Pathfinder Lost Omens Shining Kingdoms Review

This book goes into detail about the six nations within the Shining Kingdoms.

Quick Overview​

If you like fantasy in your fantasy game, this is the book for you. The Shining Kingdoms are a traditional high fantasy setting, full of knights, adventures, and ancient evils. The book opens with a brief history of the Shining Kingdoms, taking us from the Age of Serpents to the Age of Lost Omens. This includes a conclusion to the dwarves of Highhelm’s building of Torag’s Shield. There is also a new faith: The Tides of Chaos. Followers of this pantheon work to undermine the established order, sowing seeds of confusion and uncertainty. Each of the six nations has its own section, full of history, current events, notable figures, and new options.

Andoran​

This is the youngest nation in the Kingdoms. If you are looking for an idealistic, democratic republic, this is the nation for you. When you think of Andoran, you think the Eagle Knights. This archetype believes in its loyalty to the ideals of the nation over all else. One of their feats is Interpose where they can put themselves between an ally and danger. If you think you’ve been hearing about this group a lot lately, you wouldn’t be wrong. The upcoming Hellfire Crisis is an all out war between Andoran and the Cheliax.

Druma​

Money makes the world go around. Or at least that’s what makes Druma work. They provide a strong trade network between the nations, even if their tactics are dubious. Do you like finding clever loopholes and making good deals? Then the Prophet of Kalistrade is the archetype for you. They love nothing more than turning one advantage into another. Even having an uncommon arcane school, School of Kalistrade, where one of their spells literally makes coins rain down on their foes. All of that wealth means that you may need to hire a bodyguard. Don’t worry, there is a second archetype called Blackjackets. These are your mercenaries who act as personal bodyguards. One of their feats is called Nothing Personal, where they deal extra damage to a single creature that they’ve designated as an impediment to their job.

Five Kings Mountains​

This is the dwarven seat of power. You may have heard of it from Lost Omens Highhelm. While the different city-states follow the High King’s rule, it doesn’t mean that they are unified at all. There are no new archetypes for the Five Kings Mountains, but the Stalwart Defender does get two new feats, Stalwart Song and Stalwart Chant. And there are some new Rivethun spells, like Manifestation of Spirits that allows the target to be menaced by spirits.

Galt​

Do you want a revolution? How about a revolution after that revolution? What if those revolutions had a revolution? This is the most haunted of the Kingdoms, mostly because of the use of magical guillotines known as the final blades. These guillotines kept the souls of the slain from passing over so now they just roam around, headless. There are new feats for the Ghost archetype, including Headless Haunt. This allows you to remove your head and use it to look around while staying in cover. Heads can also be thrown to frighten targets. Because, what if the fun of removing your head if you can’t scare someone with it?

Kyonin​

Elves and forests just go together like peas and carrots. Until recently, Kyonin was very isolated, only allowing outsiders into one trading post. These aren’t your typical woodland elves, they used a powerful gate to transport themselves off planet, only to return some millennia later. If you don’t like demons, the archetype, Wylderheart, is for you. This archetype defends the world from the corrupting influence of demons. The Wyldsinger feat allows you to learn Wylderheart focus spells. The School of Gates is a new arcane school that focuses on the gates, allowing movement over great distances and even planes. King’s Castle is a spell exactly like the chess move: you and a willing target swap places.

Taldor​

Taldor is the oldest of the nations. As with all old and powerful nations, it is not what it once was and has crumbled under its own weight. Their new leader, Eutropia Stavian, is working to fix it. Even if the nobility don’t want her to. The Lion Blade archetype are bard/ spy/ warriors. About one in ten students become fully recognized agents. Their feats allow them to hide and sneak in full crowds without slowing their speed or use the crowd as flanking. The Ulfen Guard are loyal to the Primogen Crown only, protecting the Grand Princess’s safety and taking on missions for the crown. Most of their feats are designed to protect their allies, like Protective Strike allowing you to strike against a creature attempting to harm your ally.

Final Thoughts​

There was a lot to cover that I didn’t even go over. I don’t want to spoil too much of the book, especially because there are storyline threads from Pathfinder Scenarios throughout some of the nations.

Obviously, there are cool magic items throughout the books, companions unique to each nation, capital cities that feel different from one another, and spells and poisons with new and interesting uses. And of course, new beasts and monsters for your players to fight. Originally, my favorite was the Beiran Frosthunt because who doesn’t like a troop of winter fey, but I’ve fallen in love with the Bibliondaemon (the four-armed weasel-faced daemon above), the personification of death by paperwork.

This book speaks to the little kid in me that grew up on high fantasy and I love that there is enough meat in each nation that it can be used even if you aren’t running your game in Golarian.