OK, so I'm not even halfway through the book and I have to say that this setting is a keeper. I already knew that the team at Paizo has some great writing potential but I was a hesitant to pick up the setting book. Not to be all fanboyish but I can safely say that my next campaign will take place in Golarion (have to figure out where to drop some transplant cities (i.e. Sanctuary...replace Ranke with Imperial Cheliax and I think I have a winner)). If you haven't had a chance to read this yet, go find a store with a copy and read through the races...I'm looking forward to humans with significant cultural differnces in them.
For those of you who enjoy different settings regardless of rule set, this has been an enoyable read so far. Very little of the book is dedicated to "crunch" material. Short overviews (2 pages) for each race/ethnicity and most of the areas gives a good picture of the possibilities that abound (and I'm sure they're filled out with other publications) which reminds me of the grey box Forgotten Realms material (but prettier).
Is it worth the cover price ($50)? Well that depends on how much you want to support your local store. Amazon has it at a good discount ($31.49) if you don't mind buying without a flip through the pages.
Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting
Yeah, I had bought most of the Pathfinders and many of the modules, and I knew just from thsoe I would like the setting.
My problem is the fact that I really like so many setting. Airhde, Wilderlands, Greyhawk, Kalamar, Blackmoor, Mystara, etc...
I even put them all together on one world, but the settings are so big I am lucky to get the campaign to involve 3 or 4 of them before it ends. Even then, its never to the depth I would like it to be for each setting.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society
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My problem is the fact that I really like so many setting. Airhde, Wilderlands, Greyhawk, Kalamar, Blackmoor, Mystara, etc...
I even put them all together on one world, but the settings are so big I am lucky to get the campaign to involve 3 or 4 of them before it ends. Even then, its never to the depth I would like it to be for each setting.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society
Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/
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Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Yeah I'm a fan of Paizo and have to agree with Treebore about liking so many other settings. I've been reading the setting book in between Pathfinders and the other material (so not finished with it) but its been good so far. Is it really $50? I must have gotten it from Amazon then. I think I only spent that much for the Wilderlands Box set.
ShaneG.
ShaneG.
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SoulCatcher78
While a good setting and book over-all, I find that it tries to cater to too many different gaming styles and tries to be too many things at once. Ancient egypt setting? Got it! Vikings? Got 'em. Mid-eastern influence? Got it. Wilderness/barberous areas? Got 'em. To me these things have all been done before and have been done better, in some instances.
There are some good ideas though, such as the Eye of Abendago, the whole Sodden Lands area, and I do like Osirion and Q'adira as well. I was just thinking of this the other day when I picked up the 4e Eberron Player's Guide. I never gave Eberron much credit during my 3.x days, but having picked up the PG, I find that I like it now more than ever. It has a shtick and sticks to it. Golarion tries to be a please every/anyone setting and just lack's cohesiveness, for lack of a better term. In part I believe this is because different sections were written by different people, but I might be wrong on that last part.
It's like the author's went and said:
"Ravenloft was cool, so we should put an area like than in our world!".
Poof! You now have Ustalav!
"Yeah, well so was Al-Qadim!"
Poof! Now you have Q'adira.
"Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms were also big hits!"
Poof! Now you have Varisia on east.
Just my $0.02 on the subject. Still a worthwhile book over-all though. Many good ideas, just not enough to tie it all together and make it feel like a cohesive world.
There are some good ideas though, such as the Eye of Abendago, the whole Sodden Lands area, and I do like Osirion and Q'adira as well. I was just thinking of this the other day when I picked up the 4e Eberron Player's Guide. I never gave Eberron much credit during my 3.x days, but having picked up the PG, I find that I like it now more than ever. It has a shtick and sticks to it. Golarion tries to be a please every/anyone setting and just lack's cohesiveness, for lack of a better term. In part I believe this is because different sections were written by different people, but I might be wrong on that last part.
It's like the author's went and said:
"Ravenloft was cool, so we should put an area like than in our world!".
Poof! You now have Ustalav!
"Yeah, well so was Al-Qadim!"
Poof! Now you have Q'adira.
"Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms were also big hits!"
Poof! Now you have Varisia on east.
Just my $0.02 on the subject. Still a worthwhile book over-all though. Many good ideas, just not enough to tie it all together and make it feel like a cohesive world.
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Lord Dynel
- Maukling
- Posts: 5844
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:00 am
DaveyB wrote:
While a good setting and book over-all, I find that it tries to cater to too many different gaming styles and tries to be too many things at once. Ancient egypt setting? Got it! Vikings? Got 'em. Mid-eastern influence? Got it. Wilderness/barberous areas? Got 'em. To me these things have all been done before and have been done better, in some instances.
There are some good ideas though, such as the Eye of Abendago, the whole Sodden Lands area, and I do like Osirion and Q'adira as well. I was just thinking of this the other day when I picked up the 4e Eberron Player's Guide. I never gave Eberron much credit during my 3.x days, but having picked up the PG, I find that I like it now more than ever. It has a shtick and sticks to it. Golarion tries to be a please every/anyone setting and just lack's cohesiveness, for lack of a better term. In part I believe this is because different sections were written by different people, but I might be wrong on that last part.
