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Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide

GM Core

Source GM Core pg. 143 ^2.0
Ten thousand years ago, the world of Golarion came close to ending. Earthfall, as this extinction-level event came to be known, saw the world pummeled by a shower of falling stars that sank continents, hollowed out new seas, and destroyed civilizations. It took centuries for the world to recover, and centuries more for society to rebuild, but recover it did.

History

Source GM Core pg. 143 ^2.0
Dwarves ascended to the surface from the underground reaches of the Darklands in their legendary Quest for Sky, elves returned from the neighboring planet of Castrovel via a network of portals to reclaim their lands and traditions, and gnomes from the mysterious First World sought shelter for long-forgotten reasons. Survivors from other ancestries who had sheltered through the terror and destruction of Earthfall emerged during the Age of Darkness to reclaim their ancestral lands, from scrappy goblin tribes with a knack for surviving despite all odds against them to industrious halflings who emerged from the ruins to found societies of their own.

But humanity made the most astounding recovery. Less than 2,000 years after the near-extinction from Earthfall, the Age of Destiny saw the rise of many new human empires throughout the world. Humanity built wondrous structures, and its schools relearned magic that had been thought lost. Among these human nations walked a man named Aroden—an immortal survivor of the devastation of Earthfall. Aroden had long since cultivated a following of loyal subjects who regarded him with awe, for immortality was but one of the wonders he'd achieved.

The greatest among these wonders was yet to come. Aroden discovered a shard of potent magic known today as the Starstone, a fragment from the shooting stars that fell during Earthfall, which had lodged at the bottom of the Inner Sea. Contact with this alien artifact assailed Aroden with phantasmagoric visions, subjected him to a series of deadly martial trials, and posed exhausting moral quandaries that challenged his limits more than any of the arduous experiences he'd yet endured. He emerged from this test a living god, and his first divine act was to raise the Starstone and the mass of land on which it had lain from the bottom of the sea to form the Isle of Kortos—also known as Starstone Isle—where he then established the city of Absalom.

In the centuries to follow, Absalom grew into one of the largest cities in the world, and Aroden's legacy grew alongside it. As the millennia passed, his attentions increasingly turned away from the concerns of the Inner Sea's inhabitants to otherworldly matters beyond mortal ken, but prophecy spoke of a time when he would return to Golarion and lead humanity triumphantly into an Age of Glory. As the time of Aroden's return drew near, entire nations undertook monumental preparations to welcome him back to Golarion.

Instead, Aroden died, and with him the reliability of prophecy as well. Golarion was wracked by storms, war, and supernatural devastation as the god's death marked the beginning of a new age—a time of uncertainty, but also a time of opportunity. This is the Age of Lost Omens, an age in need of heroes like never before.

The Inner Sea Region

Source GM Core pg. 144 ^2.0
Although infinite opportunities for adventure await on other continents, worlds, and planes, the Inner Sea region is the focus of the Pathfinder campaign setting. With dozens of nations, empires, frontiers, and wildlands, this region presents a huge range of opportunities for heroism and villainy, exploration and adventure!

Pages 146–155 break down the Inner Sea region into 10 separate regions, each with its own themes. Only a brief overview of each region is presented here—enough to establish the setting and whet the imagination. If you're interested in exploring Golarion and the Inner Sea region more, see the Pathfinder Lost Omens, Pathfinder Adventures, and Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes. Adventure Paths present in-depth material about the region and full-length campaigns, whose adventures bring a brand-new group of heroes all the way to the height of power!

The year in the Inner Sea region is 4723 Absalom Reckoning (ar). As the calendar advances in the real world, time also progresses for Golarion. Pathfinder Player Core was first published in the year 2023, with the Inner Sea region's corresponding year ending in the same two final digits. Golarion's history is expansive, but two of the most significant events to shape the world occurred in –5293 ar, when Earthfall nearly brought an end to the world, and in 4606 ar, when Aroden, the god of humanity, died, and prophecies the world over began to fail, beginning the Age of Lost Omens.

The map above depicts the Inner Sea region, further subdivided into the 10 subregions explored on the following pages. The borders of these regions are thematic rather than political. For an in-depth exploration of the Inner Sea region and its dozens of nations and wildlands, see the Pathfinder Lost Omens World Guide.

Beyond the Inner Sea

Source GM Core pg. 144 ^2.0
The Inner Sea region consists of the continent of Avistan and the northern portion of the continent of Garund, but it's only one part of a much larger world. Garund extends further south, and its southern reaches are home to many unexplored civilizations and cultures. As one travels east from the Inner Sea, the vast expanse of the continent of Casmaron stretches beyond the horizon. With the immense inland Castrovin Sea at its heart, Casmaron is the largest of Golarion's continents and home to some of its oldest and most successful empires. The Padishah Empire of Kelesh dominates much of western Casmaron, with its satrapy of Qadira reaching into the Inner Sea. To the south of Kelesh lies the peninsula of Vudra, a massive and ancient civilization consisting of over one hundred semi-independent kingdoms. The Hundred and One Ships of Khiben-Sald, who was one of Vudra's mightiest maharajas, visited Avistan in ancient times and spread the influence of Vudra's culture throughout the Inner Sea. On Casmaron's southwestern coast lies the island nation of Iblydos, a small land hiding titanic prophecies that can transform mere mortals into hero gods. Far to the north, to the east of Brevoy, lies the land of Iobara, a crumbling society devastated by plague and other disasters. The east of Casmaron is ruled by the sweeping plains known as the Grass Sea, with the horse riders of Karazh and the city of Ular-Kel being the only steady bastions in the endless wilds.

