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I got my PDF copy.
First ritual in the book? Immortality.
Not from old age. From EVERYTHING.
Those that follow are interesting as well. (Such as one that turns you into the "blind swordsman" trope.)
Ask me anything. Still getting into it though, so please be patient if I don't respond quickly.
Is there an illustration that references Zatoichi, next to it?
Also, might I ask you to keep a running tally of how many times you go "oh I recognize that as a reference to XYZ piece of media"? And then share the end total once you've read the whole thing.
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Is there an illustration that references Zatoichi, next to it?
Yes. There actually is.
Also, might I ask you to keep a running tally of how many times you go "oh I recognize that as a reference to XYZ piece of media"? And then share the end total once you've read the whole thing.
I'll think about it. For now, I'm just hoping to keep up until other volunteers can hop in and take over.
In the updated map of Tian Xia, what is that "metal sphere" on the Quain/Po Li/Nagajor border?
It's called the Round Mountain. Hao Jin carved it out of the Darklands, effectively cutting off the escape of an army of ysoki invaders hundreds of years ago. She trapped them there--sphere and all--within her demiplane. It reads as though it only recently returned to the Universe. Scouts of nearby lands claim the descendants of that army still live in and around Round Mountain.
Is Grandmother Pei still the leader of Bachuan?
It appears so.
In PF1 Dtang Ma (now Tang Mai) was ruled by a coalition of sorcerers with stormborn, fey, starsoul and maestro bloodline. Three of these bloodlines don't exist in PF2 (at least as player options). Is something changed?
The current rulers are a psychopomp sorcerer, an imperial sorcerer, two dragon sorcerers, and a nymph sorcerer. Past sorcerer founders are mentioned, but at a glance, I didn't see anything about their bloodlines.
Thanks!
You're welcome!
Favourite new monster(s) in this book?
Any nations change name besides Tang Mai?
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Favorite new monster(s) in this book?
The inkdrop is a tiny mindless construct that can remember the exact pattern of ink it flows over. The creature can literally be "killed" by erasing it.
Any nations change name besides Tang Mai?
Yes.
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So how hard is it to become immortal? Is it player achievable, or is it just for NPCs?
It's 10th rank, Rare, might very well kill you in the attempt, and you can lose the benefits of the ritual under very specific circumstances that are determined during the course of said ritual. Its DCs and costs are commiserate with its high rank.
Definitely player achievable once you get past the rarity tag and are high enough level that the attempt doesn't just wipe you from existence.
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In the updated map of Tian Xia, what is that "metal sphere" on the Quain/Po Li/Nagajor border?It's called the Round Mountain. Hao Jin carved it out of the Darklands, effectively cutting off the escape of an army of ysoki invaders hundreds of years ago. She trapped them there--sphere and all--within her demiplane. It reads as though it only recently returned to the Universe. Scouts of nearby lands claim the descendants of that army still live in and around Round Mountain.
I am pretty sure that is alluding to the tapestry recovered from her vault in a fist of the Ruby Phoenix tournament before she returned to the material plane.
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Shoot, I forgot we already knew about Linvarre XD
Do we get any information on the heralds of the gods in this book? So far the only Tian deities with named heralds are Tsukiyo and Shizuru. Though I'm expecting probably not, as this seems closer to the domain of Divine Mysteries.
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Thank you Ravindork. I would like to ask another question. In a Twitter (X) post I've seen the list of the nations. No Shokuro, but there is one called Songbai. Is a new nation, the new name for Shokuro or something else?
Thanks again.
Someone asked this on the Reddit AMA for TXWG, and Shao Han, the writer for the section, answered! I'll copy/paste their answer:
Hello, I'll answer the second question here; I'm Shao Han, the author for the Songbai section; yes there are reasons for the name change in the book, and Shokuro is still around (both the historical samurai from Minkai which inspired the name, and the living samurai who named himself after Shokuro and founded this Shogunate).
Songbai isn't a person's name, per se; Song is 松 or pine，Bai is 柏 or cypress (which is also pronounced as Bo). There was a poster some time ago who pointed out Songbai sounds like the Mandarin words for pines and cypresses, and observed these trees are both symbols of longevity and vitality in traditional Chinese culture. (Sharp eye there!)