It's like the author's went and said:
"Ravenloft was cool, so we should put an area like than in our world!".
Poof! You now have Ustalav!
"Yeah, well so was Al-Qadim!"
Poof! Now you have Q'adira.
"Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms were also big hits!"
Poof! Now you have Varisia on east.
Just my $0.02 on the subject. Still a worthwhile book over-all though. Many good ideas, just not enough to tie it all together and make it feel like a cohesive world.
Interesting review. I hadn't looked at the setting yet, but I'd be a bit disappointed if this is the case, to be honest.
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LD's C&C creations - CL Checker, a witch class, the half-ogre, skills, and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.
Lord Dynel wrote:
Interesting review. I hadn't looked at the setting yet, but I'd be a bit disappointed if this is the case, to be honest.
Don't get me wrong LD, the setting is good and is written by some of the industry's best, but like I said, it seems as though everyone wrote an area and they just mashed them all together.
For instance, Ustalav is defined as gothic horror and sits right next to the "River Kingdoms", which is a land of bandits and miscreants all split up into different sections. The River Kingdoms, in turn, sit next to Galt, which is defined as revolutionary France (complete with guillotines). The Land of the Linorm Kings (Vikings) sits next to Irrisen, which is home to the witch queen, which sits next to the Realm of the Mammoth Lords (tribes of barbarians and the like with dinosaurs roaming around), which sits next to the World Wound which is a demonic fissure in the land that warps and twists the land, much like Warhammer's Chaos Wastes.
See what I mean? Again, I'd like to stress that I like the book for ideas, but it's too disjointed for me to use it as a main campaign setting.
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Frost
- Beer Giant Jarl
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Hmm... that does seem like it's trying to be everything to everyone. On the other hand, I guess one could simply pick an area of Golorian and stick with it rather than trying to use it as a whole.
In any event, I have plenty of settings as well... Erde, Wilderlands, and Scarred Lands are plenty to keep me busy.
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Lord Frost
Baron of the Pitt
Castles & Crusades Society
The Dungeoneering Dad
In any event, I have plenty of settings as well... Erde, Wilderlands, and Scarred Lands are plenty to keep me busy.
_________________
Lord Frost
Baron of the Pitt
Castles & Crusades Society
The Dungeoneering Dad
The map I've seen is well-done, but yeah... even for this sucker of settings the cost and the kitchen-sink approach means it's probably one I can do without....
Meanwhile in Ilshara a small band of adventurers approach the tangled ruins of Ossus off the southern continent of Arboria....
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Ilshara: Lands of Exile:
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High Squire of the C&C Society
www.cncsociety.org
Meanwhile in Ilshara a small band of adventurers approach the tangled ruins of Ossus off the southern continent of Arboria....
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John "Sir Seskis" Wright
Ilshara: Lands of Exile:
http://johnwright281.tripod.com/
High Squire of the C&C Society
www.cncsociety.org
Kitchen sink setting have their strengths and weaknesses.
Their biggest weakness is a stronger need for a suspension of disbelief. Just like a old style dungeon where the beholder, drow scouting party and mind flayer were within 100 yards of each other, it can make one wonder why vastly different realms with different technologies are able to coexist next to each other.
The main strength, though, is that all of those options for gaming are right there. A GM doesn't have to reboot his campaign or have a "dimensional portal" to explain the changes away.
You only need a boat ride or a new villain to get the party moving to a themed set of adventures that have a different feel to them.
And if you happen to be one of these GMs that let players design a disparate PC team (define your borders, gentlemen!), then kitchen sink setting helps explain why the Egyptian priest/wizard, Viking bard, French mime illusionist, Mongolian cleric and petty disposed warlord fighter all exist in the same world and MIGHT be working together.
Their biggest weakness is a stronger need for a suspension of disbelief. Just like a old style dungeon where the beholder, drow scouting party and mind flayer were within 100 yards of each other, it can make one wonder why vastly different realms with different technologies are able to coexist next to each other.
The main strength, though, is that all of those options for gaming are right there. A GM doesn't have to reboot his campaign or have a "dimensional portal" to explain the changes away.
You only need a boat ride or a new villain to get the party moving to a themed set of adventures that have a different feel to them.
And if you happen to be one of these GMs that let players design a disparate PC team (define your borders, gentlemen!), then kitchen sink setting helps explain why the Egyptian priest/wizard, Viking bard, French mime illusionist, Mongolian cleric and petty disposed warlord fighter all exist in the same world and MIGHT be working together.
While reading DaveyB's description I couldn't help but think he was talking about Earth. Especially about the disjointed/disconnected/disjointed feeling of the different lands.
Then with his comments of Ustalav and Q'adera he made me realize I could use Golarian as my "master" world, using many aspects of many of my setting products to add even more details to the various areas, like Al Qadim products to flesh out anything missing for Q'adera, Ravenloft to fill in missing things for Ustalav, Harn products to fill in the vking, french, and English areas, and also many elements can be used from Kalamar. Plus there is still a LOT of Golarion not filled in by Paizo, so I can still put settings I like somewhere on the world.