Farther east of Casmaron lies the continent of Tian Xia, a region often called the Dragon Empires. The north of Tian Xia connects to Golarion's northernmost continent, a frozen reach known as the Crown of the World—this continent forms a land bridge between Tian Xia and Avistan over the north pole. Though the trade route is frigid and dangerous, immigrants and merchants travel it every year, bringing coveted Tian goods to fill the cups and grace the plates of Taldan tea houses. Bolder explorers sometimes set sail from one continent to another, setting their sights on the trade center of Goka, a metropolis that rivals Absalom for the largest city in the world.

South of Tian Xia lies the mysterious continent of Sarusan, of which little is known due to the powerful storms and vexing currents that turn away explorers and shroud its shores. Heading west from the Inner Sea region, sailors encounter the shattered remnants of lost Azlant, a ruined continent that hosted one of humanity's first empires until it was destroyed during Earthfall. Sailing farther west from these ruins eventually leads to the shores of Arcadia, a land with unusual magical traditions and powerful nations of its own.

The Darklands

Source GM Core pg. 145 ^2.0
Beneath all of the surface lands, carved into the planet's very crust, lie the twisting tunnels of the tripartite underground realm known collectively as the Darklands, which houses great horrors and dangers but equally great opportunities for triumph and treasure. Deep beneath the surface lies the region known as Nar-Voth, a land of tortuous interconnected cave systems. Dwarves and orcs once lived here, until they moved to the surface after Earthfall—now it's ruled by those who remained and thrive in the dark, such as xulgaths and calignis.

Sekamina, once a seat of power for the Serpentfolk Empire in prehistoric times, is found below Nar-Voth. The caverns here are much larger than any above, some seeming to span entire continents. The ghoul city of Nemret Noktoria can also be found here, deep underneath the surface nations of Osirion and Thuvia. Stranger and awful beings, such as the bizarre seugathi and the nightmarish gogiteth, creep upward from deeper in the Darklands, ensuring the region remains poorly explored.

The deepest layers of the Darklands are known as Orv. Rumors trickle upwards of massive vaults that contain fantastical biomes, built by powerful alien beings for unknown purposes—but few explorers can brave the dangers of the Darklands long enough to return with the truth.

The Solar System

Source GM Core pg. 145 ^2.0
Golarion is but one of 11 worlds that orbit its sun. To the vast majority of the planet's denizens, the other worlds are little more than points of light in the sky, but these worlds aren't so distant as one might expect. The planets of Akiton and Castrovel are Golarion's closest neighbors. Travelers from both have visited and even settled on Golarion, most notably elves, who originally hail from Castrovel. Even the farthest planet, remote Aucturn, has influenced Golarion, with its alien inhabitants exerting a sinister touch on the world that recently put the entire planet in peril. The wise thus don't discount the dangers and wonders that dwell on other planets of Golarion's solar system.

The Great Beyond

Source GM Core pg. 145 ^2.0
Countless planets lie beyond Golarion's solar system, but even these myriad worlds of the Universe are but a fragment compared to what lies in the multiverse beyond. Other planes of existence and strange dimensions wrap this reality in a series of layered, nested spheres, known collectively as the Great Beyond. This model of reality is as much a metaphor for concepts that mortal minds have difficulty grasping as a physical description, for within the Great Beyond, anything is possible. For more information on other planes of existence, see page 172.

Nations

Source GM Core pg. 166 ^2.0
From the smallest of city-states to a continent-spanning empire, nations define the political landscape of a setting and inform local culture and traditions. Knowing the details of a nation can help you as a Game Master, whether your game revolves around international disputes or you simply need to know what languages the common people are likely to speak.

Nations vary tremendously, from massive empires to isolated island realms, and their characteristics can give flavor and depth to your story and the PCs' adventures. An encounter in shadowy Nidal, where allegiance to Zon-Kuthon has literally blocked the sun from the sky, is going to have a very different tone than one in sun-drenched Thuvia. A nation that serves as a cultural or ancestral bastion, like elven Kyonin, might have a different reaction to adventurers than a continent-defining empire like Taldor. A journey into a new nation can introduce the heroes to a new people (if the party visits the hobgoblin nation of Oprak), a new philosophy (such as the materialistic Prophecies of Kalistrade in Druma), or a new foe (as visitors to the undead-ridden Gravelands will certainly learn).

Nations can also provide adventuring inspiration and hooks. When the heroes are caught in the crossfire between two nations in conflict, national concerns become their own. Learning more about a nation's history or practices might lead to a great finding—or a loathsome practice the characters want to eradicate. A party might get involved in the political machinations of a nation's elite power mongers, or they might fall out of favor and find themselves on the run from the law!

Nations also influence a character's story on a personal level. A nation can suggest a character's ancestry, inform the languages they speak, and influence their choice of deity. As a GM, the relationship between a character and a nation can provide opportunities to better hook that character into your campaign. Has the character always lived there, or have they emigrated from elsewhere—and why? A character who fled due to political persecution might have long-standing enemies, while a hero who left due to ideological differences might have friends and family who seek to return them to the fold.