If you look at PF1 lore, Shokuro is the name given by the Minkaian warriors for these provinces which were very fertile in terms of agriculture, after they drove out the oppressors from nearby Lingshen. However, that's a Tian-Min name for this area; Songbai is the Tian-Shu name for these lands, which the local Tian-Shu farmers and settled use to refer to the provinces, a name invoking longevity... Suitable for the fertile loess of the region. There's some degree of cultural tension between the Tian-Shu and Tian-Min members of society, and... That might have some bearing on this name!
Well, I suppose that's all I'll say for now!! I hope you'll enjoy finding out more from reading the book, when you get it!"
I wanna now about the country with the octopus crab god watching over them
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I got my PDF version and I am telling you, I can't WAIT to play clerics of some of the new gods like Baekho and Phi Deva!
Baekho's a GREAT thematic fit for a Season of Ghosts PC too, since his purview includes the transitions from one season to the next, which the AP is structured around, and harmony within communities, which resonates VERY strongly with the socio-political divides in Willowshore the PCs must bridge.
For the immortality ritual... how do they manage to get "no, really, it takes very specific things to kill you" to be at all balanced?
Given that it sounds like they're cracking the seal on "permanent power-ups through ritual magic" in general, how are they balancing them?
Are there any permanent power-up rituals that are *not* rare?
I heard Dokkaebi appeared as a regional Goblin heritage. What are the specifics, like any differences in Ability mods, rarity, 0th level features, et cetera?
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I'll try and tackle the more involved questions when I get home from work this evening. My time and book access is limited during the work day.
Do we get any information on the heralds of the gods in this book? So far the only Tian deities with named heralds are Tsukiyo and Shizuru. Though I'm expecting probably not, as this seems closer to the domain of Divine Mysteries.
Only Shizuru's herald appears to be mentioned.
I wanna now about the country with the octopus crab god watching over them
You're going to have to give me more to work with. Searches for "crab" and "octopus" didn't reveal anything worthwhile, and none of the gods' images that I saw matches that description. Do you know the name of the country?
For the immortality ritual... how do they manage to get "no, really, it takes very specific things to kill you" to be at all balanced?
New anathemas. Breaking one of them makes you mortal again and requires atonement and a repeat ritual to get the immortality back.
Given that it sounds like they're cracking the seal on "permanent power-ups through ritual magic" in general, how are they balancing them?
Are there any permanent power-up rituals that are *not* rare?
All the ones in this book are indeed Rare. Most grant a single specific feat. All have strict conditions both to obtain the benefits and to maintain said benefits after the ritual has been completed.
I heard Dokkaebi appeared as a regional Goblin heritage. What are the specifics, like any differences in Ability mods, rarity, 0th level features, et cetera?
They are described once (just once) as "magical goblins" though there is no mention of mechanical differences from normal goblins. Mostly, it just appears to be minor cultural differences.
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"Octopus-crab country" is most likely Wanshou, ruled since its 1e introduction by a kraken.
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The Dokkaebi info will probably be in the Character Guide, not the World Guide.
Well, they ARE in the World Guide, technically, in that it says "they're there," and some places have important dokkaebi NPCs, but obviously the actual rules on how to play one yourself won't be coming until the Character Guide.
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"Octopus-crab country" is most likely Wanshou, ruled since its 1e introduction by a kraken.
Ooh. They even have a gnarly picture of the mosntrous Zhanaghorr. "Octopus-crab-kraken" is spot on! And SO many eyes!
Here are some fun facts:
Capital: Numijaan
Government: Monstrous Autocracy
Ruler: Zhanagorr
Peoples: Athamarus, Boggards, Cecaelias, Fleshwarps, Humans, Merfolk, Tripkees, Undead
Languages: Thalassic, Tien
Religions: Hei Feng, Lamashtu, Lady Nanbyo, Lao Shu Po
Resources: Gems, Mercenaries, Produce, Seafood, Ships
- Spirits seen in the fog and bog zombies rising from the mud during storms are a common occurrence.
- Even the humanoid leaders of the nation are terrifying to behold. Naoki's fierce gaze practically pierces my very being!
Mechanically, it looks like there's only
- The gods/religions
- monsters
- rituals
- vehicles, marine
And the entirety of the rest of the book is pretty much a really fun almanac and cultural guide that introduces hundreds of NPCs and plot hooks, but no associated stat blocks or mechanics of any kind.
A, how many settlement stat blocks are there, and B, are their any interesting settlement abilities?
