We DID try to squeeze in as much flavor as we could, but two things limited us...
1) We wanted to have a one-monster-per-page (or close to it) format, so that navigating the book would be MUCH easier.
2) We wanted to keep the book world-neutral. There's no mention of Golarion at all in the Bestairy. It's actually kind of tough to get super detailed in the flavor text without assuming too much about the world in which the monster will appear!
In the end, I think that for the vast majority of the monsters, we managed to get a LOT more flavor text in there than most versions of the Monster Manual. There are, of course, some exceptions (the succubus and the linnorms come to mind), but overall I'm pretty happy with the amount of flavor text we DID manage to get in there and retain both of the 2 points above.
And in any event, we've already got a book line that does lots of flavor for monsters (the Monsters Revisited line). We didn't want to have too much reprinting of material. And since the Bestiary's primary job is to provide the raw rules for the monsters, that wasn't really a concern.
Right. I understand all that. I would still buy the book sight unseen as I already did. And I'm pretty happy with it overall.
And I have those- monster revisited items. And their great. But if I were reviewing the book, thats the bad I see. Its not really a bad thing with keeping point 1 and 2 above in mind, but if someone went in thinking it was going to be a Paizo product that had lots of fluff as many of the other products, they would be disappointed.
My take (since I'm the one who wrote up the goblin flavor): Goblins are actually pretty canny. Their "eccentricities" rise out of a lack of common sense (low wisdom) and low self-esteem and filthy nature and leadership quality (even lower charisma).
My attention to such details tends to be fairly relentless. In reflection, it occured to me that since goblins would not use wizardry and were unlikely to develop a Knowledge skill to any extent, there was little left to justify beign on the same intellectual plane as humans. Certainly, they may be very skillful creatures who are simply averse to book learnin', but as written they seemed more like average Wis, low Int.
I have a question about racial skill bonuses for monsters. Do they apply when the creature is an animal companion?
__________________ 'Can a magician kill a man by magic?' Lord Wellington asked Strange. Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. 'I suppose a magician might,' he admitted, 'but a gentleman never could.'
So I was wondering James if perhaps you could provide some insight into something that has bugged me since 3.5 came about...why in the bloody hell does the solar always get the stat shaft?
Lets look here...the solar is really probably the top of the top of "normal" outsiders. They have traditionally stood head and shoulders above even pit fiends and balors. I also understand that they get some powerful SLA's and full clerical spellcasting; all good things. What I don't get is why balors are stronger, more dexterous, tougher, smarter, and more charismatic than a solar. And the pit fiends stats are all superior! Every one!
I mean c'mon...I realize that they get the nice DR, and the angel immunities, which are very good. But imo the stats should match the monster, and I cant fathom why a pit fiend is wiser and more persuasive than a solar.
I cant fathom why a pit fiend is wiser and more persuasive than a solar.
Solar: Join the legion of righteousness, piety and sacrifice to make the world a bette... Pit Fiend: Forget that! How bout some money, power and unbridled lust? Commoner: SOLD! Solar:
Solar: Join the legion of righteousness, piety and sacrifice to make the world a bette... Pit Fiend: Forget that! How bout some money, power and unbridled lust? Commoner: SOLD! Solar:
All for the small price of your soul and an eternity of torture!
All for the small price of your soul and an eternity of torture!
]
pefff details, details...just sign here and power undreamed of and all the willing ladies ya like and loot are yours for the takeing
Of corse no one ever reads the invisible fine print written backwards in infernal and upside down
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I mean c'mon...I realize that they get the nice DR, and the angel immunities, which are very good. But imo the stats should match the monster, and I cant fathom why a pit fiend is wiser and more persuasive than a solar.
Just curious.
Well, the Solar does have a higher Diplomacy rating.
Good to see the critters with at will SLAs that should have been always on in 3.5 now are Constant. No more DM’s forgetting about them or wasting precious monster actions turning them on. Also good since the designers now factor in the stats from the abilities like how the high end demons now always have unholy aura active.
Wererat looks more like a warhammer rat ogre. The skulls, the face bandages, the skulls, the replaced limb, the skulls… Keep up the good work.