Nation Stat Block

Source GM Core pg. 167 ^2.0
The stat block for a nation presents the core information about a nation in a simple, streamlined format.

Nation Name Nation

Trait
As with any stat block, a nation has a list of traits that convey its properties at a glance. These traits are overarching characteristics, but don't necessarily reflect every person or settlement that might be encountered—a nation is rarely monolithic, and the attitudes or cultural makeup of its people may differ drastically from those of the nation as a whole. For example, the elven nation of Kyonin has the elf trait, indicating that it was created by and remains almost exclusively populated by elves. Similarly, a nation with an extremely particular focus might have a trait to represent that, such as Galt, which has the revolutionary trait.

Following the traits is a brief summary of the nation.
Government This names the formal government and describes the nation's governmental structure, such as a hereditary monarchy, an elected council, or a theocratic dictatorship.
Capital This is the established seat of the nation's government, with the city's population in parentheses.
Population The predominant ancestries of the nation are listed here, ordered from most to least common.
Languages The languages commonly spoken in the nation appear here, listed alphabetically.
Religions This lists the religions and philosophies commonly practiced in the nation. If a nation has a state religion, this is indicated in parentheses following that religion. If a nation has prohibited any religions, those are listed in a Prohibited entry following the common religions.
Other Characteristics A nation might have distinctive features that set it apart from other nations, such as the predominance of firearms in Alkenstar. Each such feature is detailed in this entry, though a nation rarely has more than one or two of these entries, and many don't have any.
Primary Exports This lists the nation's primary exports, such as raw materials, finished goods, services, and other resources. If the nation has no exports of note, this entry is omitted.
Primary Imports Much like primary exports, this entry details the resources commonly imported by the nation. Like exports, if the nation has no imports of note, this entry is omitted.
Allies This entry lists other nations, and occasionally large organizations, allied with the nation. It is omitted for nations with no significant relationships.
Enemies Other nations (and sometimes organizations) that oppose the nation appear here. This entry is omitted for nations with no enemies to speak of.
Factions Any significant organizations or factions operating within the nation are listed in this entry.
Threats This entry lists various threats the nation faces, such as aggression from neighboring nations, natural disasters, economic instability, magical anomalies, and so on.
Significant NPCs The final section of the nation's stat block presents the most significant NPCs of that nation, including its ruler (if it has one). These may not be the most powerful or influential individuals in the nation, and instead are those most likely to be known by people within and outside of the nation.

Nations of Lost Omens

Source GM Core pg. 167 ^2.0
Presented below are stat blocks for two nations from the Lost Omens campaign setting. You can use these as examples when building your own nation stat blocks.

Andoran Nation

Democratic
Fledgling democracy in pursuit of freedom for all.
Government The People's Council (parliamentary democracy)
Capital Almas (76,600)
Population humans (Taldan), halflings, kobolds, dwarves
Languages Common
Religions Abadar, Cayden Cailean, Erastil, Iomedae, Shelyn
Primary Exports ancient treasures and artifacts, financial credit, lumber, minerals
Enemies autocratic governments concerned about potential domestic revolts, Cheliax, Katapesh
Factions Bellflower Network, Eagle Knights, Lumber Consortium
Threats aggression from Cheliax, rising trade consortium control, corruption among elected officials
Andira Marusek (dauntless female human warrior) Supreme Elect of the Executive Office and mayor of Almas
Reginald Cormoth (impish male human commander) Eagle Knight Commander General
Felandriel Morgethai (esteemed female elf wizard) Almas University provost

Rahadoum Nation

Atheist Human
Desert nation unified by a humanistic worldview and rejection of religion.
Government Council of Elders (representative council)
Capital Azir (72,370)
Population humans (Garundi, Mauxi)
Languages Common, Osiriani
Religions Laws of Mortality; Prohibited all divine religions
Irreligious All worship of deities is prohibited by Rahadoumi law. Religious symbols and items are confiscated and proselytization incurs a heavy fine. Rahadoumi citizens perform healing through only mundane means or non-divine magic.
Primary Exports base metals, fine cloth, gemstones, herbal remedies, mechanical innovations, produce, salt, tools
Primary Imports lumber, pesh
Enemies pirates of the Shackles, Red Mantis, religious groups
Factions Aspis Consortium, Pure Legion
Threats conflict among neighboring nations, desert-dwelling monsters, disease, rapidly accelerating desertification
Malduoni (keen male human politician) Keeper of the First Law, elected by the Council of Elders
Kassi Aziril (radical female human doctor) “Mother of Modern Medicine,” renowned medical researcher and philanthropist
Salim Ghadafar (begrudging male human divine agent) former Pure Legion captain forced into Pharasma's service

Settlements

Source GM Core pg. 168 ^2.0
Adventures have to start somewhere, and everyone needs some semblance of a home. Settlements are where characters can rest, recharge, retrain, and dedicate themselves to other downtime activities, all in relative peace. But settlements can also hold their own intrigues and dangers, providing adventure opportunities of their own.

For some players, a settlement might be nothing more than a convenient place to purchase gear and sell loot. For others, a settlement might be a beloved home they're willing to risk everything to protect. And sometimes, an entire campaign takes place entirely within the walls of a single city.

