Pathfinder 1E Golarion Setting Discussion

[tylermalan]

So, I figure this might be old news but I thought I would start a thread to talk about the setting of Pathfinder, the planet of Golarion. I semi-recently finished reading the newest release of the Inner Sea World Guide and I really enjoyed it - actually read it almost cover-to-cover.

What do you guys like about it? What do you dislike? Anything you would change or wanted to see that isn't there?

There really isn't too much that I don't like, and my current campaign is taking place in Ustalav. One or two of my players cringe at every sight of anything even remotely... unoriginal, maybe? Out of place? For instance, they think that Numeria (giant metal alien spiders, etc) is pretty stupid. But, they like the idea of the Screaming Jungle in the Mwangi Expanse that is so full of constantly screaming monkeys that you can hear them from a mile outside the jungle in every direction.

 

[Crispy Critter]

You illustrated what I really like about the setting, and kitchen sink settings in general (when they are well done). If you want to develop a jungle campaign, it's all there for you. Feel like stopping a demon invasion, travel to the WorldWound. Want to get your pharoah's and sphinxes on, punch your ticket to Osiria. They pretty much have it all covered.

 

[Azgulor]

Generally speaking, as a GM, I like kitchen-sink settings. Over the years, I've found that it keeps the setting from getting stale to the players without having to hit the campaign reset button.

With that in mind, I think Golarion's fantastic. Even the elements I'm suspect about (Numeria, Alkenstar - I'm looking at you), don't have wide-ranging setting influence.

I think the #1 difference between Golarion & other settings is that they strike the balance between too-much & too-little detail. It's the proper mix of info a GM needs to make the setting come alive without detailing so much that a GM can't put his/her own elements into the mix. I also think it's an incredibly smart move to keep the majority of the crunch relegated into clearly defined lines (the RPG books & the Player's Companion books).

Also, I think Paizo never loses sight of the goal -- the setting has to foster adventure. Every region has tangible things to do, conflicts at play, history to discover -- all wrapped in the cultural flavor of the region.

For example, generally speaking, I'm not a huge fan of Arabian Nights-themed fantasy. I like it, but not enough to set a campaign in such a setting. However, after picking up the Legacy of Fire AP, I can see myself doing just that. The fact that I can do a storyline in that region and then shift the campaign focus to another is pure GM gold for me.

 

[Azgulor]

Also, while they are little things, I really like them.

1. There is no over-arching meta-plot. Each GMs version of Golarion remains intact. (okay, that one's a biggie)

2. Sidebars - many times in their APs and modules, they have sidebars providing sources of inspiration, a peek into the selection process of why something is or isn't included, and how the rules support the setting or where adjustments have/can be made. For example, in the Curse of the Crimson Throne, they provided guidelines regarding the number of divine casters who could cast cure disease and illustrated why the numbers were insufficient to stop the progression of a plague. As a GM, I appreciate it when the rules fit the setting and the authors/publisher can provide me with rebuttal ammo for when a player goes down the "why doesn't it work this way?" path.

3. The Calendar & Weather - I used to love settings that, b/c it was a different world, had a unique calendar. I learned, however, that I was the only one - it was just one more thing for my players to learn. While the months & days have Golarion-specific names, it's our calendar. And the "official" Golarion year moves at pace with our own calendar.

So, want to know the phase of the moon, or when the Winter Solstice is? Check you local weather website and plug that into your Golarion campaign calendar.

Don't like generating weather? Paizo does a decent job (at least on the forums) of correlating campaign areas & Earth-equivalent weather/climate. Need a week's worth of weather for Sandpoint? Look up last week's weather in Seattle.

Yeah, they're little things, but by handling them this way, I don't have to burn prep-time thinking about them. I can spend that time on adventures -- and isn't that the point?

 

[IronWolf]

I have become a fan of Golarion. Largely for many of the reasons already cited here. I can set things in any number of areas to get a specific feel, but not have to relearn or reteach an entirely different campaign world to the players. So though one campaign might be set in Taldor and the next in Osirion, I don't have to deal with a lot of changing core assumptions. In the end that helps lead to a better feel and more in-depth feel to a campaign world.

There are things I don't like, or I should say, regions I don't like. Mechanical spiders and such? not a big fan - but hey, my players know that a trip to Numeria likely means getting squashed by big mechanical spiders to keep them from wandering there again!

 

[DragonLancer]

The kitchen sink approach reminds me a lot of the good old days of FR but better. Whatever sort of campaign my friends and I want, we have it.

The only thing I don't like, it has that magic is everywhere sort of vibe that turned me off FR and Eberron (though it's no where near Eberron's level). But I enjoy the setting enough that it doesn't bother me.

 

[Azgulor]

The kitchen sink approach reminds me a lot of the good old days of FR but better. Whatever sort of campaign my friends and I want, we have it.

The only thing I don't like, it has that magic is everywhere sort of vibe that turned me off FR and Eberron (though it's no where near Eberron's level). But I enjoy the setting enough that it doesn't bother me.

Generally speaking, I agree and would prefer the setting to be more grounded in the swords-n-sorcery level of magic than the high fantasy camp. However, you kind of know going in with a game like Pathfinder, you're at the deeper end of the magic pool.

Agreed that it's not as bad as FR or Eberron, though.

 

[brewdus]

The addition of some cosmic horror elements (Cthulhu Mythos)is totally awesome! If I'm in an HPL mood, as a GM,I don't have to switch game systems to scratch the itch!

 

[DumbPaladin]

I just finished reading ISWG cover-to-cover myself, and I agree that I like the huge amount of possibilities.

While I'm not a fan of guns in a fantasy setting, the story of Alkenstar and the Mana Wastes is actually pretty well-done. And I find Numeria rather interesting; it'd be pretty fascinating to have a campaign take place there -- but there are so many interesting places worth visiting, I won't mind if we never make it there.

I'm not as huge a fan of Gothic/Lovecraftian stuff, so Ustalav & the like are not my thing, but it's nice that they're there for the people who do like it. I personally like Andoran a lot, and its tangled history with Cheliax and Taldor. It's cool that there's a democratic-like government on Avistan, but only one -- and that they don't exactly treat their neighbors that nicely.

The flavor, the intricate world history, and some of the major movers and shakers definitely make the world interesting. Enjoyable read. Loved the art style too, which definitely moved away from the more anime-style they tend to use that I'm not particularly fond of.

 

[brewdus]

The other nice thing about Golarian is you don't have mega-powered NPC's that can sometimes overshadow the grand things the characters do in the campaign! No Drizzt or Elminster to swoop in to save the day! But you could, as a GM, bring those type of guys in very easily!