Ok, that werewolf’s art certainly makes it look like it ought to have a claw attack.
Like the roper‘s art. Glad it is an aberration. Not so glad about the instantaneous, non typed, non magical, non poison & non negative energy stat damage stuck around. Yes, the Str damage being nigh unstoppable is a factor in the critter’s CR, but I wish the mechanics were different. Also the roper, doesn’t seem to actually to latch on anymore. At least no mention occurs if a pulled victim is restricted from just moving away though the strand is described as being strong as an iron chain. Same issue seems to arise with the Cave Fisher.
The Full Plated Gorgon art & description is an interesting take on the critter. So is the “Temporary but becomes permanent if the breath hits you again” way of working the petrifaction. Only thing is, “Can the breath of a different gorgon make the petrifaction permanent?” Read literally it would seem to require the original creature’s breath to set the critter permanently, but I think some might read it otherwise.
Also this temporary petrifaction raises the issues of what can and can’t affect a petrified victim and what are their stats while petrified? Just add hardness 8 to the unconscious victim?
Some more pixel based counter sheets inspired by the pathfinder beasties
So I was wondering James if perhaps you could provide some insight into something that has bugged me since 3.5 came about...why in the bloody hell does the solar always get the stat shaft?
Lets look here...the solar is really probably the top of the top of "normal" outsiders. They have traditionally stood head and shoulders above even pit fiends and balors. I also understand that they get some powerful SLA's and full clerical spellcasting; all good things. What I don't get is why balors are stronger, more dexterous, tougher, smarter, and more charismatic than a solar. And the pit fiends stats are all superior! Every one!
I mean c'mon...I realize that they get the nice DR, and the angel immunities, which are very good. But imo the stats should match the monster, and I cant fathom why a pit fiend is wiser and more persuasive than a solar.
Just curious.
Well... for one thing, a pit fiend IS supposed to be more persuasive than a solar, at least in my book. A solar is a bad-ass angel, sure, but the pit fiend is a bad-ass devil, and devils have always been about the honeyed-words and treacherous promises, after all.
Also, the solar has two more hit dice than the pit fiend. That might not seem like a lot, but it does have some ripple effects when you start applying everything else.
Well... for one thing, a pit fiend IS supposed to be more persuasive than a solar, at least in my book. A solar is a bad-ass angel, sure, but the pit fiend is a bad-ass devil, and devils have always been about the honeyed-words and treacherous promises, after all.
Also, the solar has two more hit dice than the pit fiend. That might not seem like a lot, but it does have some ripple effects when you start applying everything else.
Eh, idk. I can see where your coming from with the pit fiend being all treacherous and stuff, but it just rubs me wrong that the solar, two more hit dice and all, has inferior stats in every single statistic compared to a pit fiend and balor (I think the balor has less wisdom, and thats all).
Also, dont get me wrong, its still an improvement over the 3.5 solar by a long shot, I was just expecting the stats to better represent the solars station amongst the outsiders (that being they are top dog, with the demigods and demon lords and archdevils coming next).
In my book, the three "top dog" outsiders should be ranked as follows:
Strength: (1) Balor (2) Solar (3) Pit Fiend
Dexterity: (1) Solar (2) Balor (3) Pit Fiend
Constitution: (1) Pit Fiend (2) Balor (3) Solar
Intelligence: (1) Pit Fiend (2) Solar (3) Balor
Wisdom: (1) Solar (2) Balor (3) Pit Fiend
Charisma: (1) Solar (2) Pit Fiend (3) Balor
In total:
Solar has 3 1st places, 2 2nd places, and 1 3rd place
Pit Fiend has 2 1st places, 1 2nd place, and 3 3rd places
Balor has 1 1st place, 3 2nd places, and 2 3rd places
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In reflection, it occured to me that since goblins would not use wizardry and were unlikely to develop a Knowledge skill to any extent, there was little left to justify beign on the same intellectual plane as humans. Certainly, they may be very skillful creatures who are simply averse to book learnin', but as written they seemed more like average Wis, low Int.
Join the legion of righteousness, piety and sacrifice to make the world a bette...
Forget that! How bout some money, power and unbridled lust?
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