Paizo Paizo Announces Drift Crisis, Lastwall, Abomination Vaults, and Shadows at Sundown

These Pathfinder and Starfinder updates all dropped in my inbox overnight--press releases announcing Starfinder Drift Crisis, Knights of Lastwall, Abomination Vaults, and Shadows at Sundown. These include a year long 'meta event', a high fantasy knightly sourcebook, and more.

• Starfinder Drift Crisis is a 'year long meta event' including a hardcover sourcebook, a pair of adventure paths, and various accessories. FTL travel has stopped working, and a god has gone sielent.
• Knights of Lastwall (available now) is a setting book for 'high fantasy knights'. It details an organization and includes plenty of character options.
• Abomination Vaults (available now) copies an existing adventure path and features a megadungeon. There's a 5E version of this one also coming later this year.
• Shadows at Sundown (available now) is an adventure which follows on from the Pathfinder 1E adventure path Curse of the Crimson Throne.

BRACE FOR COSMIC CATASTROPHE WITH STARFINDER DRIFT CRISIS​

The hardcover RPG rulebook and jumbo, double-sided Flip-Mat kick off a year-long meta-event.​

May 25, 2022 Redmond, Wash.: Starfinder Drift Crisis, the latest rulebook for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, and the associated Starfinder Flip-Mat: Drift Crisis, are now available at game and books stores world-wide and at paizo.com. The hyperspace plane known as the Drift has gone haywire in a galaxy-spanning disaster that will change the Starfinder setting forever!

The Drift Crisis is a year-long meta-event taking place throughout the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. Launching in today and running through spring 2023, the Drift Crisis features a hardcover sourcebook, two 3-part Adventure Paths, multiple adventures, a Flip-Mat, and will shake the foundations of how interstellar travel works in the Starfinder game and setting. This event gives you even more reason to play Starfinder today!

Hyperspace is broken! In a catastrophic instant, commonplace faster-than-light travel, made possible by the Drift, fails. Travelers vanish midflight, communications scramble, and the Drift’s progenitor god Triune falls mysteriously silent. In the aftermath, empires cling to far-flung holdings, opportunists exploit the chaos, and everyone demands to know what triggered this crisis—and how it can be solved. With Starfinder Drift Crisis, you can dive right into this galaxy-spanning adventure and determine what happens next! Featuring:

• More than 100 new player options, from class options and themes to equipment, feats, and spells!
• Twenty detailed adventure seeds that provide a framework for playing a framework for playing through dozens of Drift Crisis stories, whether in encounters, adventures, or entire campaigns.
• Deep dives on the myriad effects of the Drift Crisis on factions, worlds, systems, and the galaxy at large.
• A toolbox with a vast store of information for running adventures in the Drift Crisis, from dozens of unique treasures and 20 new creatures to rich nonplayer character profiles and information on adapting Adventure Paths.

Enhance your trip into trouble with the Starfinder Flip-Mat: Drift Crisis. This jumbo, double-sided Starfinder Flip-Mat features a hex grid map of a typical expanse of the Drift on one side, perfect for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game’s starship combat system. The other side is a standard 1-inch-square grid showing the interior of a technological structure—such as a Drift beacon, the satellites that help make Drift travel possible, or a high-tech temple to Triune, the tripartite deity who resides in the Drift. Starfinder Flip-Mats present ready-to-use science-fantasy set pieces for the busy Game Master. With Starfinder Flip-Mat: Drift Crisis, you’ll be ready for this setting-changing catastrophe!

The 192-page hardcover Starfinder Drift Crisis has an MSRP of $44.99 and is part of the optional Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscription, which comes with a complimentary PDF. The PDF alone is priced at $9.99, only on paizo.com. It will be available for virtual tabletop on Roll20 on July 21, 2022 where is is available for pre-order now.

The print edition of Starfinder Flip-Mat: Drift Crisis has an MSRP of $22.99 and is part of the Starfinder Maps Subscription, which comes with a complimentary digital edition. The digital edition alone is available for $15.99 on paizo.com.

How will your adventures during the Drift Crisis shape the future of the galaxy? Learn more about the year-long meta-event at DriftCrisis.com!

TAKE UP ARMS WITH PATHFINDER LOST OMENS: KNIGHTS OF LASTWALL

May 25, 2022 Redmond, Wash.: Pathfinder Lost Omens: Knights of Lastwall, the latest world setting book for playing a high-fantasy knight in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, is now available at game and books stores world-wide and at paizo.com.

When the lich Tar-Baphon escaped from his prison, he destroyed the vigilant nation of Lastwall. Though its cities fell, the people of Lastwall didn’t falter! Knights of Lastwall takes a detailed look at the courageous knights who rose up to continue the fight against the undead hordes threatening the world. This book contains information on joining the knights, details on important members of the organization, new options for knightly characters, and details for playing a valiant, knightly campaign!