So Davey has made me realize that just as C&C is the one RPG with which I bind them all, this setting can be the one with which I bind all the settings I like.
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The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society
Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/
My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames
Then with his comments of Ustalav and Q'adera he made me realize I could use Golarian as my "master" world, using many aspects of many of my setting products to add even more details to the various areas, like Al Qadim products to flesh out anything missing for Q'adera, Ravenloft to fill in missing things for Ustalav, Harn products to fill in the vking, french, and English areas, and also many elements can be used from Kalamar. Plus there is still a LOT of Golarion not filled in by Paizo, so I can still put settings I like somewhere on the world.
So Davey has made me realize that just as C&C is the one RPG with which I bind them all, this setting can be the one with which I bind all the settings I like.
_________________
The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society
Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/
My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
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Lord Dynel
- Maukling
- Posts: 5844
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:00 am
DaveyB wrote:
Don't get me wrong LD, the setting is good and is written by some of the industry's best, but like I said, it seems as though everyone wrote an area and they just mashed them all together.
For instance, Ustalav is defined as gothic horror and sits right next to the "River Kingdoms", which is a land of bandits and miscreants all split up into different sections. The River Kingdoms, in turn, sit next to Galt, which is defined as revolutionary France (complete with guillotines). The Land of the Linorm Kings (Vikings) sits next to Irrisen, which is home to the witch queen, which sits next to the Realm of the Mammoth Lords (tribes of barbarians and the like with dinosaurs roaming around), which sits next to the World Wound which is a demonic fissure in the land that warps and twists the land, much like Warhammer's Chaos Wastes.
See what I mean? Again, I'd like to stress that I like the book for ideas, but it's too disjointed for me to use it as a main campaign setting.
Yeah, I got ya. I agree with you - it's going to be a good book for ideas, for certain. I don't think it's going to be able to pull me from Greyhawk, but it should have some ideas to mine.
_________________
LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.
LD's C&C creations - CL Checker, a witch class, the half-ogre, skills, and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.
-
SoulCatcher78
Kitchen sink worlds can work with enough room between the disparate areas. While the setting gives Asia a nod with ethnicities based on Indian and Chinese cultures, they make sure to mention that these places are more than just down to road a piece. While the Vikings, English, and French are more or less jammed up in one corner of the map, that's more or less where they were on earth (travel dangers, language, and xenophobia generally kept them apart and there's no reason why it wouldn't be the same here).
It feels more like something from Conan (different types of Humans) than something like Forgotten Realms (Mother of all Kitchen Sink Campaigns) to me.
It feels more like something from Conan (different types of Humans) than something like Forgotten Realms (Mother of all Kitchen Sink Campaigns) to me.
Oh I'm not saying that they can't work. I enjoy the book and it's great for ideas, but to me it's too similar to other campaign settings to really stand out. There are some good ideas here and there such as the magic guillotines of Galt and the Sodden Lands area, but the rest feels like a rehash of stuff I've seen before.
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SoulCatcher78
With campaign settings there really are very few breakthroughs in design. Dark Sun was probably the most divergent from the typical fantasy game world that I've ever seen (which was great if you liked it) followed by Planescape (great reading even if you didn't care for using it for play). If someone is shopping for something familiar but different enough that you don't have someone quoting material to you, this is a great product.
With the level of detail given in the book it can act as a transplant world for all your other smaller campaigns (ala Treebore's mega world) without doing days of work to rearrange how things actually work there.
With the level of detail given in the book it can act as a transplant world for all your other smaller campaigns (ala Treebore's mega world) without doing days of work to rearrange how things actually work there.
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Barrataria
- Red Cap
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 7:00 am
DaveyB wrote:
Galt, which is defined as revolutionary France (complete with guillotines).
That's sort of right... we were told to wear our football helmets between the bus and locker room when we traveled there for games http://www.galtheraldonline.com/
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SoulCatcher78 wrote:
With campaign settings there really are very few breakthroughs in design. Dark Sun was probably the most divergent from the typical fantasy game world that I've ever seen (which was great if you liked it) followed by Planescape (great reading even if you didn't care for using it for play). If someone is shopping for something familiar but different enough that you don't have someone quoting material to you, this is a great product.
With the level of detail given in the book it can act as a transplant world for all your other smaller campaigns (ala Treebore's mega world) without doing days of work to rearrange how things actually work there.
I can not argue this. Again, a good product, just not one that I'll be using for my campaign. I do endorse picking it up though, as there are some great ideas in it.
Plaag wrote:
Yeah I'm a fan of Paizo and have to agree with Treebore about liking so many other settings. I've been reading the setting book in between Pathfinders and the other material (so not finished with it) but its been good so far. Is it really $50?
ShaneG.
Same here, I like a lot of settings. I think the artwork is great. I also got a bunch of the paperback books too.
Mike
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--G'Kar from “Babylon 5”