Settlements in a Game

Source GM Core pg. 168 ^2.0
Given the variety of roles a settlement can play in an adventure, a Game Master should have a firm understanding of how they work in the game and how to best use them. Virtually every settlement uses the rules for urban environments presented starting on page 92. Those rules are primarily intended for encounter mode, however, and so the following guidance can help you best use a settlement in the broader narrative of your game.

Settlement Adventures

Source GM Core pg. 168 ^2.0
Designing adventures in a settlement generally follows the guidelines presented in Adventure Design on page 68. However, a settlement's greater population density also allows for a number of adventure styles and elements that aren't as common beyond the city walls.

Social encounters are one of the most common interactions within a settlement, starting with the guards at the city gates all the way to an audience with the queen. The influence and reputation subsystems (pages 187 and 200, respectively) can facilitate these interactions in a more structured way. Chase scenes, using the rules starting on page 192, are an iconic component of a settlement adventure, especially in a larger city where dense buildings and a variety of structures make for an exciting series of obstacles. A settlement is also an ideal place for a party to conduct an infiltration (page 196). Since most libraries, archives, and similar repositories of information are located within settlements, you might make use of the research rules (page 190). Ambitious characters might want to build up their own organizations using the leadership subsystem (page 204).

Modes of Play

Source GM Core pg. 168 ^2.0
Just like in other adventure locations, all three modes of play can happen in settlements. Since a settlement presents far more opportunities for noncombat activities than most other environments, characters likely spend most of their time in exploration mode. Downtime almost exclusively takes place within a settlement.

Marketplaces

Source GM Core pg. 168 ^2.0
Where there are people, there is commerce. The Buying and Selling Items section on page 48 provides several sets of guidelines for handling commerce in your game, but it can also be helpful to have a sense of what items and economic power a given settlement has on its own merits.

In a given settlement, a character can usually purchase any common item (including formulas, alchemical items, and magic items) that's of the same or lower level than the settlement's. Usually, fewer of the highest-level items are available—you can use the Party Treasure by Level table on page 59 as a guideline for how many of the highest-level items might be available, using the Permanent Items and Consumables entries for a level one lower than the settlement's actual level. Inhabitants of a settlement can usually purchase items from PCs as long as those items are the same or lower level than the settlement, with limitations on higher-level items similar to those available for sale. If a settlement's population is significantly smaller than its level would suggest, its ability to provide and purchase items might be more limited.

If a character's level is higher than the settlement's, that character can usually use their own influence and leverage to acquire higher-level items, as they convince shops to place specialty orders or artisans to craft custom goods, though it might take a bit of time for such orders to be fulfilled.

Spellcasting services are available in many settlements. Barring a powerful spellcasting NPC in the city with whom the party could negotiate for services, a character can find someone to cast common spells up to a level that could be cast by an NPC of the settlement's level. For example, a character in a 9th-level city can typically find and pay someone to cast a 5th-rank common spell—the highest spell available to a 9th-level spellcaster.

Some settlements have access to uncommon items, formulas, and spells. If a settlement could reasonably be considered to meet the Access entry for an item or spell, that item or spell is available just like any common item. For example, the dwarven settlement of Kraggodan has plenty of dwarf weapons available.

Power Structures

Source GM Core pg. 169 ^2.0
Outside of city limits, adventurers spend much of their time operating on their own terms, accountable only to their moral code. But in a settlement, the heroes become part of a larger system with its own codified laws, procedures, and enforcement. The details of a settlement’s power structures shape the party’s interactions within that settlement.

Government

Source GM Core pg. 169 ^2.0
The government of a settlement often reflects the nature of that settlement. A law-abiding, militaristic city likely has a hierarchical government with a single figure at the top; a crossroads market town might be under the control of its wealthiest merchant families; and a farming community might simply look to the oldest residents for leadership as necessary.

That said, the legal and publicly recognized ruler of a settlement isn't always the one calling the shots. They could merely be a puppet to a secret entity that silently pulls the strings from the shadows. Some settlements are ruled by hidden coteries, from strange religious sects to thieves' guilds. A settlement might be swayed by politically powerful residents, such as an occult vizier or a politically savvy high priest. In some cases, the legitimate authority might seem to govern but has actually been replaced by a faceless stalker, a devil in disguise, or another powerful shapechanger.

Legal Codes

Source GM Core pg. 169 ^2.0
Most civilizations agree that laws are necessary to ensure a functioning society. The specific laws range from one settlement to another, and they might be as simple as a prohibition against murder and theft to exceptionally convoluted regulatory schemes dictating everything from clothing details to available confections. How well known these laws are can further flavor a party’s interactions with that settlement, as it’s likely easier to navigate a well-documented system than one in which the rules are learned only through experience and word of mouth. Generally speaking, a more bureaucratic settlement is likely to have more complex laws, and a laxer locale to have fewer and simpler laws.

Law Enforcement

Source GM Core pg. 169 ^2.0
Most settlements have systems in place to enforce their laws. In a small village, residents might police themselves, holding one another accountable to their shared values. Towns and larger settlements usually have some system of guards, whether that’s a post filled by a rotation of volunteers or a city guard of professionals paid by the city’s government to maintain order. Many settlements have some way of dealing with criminals, from fines to public stocks to prison cells, as well as individuals responsible for meting out those sentences.