There are over 100 settlements described, and not one of them has a settlement stat block listed, nor even so much as a settlement level mentioned.
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An interesting little detail I spotted in the section on Quain: one NPC is a half-tengu, and mechanically she's a beastkin elf! This has some intriguing implications for inter-ancestral couples and PC-making in the future...especially with Howl of the Wild coming out next month!
"Octopus-crab country" is most likely Wanshou, ruled since its 1e introduction by a kraken.Ooh. They even have a gnarly picture of the mosntrous Zhanaghorr. "Octopus-crab-kraken" is spot on! And SO many eyes!
Here are some fun facts:
Capital: Numijaan
Government: Monstrous Autocracy
Ruler: Zhanagorr
Peoples: Athamarus, Boggards, Cecaelias, Fleshwarps, Humans, Merfolk, Tripkees, Undead
Languages: Thalassic, Tien
Religions: Hei Feng, Lamashtu, Lady Nanbyo, Lao Shu Po
Resources: Gems, Mercenaries, Produce, Seafood, Ships- Spirits seen in the fog and bog zombies rising from the mud during storms are a common occurrence.
- Even the humanoid leaders of the nation are terrifying to behold. Naoki's fierce gaze practically pierces my very being!
I'm all about it. Can't wait to make a athamaru ripples in the deep witch from there
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An interesting little detail I spotted in the section on Quain: one NPC is a half-tengu, and mechanically she's a beastkin elf! This has some intriguing implications for inter-ancestral couples and PC-making in the future...especially with Howl of the Wild coming out next month!
I kind of love the wilder implications of this. After all, might we not then make a half-iruxi who takes after her scaled parent and is mechanically an apekin [human] lizardfolk. The sky is the limit!
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What info about Kaoling can you divulge? How much of an effect on its culture is the link with Oprak having?
Seems like Kaoling is doing well, for a nation of incredibly rigid workaholics that made generational slaves (in all but name) of those they conquered.
The Council of Nine accepted a tentative treaty with General Azaersi of Oprak. During their talks, General Azaersi asked for resources native to Tian Xia and questioned the weaponization of kaiju, while Kaoling has considered expansion beyond their continent and even plane.
At least one ruler of Kaoling hopes that Oprak will become part of their empire.
Other details below.
History:
Kaoling’s origins are riddled with war and battle, rising from the ashes of the Lung Wa Empire in 7106 ic.
Geography:
Kaoling has a great expanse of flatlands that extends through most of the kingdom, a boon for the movement of cavalry to support its borders.
A Day in Kaoling:
The citizens of Kaoling have a very rigid schedule, and that schedule has a set time to work and a time to relax.
A Year in Kaoling:
Kaoling only celebrates four holidays a year.
Culture:
There is an expectation that an individual must be productive for society. Respect is earned by the outcome rather than the individual.
Government:
Eight generals rule Kaoling alongside their emperor. They vote on important matters with the emperor serving as tie breaker.
International Relations:
Due to their expansionist aspirations, Kaoling does not have great relationships with many nations in Tian Xia. Outside of Tian Xia, Kaoling is currently allied with the Ironfang Legion and General Azaersi, as well as the hobgoblins of Rahk Lo in the Tian Xia Darklands.
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Is Ripples in the Deep a new patron?
One of 3 in howl of the wild
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For those who somehow missed it, some months ago…Paizo Blog had a few sneak peeks of various nations, including awesome art of Zhanagorr, a Wanshou landscape w/tentacles and concept art of Wanshou folk of various stations by Kent Hamilton
Wanshou looks beautiful and for a pluviophile like me, nice and wet. A few terrible bargains with krakens aside….beautiful.
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Is Ripples in the Deep a new patron?One of 3 in howl of the wildI hadn't heard or those! Do we know what the others are?
Also, is there any new lore about the tsukumogami poppets?
Devourer of decay and whisper of wings are the other two
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And the entirety of the rest of the book is pretty much a really fun almanac and cultural guide that introduces hundreds of NPCs and plot hooks, but no associated stat blocks or mechanics of any kind.About the plot hooks, are they "hidden" in the description of the nations, or there is a separate section where they are listed? Like in the Guide to the River Kingdoms, where every kingdom had a paragraph called plot hooks/adventure ideas or something similiar.
Thanks.
They are not expressly called out.
