Worlds doesn't have a critical mass of devil worshippers. In PF1 his status as a core god was contingent and historically new with the ascension of house Thrune establishing a base of operation and positin of superiority in one of the most important nations of the setting that no one else could successfully invade and overthrow during at least the last several decades.
If you need a deity of law in Starfinder, Abadar has you covered. The slavery and tyranny aspects don't fit in the Pact Worlds, you either need to be in control of some territory ala Cheliax/Thrune or competing for individual souls. He's just being outcompeted in the modern era and no significant planetary governments have been successfully held by his worshippers
I mean it is mentioned that a Malebranche (read Minor devil god) rules an entire planet in the book, which is then by default a subject of Asmodeus. And in the back of one of the adventure paths we learn of a "vacation" planet owned and operated by hell. Not making an argument for giving Asmodeus more love in any future books, just adding more info.
-Beta

Tim Emrick |
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Desna is by far my favorite divine portrait in this book. Which is only partly because one of my SFS PCs is a kiirinta star shaman mystic and priest of Desna--because what other god would a spacefaring fey moth worship? And now she looks even more like his direct ancestor!
I rather like Pharasma's art, despite the hints that she's wearier than she once was. It also seems to be a nice nod to the new precog icon--mortal and immortal observers of fate who both use hover-chairs.
I'm not familiar with the specific avatar of Nyarlathotep that's depicted, but in the Mythos lore that PF & SF draw from, for every remotely human-like avatar he has, there are at least 3 or 4 that seem to be mostly darkness and tentacles. This picture evokes thoughts of, "What's wrong, buddy, you're walking a little funny, you need some hel--OHMYGOD what is that inside your helmet?!"
Triune's portrait is weird and creepy in a cool way--and fits very well with the idea that they must have at least as many anacite and other machine worshipers as they do android and fully organic followers. This is clearly the form that the beetle-like Singularitism priest on page 136 worships.
I'm a little sad that the new god Cavrabon didn't rate a portrait, but the text seems to imply that they're kind of a Weydan-like everyman, just focused on food and hospitality. My wife's skittermander celebrity chef will certainly be imagining them with at least six arms, to have enough hands to help feed every nufriend!

QuidEst |
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I'm really happy to see the Empty Traveler as Nyarlothotep's portrayed aspect. It's one of the ones people can encounter, and I've got a Vanguard with thematic ties.
Desna is the biggest improvement in my opinion- she always felt like she would work better with a less human/elven appearance.
Iomedae... is kind of a frustrating deity for me. "Our deity of battle is lawful good, but their deity of battle is lawful evil." I know they've got different focuses and so on, but the crusading, cathedral vibes, and ties to humans she's got going on all add up to "WH40k" for me despite all the pointed differences. I bring that all up, because the art is another thing adding to that feeling.
Oras: absolute favorite, A+, had the GM describe basically this in a game, and it was just as trippy then.
Urgathoa definitely makes sense to me! She's always taken inspiration from Hel, and that's how I'd picture a space-age interpretation of her. The space suit makes a stronger division between life and death.
Weydan really fits. His whole thing is living as common people. Also great to see some nice space suit fashion.
Lao Shu Po has a more... cartoony style than I'd expect for her? But I'm also friends with someone who has years of experience drawing rats.

FormerFiend |

Something about Lao Shu Po's art was bugging me for a bit; it reminded me of a monster from pf1e, like the art had just been traced over. Went through my Bestiaries & found it; the ijiraq from Bestiary 4 has almost the exact same pose. They aren't as identical as I was remembering when I first saw Lao Shu Po, but they're eerily close.

Opsylum |

Starfinder Galactic Magic! It's really awesome — I'm constantly referencing it for my shapeshifting Urgathoan faux-cleric. Have yourself an experience and buy the heck out of this masterpiece already!