Organizations, Churches, and Factions

Source GM Core pg. 170 ^2.0
The government isn’t the only influential factor in a settlement. Prestigious organizations, prominent churches, and specialized factions all wield power as well, often in conflict with the official government or one another. Religious congregations usually wield significant power in communities where faith is strong. An organization can wield overt influence over the community where they’re based, or subtle control, as the Pathfinder Society does in Absalom. In a small settlement, a wizard, sorcerer, or bard of even moderate magical talent would be a rare and influential member of society. Other notable factions might include noble houses, wealthy merchants, innkeepers, and retired soldiers and adventurers.

Corruption

Source GM Core pg. 170 ^2.0
In any settlement, it’s possible for officials to put their own interests before those of the people they serve. Corruption might be as simple as a clerk willing to accept a bribe to expedite some paperwork, or it might be as sinister as falsely punishing citizens to cover up the official’s crimes.

Settlement Stat Block

Source GM Core pg. 170 ^2.0
A settlement's stat block consolidates the basic information about a settlement into a centralized format. Typical contents of settlement statistics are listed below.

Settlement Name Settlement (Level)

Type Other
The first elements of a settlement stat block are its name and level. A settlement's level represents its relative size and economic capacity as well as roughly corresponds to the maximum level of NPC that can be found there, not counting significant NPCs listed below. In general, any common items with a level no higher than the settlement's level are available for purchase (though a character of a higher level can usually ferret out or custom order higher-level items). In addition, the settlement's level is used to help determine the maximum possible task level that could become available there to Earn Income (Player Core 228). Both these are simply guidelines, however, and a GM should make exceptions at their discretion.

Following the settlement's heading are its traits. The first of these is the trait representing the settlement's type: village, town, city, or metropolis. This trait generally reflects the size of the settlement, but it also tends to correlate to a settlement's level. A village is usually level 0–1, a town level 2–4, a city level 5–7, and a metropolis 8 or above, though the presence of many higher-level or wealthy residents could easily skew the level of a village, town, or city upwards.

A settlement might have other traits in addition to its type trait. For example, the dwarven sky citadel of Kraggodan has the dwarf trait since it was built and is predominantly occupied by dwarves. The city of Lepidstadt in Ustalav has the academic trait due to its focus around the prestigious University of Lepidstadt.

Following the settlement's traits is a simple sentence that provides a short description of the settlement and its role in the story or region.
Government This entry describes the settlement's governing entity, such as a mayor, the town elder, an elected council, and so on.
Population The settlement's total population is listed here, followed by a breakdown of the population by ancestry in parentheses.
Languages The languages commonly spoken in the settlement are listed here, ordered alphabetically.
Religions This entry lists the religions and philosophies commonly practiced in the settlement. If the settlement has an official religion, that's indicated in parenthesis. If the settlement has prohibited any religions or philosophies, those are listed in a Prohibited entry following the Religions entry.
Threats This entry lists the major threats facing the settlement, such as ongoing drought or famine, political uprisings, criminal activity, and the like.
Other Characteristics A settlement might have distinctive features that affect its residents or visitors entering the city, such as a particular trade that makes certain items more available.
Significant NPCs The final section of the settlement stat block presents the most significant NPCs of that settlement. This usually includes the settlement's official leader, if one is present and if it's a single person. It also includes other movers and shakers, local celebrities, and persons of particular interest to adventurers.

Sample Settlement Abilities

Source GM Core pg. 170 ^2.0
Here are some common settlement abilities you can use to customize a settlement of your own creation.

Artists' Haven: Residents of this city have a deep appreciation for fine art. It's easier to find higher-level tasks to Earn Income involving Performance or art as well as buyers willing to pay more for art objects.

City of Artisans: The settlement is famous for a particular good, such as armor and weapons. Items of up to four levels higher than the settlement level are available from that particular category.

Magical Academy: The settlement prides itself on teaching magic, and its residents are skilled at teaching others. Choose a magical tradition or traditions suitable to your settlement. When a PC pays an NPC to teach them a new spell of that tradition in the settlement, the NPC assists the process and provides an additional +2 circumstance bonus to the check to Learn the Spell. In addition, at the GM's discretion, spells and rituals with the uncommon trait might be available in this settlement.

Religious Bias: This settlement has a strong affiliation with a particular religion. Anyone who's visibly a worshipper of that specific deity gains a +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks to Make an Impression, Request, and Gather Information. Characters who visibly worship one of that deity's foes take a –1 circumstance penalty to the same actions.

Scholarly: An abundance of public libraries or other accessible places of learning within this settlement means that with 1d4 hours, a character can access a scholarly journal on a relevant common subject (Player Core 290) before attempting to Recall Knowledge.

Changing a Settlement

Source GM Core pg. 171 ^2.0
Sometimes the characters spend a long period of time in a single settlement. Perhaps it's their home base, where they spend their downtime between adventures, or perhaps the entire adventure takes place there. In these cases, you might find you need to update your settlement stat block as it changes over time.

Several elements of the settlement stat block are simple to update; you change the population as it grows or shrinks, and you change the leaders on your stat block as different people move between those positions. But you also might make changes that reflect the results of the PCs' adventures. If the heroes eliminated a major threat facing the settlement, you should remove that threat from the stat block—but if they drew the wrath of a new foe in doing so, you might add that new threat! You can also update the stat block's abilities, should the PCs' actions have that large an influence on the city. For example, if the party (using the leadership subsystem on page 204) built up a wizard school focused on crafting magical items, you might add an ability to the settlement stat block that increased the availability of magic items in the settlement's markets.