“We are thrilled to publish this book, with its undead hunting theme, on the heels of the Pathfinder Book of the Dead rulebook. It is a long-desired dive into this in-world organization and a timely addition to the Pathfinder Lost Omens series!” said Aaron Shanks, Paizo Marketing and Media Manager.

The 127-page hardcover Pathfinder Lost Omens: Knights of Lastwall has an MSRP of $39.99 and is part of the Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscription, which comes with a complimentary PDF. The PDF alone is priced at $24.99, only on paizo.com.

ENTER THE MEGADUNGEON WITH THE PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: ABOMINATION VAULTS
May 25, 2022 Redmond, Wash.: Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults, the first hardcover compilation an Adventure Path for the second edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, is now available at game and books stores world-wide and at paizo.com.

Spiteful evil stirs beneath the mysterious lighthouse called Gauntlight. When the lighthouse emits an eerie glow, locals suspect that something sinister threatens the countryside. Brave heroes must explore the ruins around the lighthouse and delve into the dungeon levels beneath it. Hideous monsters, deadly traps, unexpected allies, vengeful ghosts, and more await the heroes who dare to enter the sprawling megadungeon called the Abomination Vaults! The Abomination Vaults Adventure Path is a complete campaign taking heroes from 1st to 11th level.

“I knew this campaign would be a big hit from the start: it has old-fashioned kick-down-the-door dungeon exploration seeded with interesting NPCs, side quests, and tons of roleplaying. The authors—James Jacobs, Vanessa Hoskins, and Stephen Radney-MacFarland—really blew me away by adding exciting action sequences and compelling character personalities to every dungeon level. The Abomination Vaults present more than a place to fight monsters and grab loot (although there’s plenty of that!), but an opportunity for heroes to solve mysteries, negotiate old feuds, rescue innocent people, and much more. And, of course, the villain lurking behind the scenes is a terrifying and powerful enemy. She’s right there on the cover and, wow, does she look angry!” said Ron Lundeen, the development manager responsible for the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path.

The 254-page hardcover Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults an MSRP of $54.99. The Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults Special Edition is a deluxe special edition bound in faux leather with metallic deboss cover elements and a bound-in ribbon bookmark. It has an MSRP of $74.99. The PDF alone is priced at $38.99, only on paizo.com. It is also available for virtual tabletop play on Roll20 and Foundry VTT.

FEAR THE NIGHT WITH THE PATHFINDER ADVENTURE: SHADOWS AT SUNDOWN
May 25, 2022 Redmond, Wash.: Pathfinder Adventure: Shadows at Sundown, and its accessory Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Shadows at Sundown, are now available for the second edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game at game and books stores world-wide and at paizo.com.

Players of the Pathfinder First Edition Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path still tell tales of how the city of Korvosa is perched on the edge of anarchy—the king was dead, and rumors whispered that his young queen might be responsible! It has been well over a decade since Queen Ileosa was defeated, but the city of Korvosa still fears the evil tyrant’s legacy. And so, when ghosts of the sinister queen manifest on the streets after dark, the need for new heroes arises! Pathfinder Adventure: Shadows at Sundown is an adventure for 11th-level characters written by Landon Winkler. While a standalone story, it builds upon themes and plots from years of adventures set in the Varisian city of Korvosa, and includes new monsters and new challenges to test the mightiest heroes. Who will save the city of Korvosa from the dangers that hide in the Shadows at Sundown?

The Cathedral of Pharasma, goddess of death, has long stood watch over the city of Korvosa’s sprawling graveyard. This Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Shadows at Sundown details the cathedral itself, as well as the catacombs that exist below, suitable for use in play with Pathfinder Adventure: Shadows at Sundown or for any cathedral and attached catacomb found in your own campaign.

The 64-page softcover Pathfinder Adventure: Shadows at Sundown has an MSRP of $24.99 and is part of the Pathfinder Adventure Subscription, which includes a complimentary PDF. The PDF alone is priced at $17.99, only on paizo.com.

The print edition of Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Shadows at Sundownhas an MSRP of $16.99 and is part of the Pathfinder Maps Subscription, which comes with a complimentary digital edition. The digital edition alone is available for $11.99 on paizo.com.

 

[JThursby]

I have not been closely following Paizo. Do people actually think there is a SF2 coming?

I see a lot of Pathfinder 2e players say some variation of "I want to like Starfinder but [some rule] gets in the way, I would pick it up if it got a second edition that fixed it." I have no clue if Paizo thinks if it's a good idea, but IMO, Starfinder stands to benefit from a retooling and some tweaks to it's core identity. If they made it rules-compatible for Pathfinder 2nd edition it would let them just port over Starfinder guns to Numeria, or let a Pathfinder party go on a future adventure, and in general just make buying more stuff in that rules architecture have more value.

 

[Reynard]

I see a lot of Pathfinder 2e players say some variation of "I want to like Starfinder but [some rule] gets in the way, I would pick it up if it got a second edition that fixed it." I have no clue if Paizo thinks if it's a good idea, but IMO, Starfinder stands to benefit from a retooling and some tweaks to it's core identity. If they made it rules-compatible for Pathfinder 2nd edition it would let them just port over Starfinder guns to Numeria, or let a Pathfinder party go on a future adventure, and in general just make buying more stuff in that rules architecture have more value.

