A delightful expansion to Pathfinder 2E character options
5 stars
This work contains player-facing options for Tian Xia, the "Asian"-themed continent of Pathfinder's Golarion setting. A huge part of the book discusses different ancestries. Some are variant takes on existing ancestries, such as kobolds, goblins, leshies, and so forth. Others are new to this volume. The kitsune were to be expected. Tanuki are a bit more obscure, although still fairly recognizable. But the more obscure ones stand out - my favorites are tsukumogami poppets, old items whose spirits have awakened to sentience.
Another major chapter is on archetypes, many of which are tied to local arts and crafts. In such cases, their section have copious notes on these crafts, which will help the players and GMs to understand their cultural significance. However, a word of caution - there are some archetypes which can drastically shift the tone of a game. The most blatant of these is the Starlit Sentinel - …
This work contains player-facing options for Tian Xia, the "Asian"-themed continent of Pathfinder's Golarion setting. A huge part of the book discusses different ancestries. Some are variant takes on existing ancestries, such as kobolds, goblins, leshies, and so forth. Others are new to this volume. The kitsune were to be expected. Tanuki are a bit more obscure, although still fairly recognizable. But the more obscure ones stand out - my favorites are tsukumogami poppets, old items whose spirits have awakened to sentience.
Another major chapter is on archetypes, many of which are tied to local arts and crafts. In such cases, their section have copious notes on these crafts, which will help the players and GMs to understand their cultural significance. However, a word of caution - there are some archetypes which can drastically shift the tone of a game. The most blatant of these is the Starlit Sentinel - yes, now you too can play a Magical Girl/Boy right out of anime in Pathfinder 2E. GMs should be ready to either enforce archetype rarity classifications, or face the consequences.
All in all, this book whetted my appetite for its companion piece, the Tian Xia World Guide.