Settlements of Lost Omens

Source GM Core pg. 171 ^2.0
Presented below are stat blocks for two settlements from the Lost Omens campaign setting: Port Peril, a dangerous and lawless city in the islands known as the Shackles, and Otari, a town located on the Isle of Kortos with strong connections to Absalom. You can use these as examples when building your own settlement stat blocks.

Port Peril Settlement 11

Metropolis Criminal
Pirate haven and black-market capital of the Shackles.
Government Hurricane Queen (overlord)
Population 43,270 (65% humans, 10% half-elves, 8% half-orcs, 5% gnomes, 5% halflings, 7% other)
Languages Common, Kelish, Osiriani
Religions Besmara, Cayden Cailean, Gozreh
Threats anti-pirate policing from the Inner Sea region, opposing pirate forces, supernatural storms from the Eye of Abendego
Pirate Town Port Peril thrives on black market and stolen goods. Items that might be difficult to acquire or dispose of in other settlements due to legality can be purchased and sold more easily in Port Peril. NPCs begin with an attitude one step worse than usual toward characters openly displaying insignia of law enforcement agencies, religious iconography of law-enforcing deities such as Iomedae or Abadar, or affiliation with a nation known for persecuting pirates.
Pherias Jakar (attentive female elf troubadour) merchant master and joint overseer of Port Peril
Sabas Odabio (organized male human administrator) accountant and joint overseer of Port Peril
Tessa Fairwind (daring female half-elf pirate lord) Hurricane Queen of the Shackles
Tsojmin Kreidoros (humorless male dwarf wizard) harbormaster and joint overseer of Port Peril

Otari Settlement 4

Town
Diverse lumber town and trade port with a storied past and a fair share of sinister secrets.
Government Mayor (elected leader)
Population 1,240 (60% humans, 8% halflings, 7% half-elves, 6% elves, 5% dwarves, 5% gnomes, 3% half-orcs, 2% goblins, 4% other)
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish, Halfling
Religions Cayden Cailean, Erastil, Gozreh, Nethys, Sarenrae
Threats aberrant horrors, eerie hauntings, kobolds, smugglers
Trinket Trade Otari has a long tradition of catering to adventurers, and consumable items of up to 10th level can be purchased in its markets and shops.
Oseph Menhemes (indecisive male human mayor) current mayor of Otari, patriarch of one of three local lumber companies
Vandy Banderdash (eager female halfling cleric) chatty priestess of Sarenrae and unusually knowledgeable town historian
Wrin Sivinxi (curious female tiefling merchant) eccentric occult items dealer, artisan, and collector of stories and rumors

The Planes

Source GM Core pg. 172 ^2.0
Past the world of Golarion and the void of space lie the vast planes of existence referred to as the Great Beyond. Often alien and dangerous, most of these planes embody some foundational aspect of reality—one of the chief elements that make up the rest of the multiverse or a kind of fundamental energy. Each plane is a reality unto itself, with its own laws of existence and its own native inhabitants who might visit, grant benefits to residents of, or cause havoc on the face of Golarion.

Planar Traits

Source GM Core pg. 172 ^2.0
Each plane, dimension, and demiplane has its own properties and attributes. Planar traits can be broken down into five categories: scope, gravity, time, morphic, and planar essence. Combined, those traits describe the laws and makeup of the plane. These appear in the plane’s traits entry, though any trait that matches the Universe (described in the Normal entry in each section below) is omitted.

Scope Trait

Source GM Core pg. 172 ^2.0
Most planes are immeasurable, so immense they're impossible to quantify. Which immeasurable planes, if any, are infinite is a subject of debate among philosophers and scholars alike. Since so many planes are immeasurable, those planes omit a scope trait. Otherwise, the plane likely has either the finite or unbounded trait.

Finite: Finite planes consist of a limited amount of space.

Immeasurable: Immeasurable planes are immeasurably large, perhaps infinite.

Unbounded: Unbounded planes loop back on themselves when a creature reaches the plane's “edge.”

Gravity Traits

Source GM Core pg. 172 ^2.0
Many planes have unusual gravity.

Normal: Bodies of great mass are the centers of gravity, and objects fall toward those centers with a measured amount of force relative to the size of the body.

High Gravity: As in normal gravity, bodies of great mass act as centers of gravity, but the force relative to the size of the body is greater than in the Universe. The Bulk of all creatures and objects is doubled, meaning creatures acclimated to normal gravity can carry only half as much. Creatures used to normal gravity move at half Speed and can jump only half as high and far. Physical ranged attacks are impossible beyond the third range increment (instead of the sixth). Creatures that fall in high gravity take bludgeoning damage equal to the distance they fell.

Low Gravity: As in normal gravity, bodies of great mass act as centers of gravity, but the force relative to the size of the body is less than in the Universe. The Bulk of all creatures and objects is halved, meaning creatures acclimated to normal gravity can carry twice as much and jump twice as high and far. Physical ranged attacks are possible up to the twelfth range increment (instead of the sixth). Creatures that fall in low gravity take no damage for the first 10 feet of a fall, and then take bludgeoning damage equal to a quarter of the remaining distance it fell.

Microgravity: There's little to no gravity on this plane. Creatures float in space unless they can push off a surface or use some force to propel themselves throughout the plane.