Only Paizo knows whether it would be a good idea for them, but I like it when games have their own mechanical identity to go along with their setting or fluff identity.

 

[sevenbastard]

Golarion = Paizo's world.
Glorantha = RuneQuest's world.

***
I'm glad I'm a Paizo fan, rather than a WotC fan. I have a lot of content for the weekend!

I always mess those up. But I feel both have too much lore. Give me small settings that I can easily modify.

 

[Davies]

I see a lot of Pathfinder 2e players say some variation of "I want to like Starfinder but [some rule] gets in the way, I would pick it up if it got a second edition that fixed it."

At least one major product has been released to let Pathfinder species work more like PF2 ancestries, RGG's Starfarer Species Reforged.

I suspect it is still far too early in the product line for a 2nd edition, but I could be wrong. However, next year will be year six, and that was about when Pathfinder Unchained came out for PF1.

 

[Reynard]

Last night I watched the PaizoCon keynote and I have to say I really love Mona's enthusiasm.

 

[Ixal]

To be clear, I do not think Lastwall is evil, but they are certainly a more complicated faction than just being purely in the right all the time, and the book does a poor job of framing them as such seemingly deliberately.

It probably is deliberate.
After the recent controversies and backlashes Paizo seems to not wanting to do any "grey" morality any more and moves more towards having only obvious black and white morality.
A shame if you ask me as hard black/white always looks artificial but apparently Paizo wants the avoid the situation that anyone accuses them of endorsing not so nice things.

 

[JThursby]

It probably is deliberate.
After the recent controversies and backlashes Paizo seems to not wanting to do any "grey" morality any more and moves more towards having only obvious black and white morality.
A shame if you ask me as hard black/white always looks artificial but apparently Paizo wants the avoid the situation that anyone accuses them of endorsing not so nice things.

I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand, it's undeniable that the setting feels lighter than it's first edition incarnation. But on the other, I find there are a lot of factors that are going into that decision and I can't ultimately justify the content of the Lastwall book as being the result of a wider trend.

Golarion pre-dates Pathfinder by a few years, and during that time it had to quickly create an identity for itself in contrast to other D&D settings. The one it picked at first was "darker and more subversive Sword Coast." You can see this in the earliest of Adventure Paths, with Varisia basically being the edgier and meaner version of the Sword Coast, and when the rest of the setting got fleshed out it took on the same general tone. At the time of release of the original Inner Sea World Guide I was absolutely in love with the setting, the severe tone with the darker lore paired with the amazing illustrations made it quickly stick in my head in a way other D&D settings didn't. It quickly earned it's #2 spot of favorite D&D setting in my heart, right under Eberron.

Then a whole decade of pop culture came and went. Game of Thrones ascended to most relevant and influential TV show of the current age then degenerated into a miserable laughing stock of sophomoric nihilism and nonsense plotlines, leaving behind nothing but a long list of subpar dark fantasy clones that went in to capitalize on it's success. If the Inner Sea World Guide was released as it was during 2nd edition in a post-Game of Thrones world, it would have been treated as passe and trite by no fault of it's own. Some evolution had to happen. The solution appears to be simply filling out the world instead of focusing on the dark aspects exclusively. Cheliax and Nidal still exist, there are still untold horrors waiting out in the cosmos, etc etc, but now there is also lore books about lighter areas and topics. For places that still have massive problems or issues those are typically still fleshed out: the Absalom book is rife with plot hooks about issues with the city and it's people for example. The Mwangi book has a cheery cover, but many of the locales it talks about are immensely dysfunctional or are under some imminent threat. This is a good approach. It doesn't invalidate what came before, it just expands the setting by encompassing more of the human experience.

Knights of Lastwall breaks that pattern by re-framing a mostly heroic but sometimes troubled faction into an entirely heroic one. I can't think of any other Lost Omen book that does that. I know there was that "slavery is being deleted from the setting" meme, but the Absalom book definitively crushed that notion; the legacy of slavery in Absalom, the ongoing evil of it abroad, the politics of those looking to fight it or profit from it, and character stories that fit into each of those aspects were present in the book. My slight disappointment with the book is not because it is part of a trend I don't like, but because it bucks the trend I do like with the Lost Omens line. In my opinion, Lastwall's depiction is most likely a case of being written by junior setting writers. They either did not pick up on the nuances of Lastwall as a faction and thus did not represent them as nuanced in their writing, or did notice them and decided to override it with an entirely heroic tone when it wasn't appropriate to do so. I wouldn't mind so much if this was just a result of Lastwall going through some very big changes and the Knights end up reforming their ways, but that isn't really the case. They still operate like moronic zealots with no real plan, they still do psychotic things like press children into joining their military, and they're still championing an outdated kind of chivalric "virtue" that the world has moved on from. Those elements are still there but just plastered over with incongruent language.