Paizo Announces New Tian Xia Books for PATHFINDER Coming Later This Year
Paizo recently announced that this year, Pathfinder gamers will be able to venture to Tian Xia. Launching at the end of this year and going into next, Paizo will be launching a new adventure path for gamers to enjoy. It all starts in October with the horror-themed campaign Season of Ghosts. This adventure path will take your party from level 1 to level 12 and will be spread out across four volumes, one for each season.
[The] horror-themed campaign is set in the haunted land of Shenmen and begins just after the small town of Willowshore celebrates the Season of Ghosts—a local festival to appease Shenmen’s many evil ghosts and spirits and ensure safety for the coming year. Yet this year, something’s gone wrong, and the PCs wake to find their hometown of Willowshore has fallen under a sinister curse and been invaded by monsters. In the months to come, the heroes must help the people of Willowshore prepare for winter while working to discover the cause of the curse that’s cut them all off from the rest of the world. Is it the work of a fiend? The machinations of vengeful spirits? Or is it something much, much worse?
The books that make up Season of Ghosts include the following:
The Summer that Never Was, by Sen H.H.S.
Let the Leaves Fall, by Joan Hong, with additional articles by Tan Shao Han and Grady Wang
With No Breath to Cry, by Dan Cascone & Eleanor Ferron, with additional articles by Jeremy Blum, Dana Ebert, Joshua Kim, and Michelle Y. Kim
To Bloom below the Web, by Liane Merciel, with additional articles by Jeremy Blum, Joshua Kim, and Michelle Y. Kim
In 2024, Pathfinder will see two Lost Omens books released: Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide and Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide. The World Guide will have tons of lore and history for you to use as you create adventures spanning the many diverse nations and cultures of Tian Xia. Meanwhile, the Character Guide bring some new rules for characters including 6 brand-new ancestries, new backgrounds, and more. You can read about the Samsaran, Wayang, and Tanuki ancestries below:
Samsarans have reincarnated many times, and they will do so many times more. This ancestry dwells in enclaves, though often a samsaran will journey to learn more about the world in pursuit of their goal of enlightenment. Samsarans can call upon the memories of their past selves to aid them in skill checks—perhaps recalling a life as a painter as they observe a piece of art—and they can even share some of their powerful life essence with an ally to heal them! Samsarans are great for characters with deep knowledge and experience but who always seek to learn new things.
Next are the wayangs, a diasporic people who have sailed from the Shadow Plane to the oceans and forests of Tian Xia. Wayangs value freedom and knowledge, often organizing their societies in overlapping circles around wise teachers or artisans. Unsurprisingly, wayangs have abilities that let them harness their shadows, often through specific dances, and more magically inclined wayangs might gain a unique dreaming heirloom with occult powers. Wayangs are great for artistic or expressive characters, or ones who want to use their magical powers to liberate others.
The last ancestry previewed is a new one! Scurrying underfoot, tanuki are a fun-loving people who are determined to get the most out of life before their luck runs out! Tanuki can shapeshift into a variety of forms, whether that’s turning into a teapot to hide in a room or turning into a priest to get a bit of extra respect. Tanuki also use illusions to play tricks on others or get a laugh, and they enjoy drumming on their bellies under the full moon. Tanuki are a great ancestry for players who want to play underdogs or just have fun!
The writing teams for these books include the following individuals: Eren Ahn, Jeremy Blum, Alyx Bui, James Case, Banana Chan, Connie Chang, Rick Chia, Hiromi Cota, Hans Chun, Theta Chun, Dana Ebert, Basheer Ghouse, John Godek III, Joan Hong, Sen H.H.S., Michelle Jones, Joshua Kim, Daniel Kwan, Dash Kwiatkowski, Jacky Leung, Jesse J. Leung, Monte Lin, Jessie “Aki” Lo, Adam Ma, Liane Merciel, Ashley Moni, Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen, Collette Quach, Andrew Quon, Kyra Arsenault Rivera, Christopher Rondeau, Joaquin Kyle "Makapatag" Saavedra, Shahreena Shahrani, Kienna Shaw, Philip Shen, Tan Shao Han, Mari Tokuda, Ruvaid Virk, Viditya Voleti, Grady Wang, Emma Yasui, and Jay Zhang.
Are you excited to explore Tian Xia in your Pathfinder games?