Strange Gravity: All bodies of mass are centers of gravity with roughly the same force. A creature can stand on any solid objects that's as large as or larger than themself.

Subjective Gravity: All bodies of mass can be centers of gravity with the same force, but only if a non-mindless creature wills it. Unattended items, objects, and mindless creatures treat the plane as having microgravity. Creatures on a plane with subjective gravity can move normally along a solid surface by imagining “down” near their feet. Designating this downward direction is a free action that has the concentration trait. If suspended in midair, a creature can replicate flight by choosing a “down” direction and falling in that direction, moving up to their Speed or fly Speed. This pseudo-flight uses the Fly action.

Time Traits

Source GM Core pg. 172 ^2.0
Time flows differently on many planes.

Normal: Time passes the same way it does in the Universe. One hour on a plane with normal time equals 1 hour in the Universe.

Erratic: Time slows down and speeds up, so an individual might lose or gain time as they move between planes. When a creature moves from a plane with erratic time to one with normal time, roll a DC 11 flat check. Creatures that leave an erratic time plane together share the same result.
Success Time passed normally on the erratic time plane.
Failure For each hour spent on the erratic time plane, 1 day passed on the normal time plane.
Critical Failure For each round spent on the erratic time plane, 1 day passed on the normal time plane.

Flowing: The flow of time is consistently faster or slower. A creature might travel to one of these planes, spend a year there, and find that only an hour passed in the Universe; alternatively, they might spend a minute on this plane and find out an hour passed in the Universe.

Timeless: Time still passes, but the effects of time are diminished. Creatures on these planes don't feel hunger, thirst, or the effects of aging or natural healing. The effects of poison, diseases, and other kinds of healing might also be diminished on certain timeless planes. Spell energy and other effects still dissipate, so the durations of spells and other effects function as normal. The danger of this trait is that when a creature leaves a timeless plane and enters a plane with another time trait, the effects of hunger, thirst, aging, and other effects slowed or arrested by the timeless trait occur retroactively in the instant of transition, possibly causing the creature to immediately starve or die of old age.

Morphic Traits

Source GM Core pg. 173 ^2.0
This trait describes how easily the physical nature of the plane can be changed. The Universe is considered the norm for its residents, but other planes can warp through the plane's own sentient designs or be manipulated by extremely powerful creatures.

Normal: Objects remain where they are (and what they are) unless affected by physical force or magic. Creatures can change the immediate environment as a result of tangible effort, such as by digging a hole.

Metamorphic: Things change by means other than physical force or magic. Sometimes spells have morphic effects. Other times, the plane's nature is under the control of a deity or power, or the plane simply changes at random.

Sentient: The plane changes based on its own whims.

Static: Visitors can't affect living residents of the plane or objects the denizens carry in any way. Any spells that would affect those on the plane have no effect unless the static trait is somehow removed or suppressed.

Planar Essence Traits

Source GM Core pg. 173 ^2.0
Planar essence traits describe a plane's fundamental nature. For example, many of the Inner Sphere's planes are infused with an element or energy, each of which affects magic on those planes, and the Netherworld is awash with shadow. Outer Planes are fundamentally made up of quintessence, a philosophically aligned material with infinite potential for shape and state that conforms to powerful and prevailing beliefs.

Air: Planes with this trait consist mostly of open spaces and air of various levels of turbulence, though they also contain rare islands of floating stone and other elements and energies. Air planes usually have breathable atmospheres, though they might include clouds of acidic or toxic gas. Earth creatures often find themselves at a disadvantage within air planes, as there's little solid ground for them to gain their bearings, which tends to at least make them uncomfortable.

Earth: These planes are mostly solid. Travelers arriving upon an earth plane risk suffocation if they don't reach a cavern or some other air pocket within the plane's solid matter. Creatures who can't burrow are entombed in the plane's substance and must attempt to dig their way toward an air pocket. Air creatures are ill at ease, as they rarely have the space to move freely through even the loftiest warrens.

Fire: Planes with this trait are composed of flames that continually burn with no fuel source. Fire planes are extremely hostile to non-fire creatures. Unprotected wood, paper, cloth, and other flammable materials catch fire almost immediately, and creatures wearing unprotected flammable clothing catch fire, typically taking 1d6 persistent fire damage. Extraplanar creatures take moderate environmental fire damage at the end of each round (sometimes minor environmental damage in safer areas, or major or massive damage in even more fiery areas). Ice creatures are extremely uncomfortable on a fire plane, assuming they don't outright melt in the heat.

Metal: These planes consist of chaotic and shifting structures and oceans of metal. Metal planes tend to exist in a state of change and decay, leaving plentiful pockets of air for visitors to breathe or move within. Creatures unlucky enough to be entombed in the plane's substance risk suffocation if they can't phase through metal. Wood creatures find the lack of stability and soil on a metal plane disconcerting and often fail to thrive in such environments.

Water: Planes with this trait are mostly liquid. Visitors who can't breathe water or reach an air pocket likely drown. The rules for aquatic combat (Player Core 437) usually apply, including the inability to cast fire spells or use actions with the fire trait. Creatures with a weakness to water take damage equal to double their weakness at the end of each round.

Wood: These planes consist of trees and other flora latticed in organic patterns. Wood planes are often perfectly constructed to match their desired purpose or environment but aren't usually outright hostile to visitors.

