Has anybody seen or done a conversion of Al-Qadim, the DnD 2nd edition Arabian Adventures campaign setting?
PF2 is flexible enough for AA classes, with the exception of the sha'ir class, which has always been a problematic class to convert.
There is a 3.5 conversion for the Shair in Dragon #315. Might be a good base for your Pathfinder conversion.
Edit: Though I see this is for 2e, so it might not be quite that easy. Still hopefully it will help you out.
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I had some random thoughts recently while pondering ideas for a Zakaran 'iconic party.'
Which led me to think on how the setting itself did not age well. The society had some sexist assumptions (only a man could be Sultan, only a woman could be a Hakima) and embraced slavery (the Mamelukes, stylish as hell, were all human, or humanoid, property), which is increasingly not cool in modern fantasy settings.
I am fine with saying that there was a great upheaval, perhaps during one of the Realms assorted Times of Troubles or whatever, and a god walking the world (perhaps Kor the Old? I like the idea of the applecart-upsetting 'revealed truth' that broke all sorts of assumptions about traditions came from the *stodgy old god of traditions himself,* who remembered a time when the traditions were very different, and Zakhara had Sultana, men could be Hakima and slavery was not a thing.) and after much chaos and consternation (and a few staid Moralists abandoned faith in Kor, feeling that he had betrayed their beliefs with this 'Revealed Truth', the Sultan was assassinated after decreeing this Revealed Truth to be the Law, and, the last thing his assassin wanted, his *daughter,* herself a Hakima, stepped up to be the new Lawgiver, and Zakhara's first Sultana in a dozen human lifetimes. Her father had already decreed that Mamelukes, and other slaves, were now free citizens (or could leave Zakhara, if they did not wish to be, and she upheld his rulings, her father having borne the brunt of the unrest.
A decade or so later, things have settled down, the world did not indeed end because a woman was Lawgiver (despite all the pearl clutching), a few young men have displayed the gift of the Hakima, and almost 90% of the former slave Mamelukes have sworn an oath of eternal fealty to the Sultana who has fought so hard for their freedom (and the memory of her father, who first made it possible). That should, IMO, modernize the setting a bit, while keeping it true enough to the flavor.
As for the genie-binding;
The setting already had an order of sha’ir sworn to never bind a genie, and to free any genies they find bound in rings or lamps, instead moving towards items that send out a call that a genie can choose to answer, generally consumable items like candles or incense or flasks of scented oil or mineral powder that one throws onto a fire, into the air or upon the water or sand, to call forth a willing genie to barter for service, or, in some rarer and more expensive cases, the price already paid, just perform a task, within reason. The genies drive a hard bargain for that last, because they do not like obligations hanging around like that. A one shot item that calls them to bargain is an opportunity. One whose price was already met is a debt hanging over one’s head. It is known to experienced sha’ir that some genies will make such a bargain, and then pawn it off onto some other genie who owes them a favor, so that the genie one forges a bargain with might not be the one who answers when the candle is burned…
And the Brotherhood of True Flame;
And then the somewhat cartoonishly evil society of fire elementalists who believed that fire was the 'true' pure element and all others were inferior, and would run around and generally cause trouble, burning to death magicians of other elements, or sorcerers (wizards who study magic of two elements, even if fire is one of their two elements, for 'sullying the purity' of fire by studying a 'lesser' element as well).
Their leader was an old man called the Bonfire, who, I've decided to modify the organization a little. He oversaw an ambush on one of the other elemental societies, the Cult of Sand, but they were warned by the information specialists of the Servitors of the Zephyr, and unexpectedly aided by the Children of the Sea. The other elementalists had never worked together on anything (and the Servitors didn't actually show up, they just provided the warning and stood back), but this all out attempt to exterminate an entire order of elemental wizards was unprecedented, and the Brotherhood of True Flame suffered tremendous losses, including the Bonfire himself. The *new* leader of the Brotherhood of True Flame is a half-Efreet geniekin, and his mother, an old stalwart of the order (and the most powerful fire elementalist to have survived the disastrous assault on the Cult of Sands fortress) has helped enforce his rule. The Efreet who stands at his side does not appear to be bound, but any suggestion that this genie might be his father has been met with a smoldering silence that hints of barely restrained violence from all concerned.
The rule of this new Bonfire has not existed long enough to tell what direction he will take the Brotherhood of True Flame in next. Will they remain villains? Will their plans become more subtle, now that they have seen that the other three orders will, more or less, ally openly against direct action? Will they 'learn their lesson' and become more open to other magical traditions? (Ha, not likely!) Will they get less 'burn them all!' and more open to lording it over and bullying other 'lesser' magical traditions, rather than immolate them all? (More likely, so, still not nice people, less over-the-top and strategically dumb.)
I had some random thoughts recently while pondering ideas for a Zakaran 'iconic party.'
Which led me to think on how the setting itself did not age well. The society had some sexist assumptions (only a man could be Sultan, only a woman could be a Hakima) and embraced slavery (the Mamelukes, stylish as hell, were all human, or humanoid, property), which is increasingly not cool in modern fantasy settings.
The problem is that the VAST majority of fantasy literature (and very real human cultures) would fail that test.