Pathfinder Announces Two New Rulebooks

Paizo has announced two new Pathfinder books - a new rulebook featuring four new magic-themed classes, and a sourcebook detailing the High Seas. During a livestream on Friday, Paizo announced the Impossible Magic and High Seas books for Pathfinder. Impossible Magic is Pathfinder's annual rulebook and will feature four updated classes - the Magus, Necromancer, Runesmith, and Summoner. Also included in the book are 240 new spells, new archetypes, new arcane schools, and new magical items. Impossible Magic will debut at GenCon

Also announced is a new Lost Omens: High Seas sourcebook, continuing the line of Pathfinder's lore-themed rulebooks. This will cover areas like Hermea, Mediogalti Island, the Mordant Spire, the Shackles, and various underwater regions. High Seas was announced as a July release, but not necessarily during GenCon.

Descriptions for both books can be found below:

Impossible Magic

The perfect spell can solve just about any problem. From simple cantrips to reality-warping magic, this new rulebook contains a plethora of options for any adventurer who wants to delve into the unknown and unlock their true magical potential.

Within the confines of these pages lies the magnificent spellcraft of four wonderfully magical and unique classes!

• Strike with both spell and blade with as a magus.
• Command an army of the undead as a necromancer.
• Scribe unique magic onto enemies and allies alike as a runesmith.
• Fight alongside a powerful magical companion as a summoner.

You’ll also find over 240 spells that can be cast for both mischief and wonder, new impossible spells so impactful that they scar the soul, several fantastical archetypes that will bring a magical twist to any table, new arcane schools derived from the heart of the Impossible Lands themselves, and wondrous magical items that will allow even the most mundane of characters to experience the power of magic.

All of this is made manifest before you with Impossible Magic!

High Seas

Set a course for grand adventures with this expansive hardcover guide to the open waters of the Inner Sea. Since time immemorial, the people of Golarion have been setting out into the sea to gather resources, ply their trades, and seek secrets both above and below the water. Explore the failed utopia of the island of Hermea, the home of deadly Red Mantis assassins on Mediogalti Island, the mysteries of the Mordant Spire grown from the remains of a dead god, the countless pirate-scoured islands of the Shackles, or the dangerous depths of underwater regions. Each entry within this gazetteer includes the history, culture, and current events of the region, as well as a major city to include in a variety adventures. The book also includes new character options and a fold-out poster map!

 

[KoolMoDaddy-O]

Im pretty excited for High Seas and I dont even play PF2 currently.

I love a good setting book that I can cannibalize for other things. How system-specific are PF2 lore books generally? Like, are they super stat heavy, some stats, or practically system neutral?

 

[Retreater]

I wonder if they'll update the Thaumaturge before my campaign ends.

 

[Incenjucar]

I love a good setting book that I can cannibalize for other things. How system-specific are PF2 lore books generally? Like, are they super stat heavy, some stats, or practically system neutral?

They frequently have very small amounts of mechanics. The Tian Xia stuff even came in two books so they could cram all the player stuff in the second book and leave the main book pristine.

Edit: You can actually check the Sources section of the Nethys wiki and see what mechanics show up in a given book to verify it's not swamped with stuff you don't want.

 

[payn]

I love a good setting book that I can cannibalize for other things. How system-specific are PF2 lore books generally? Like, are they super stat heavy, some stats, or practically system neutral?

I’m not sure I sorta got off the pathfinder train at second edition. The setting books from PF1 were not too heavily weighed down in mechanics and useful for scooping ideas or using other systems.

 

[doctorhook]

I love a good setting book that I can cannibalize for other things. How system-specific are PF2 lore books generally? Like, are they super stat heavy, some stats, or practically system neutral?

I wouldn’t go so far as to say “system neutral” but there’s a buttload of fluff and lots of detail around it. Next time you’re at your FLGS, flip through any of the Lost Omens books for Pathfinder, you’ll get a good sense of what to expect. Pathfinder is a pretty crunchy system, so even their fluff books have lots of crunchy bits, but Pathfinder does a good job of seating everything within its universe so you can always see how fluff and crunch were intended to tie together.