Shadow: Planes with this trait are umbral with murky light. In the Netherworld, the radius of all light from light sources and the areas of light spells are halved.

Void: Planes with this trait are vast, empty reaches that suck the life from the living. They tend to be lonely, haunted planes, drained of color and filled with winds carrying the moans of the dead At the end of each round, a living creature takes at least minor void environmental damage. In the strongest areas of a void plane, they could take moderate or even major void damage at the end of each round. This damage has the death trait, and if a living creature is reduced to 0 Hit Points by this void damage and killed, it crumbles into ash and can become a wraith (see Monster Core).

Vitality: These planes are awash with life energy. Colors are brighter, fires are hotter, noises are louder, and sensations are more intense. At the end of each round, an undead creature takes at least minor vitality environmental damage. In the strongest areas of a vitality plane, they could take moderate or even major vitality damage instead. While this might seem safe for living creatures, vitality planes present a different danger. Living creatures regain an amount of HP each round equal to the environmental damage undead take in the same area. If this would bring the living creature above their maximum HP, any excess becomes temporary HP. Unlike normal, these temporary HP combine with each other, and they last until the creature leaves the plane. If a creature's temporary HP from a vitality plane ever exceeds its maximum HP, it explodes in a burst of overloaded vitality energy, spreading across the area to birth new souls.

Planar Stat Blocks

Source GM Core pg. 174 ^2.0
Each of the planes listed in the following pages includes a short stat block of key information. The plane's type—whether it's a plane, dimension, or demiplane—appears in the stat block's heading, followed by the traits that define that plane. The following entries also provide important information about each plane.

Category: This indicates whether the plane is an Inner Plane, Outer Plane, Transitive Plane, or dimension.

Divinities: A list of all of the deities, demigods, and other powers that call this realm their home.

Native Inhabitants: A sample of typical inhabitants of the plane. Also listed are the plane's shades, the souls of dead mortals who have been judged and sent on to whichever plane reflects the life they led. More information on shades can be found in Monster Core.

Inner Sphere Planes

Source GM Core pg. 174 ^2.0
The planes of the Inner Sphere form the heart of the cosmos. They’re the home of mortal life, the focus of divine attention, the source of mortal souls, and the origin point of the great cycle of quintessence that fuels the motions and stability of reality itself. Arranged in a nested series of shells, like layers of an onion, the planes of the Inner Sphere include, from outer to inner: the elemental planes of fire, earth, metal, water, wood, and air; the mortal galaxies of the Universe; and at the very core of this cosmological ensemble, the raw forces of creation and destruction of Creation’s Forge and the Void overlap the Universe.

Enhanced and Impeded Magic

Some particularly potent areas can enhance magic related to the nature of the plane or impede magic inimical to it. For instance, a nexus of void energy in the Void might enhance void magic, and the unholy majesty of an archdevil's throne room might impede holy magic.

Enhanced Magic: Anyone Casting a Spell with the enhanced trait gains a +1 circumstance bonus to their spell DC or spell attack roll with that spell.

Impeded Magic: A character who Casts a Spell or activates an item with the specified trait must succeed at a DC 6 flat check or the spell or activation is disrupted

Transitive Planes

Source GM Core pg. 177 ^2.0
At a minimum, each Transitive Plane coexists with one or more other planes, a relationship oversimplified by stating that Transitive Planes are just used to get from one plane to another. The mists of the Ethereal Plane overlap the planes of the Inner Sphere, while the Astral Plane borders every other plane in existence like the backstage of the cosmos. Bright and dark mirrors of the Universe, the First World and the Netherworld overlap the mortal world, albeit often in bizarre ways such that a short distance in one might be a vast gulf in the other. The daring, wise, or desperate can utilize these planes to bypass barriers in the Universe or rapidly cross vast distances through much swifter travel.

Outer Sphere Planes

Source GM Core pg. 178 ^2.0
The planes of the Outer Sphere are the manifest realms of philosophy: good and evil, order and change, faith, and their admixtures, populated by celestials, fiends, monitors, and others who promote these moral concepts. These planes are the backdrop upon which the mortal afterlife reaches its apparent conclusion, and the end destination of the River of Souls. The Outer Planes are regions of stability adrift in the raw, chaotic quintessence of the primordial Maelstrom, its tides forever gnawing at their edges even as mortal souls sustain them. The Outer Rifts manifest as cracks in the Outer Sphere’s fabric. Rising from the metropolitan Axis is the Boneyard’s spire, the location where mortal souls are judged and then sent to their final destinations, be they reward, suffering, or oblivion. The Outer Planes are places of majesty, wonder, terror, and danger outstripping anything mortal adventurers might encounter anywhere else.

Dimensions

Source GM Core pg. 181 ^2.0
Existing in the metaphorical space between the Transitive Planes and smaller, finite demiplanes, dimensions are a category unto themselves, defying the neat categorization of planar scholars and adventurers. Seemingly infinite in scale, not necessarily spatial in the same way as a plane, and overlaying every other plane at once—including one another—dimensions and planes are most significantly differentiated in how each of them breaks the commonly held rules of the other. Although some scholars include other extraplanar realms within the ranks of dimensions, only two such realms are uniformly agreed upon and classified as such. The Dreamlands are readily accessed by mortal dreamers, while the Dimension of Time is notorious for the near impossibility of accessing it as well as the bizarre, often deadly restrictions upon travel to and within its bounds.

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