By Gods! Pathfinder: War of Immortals Reviewed

Title: Pathfinder – War of Immortals

Publisher: Paizo Inc

Authors: James Case, Liane Merciel, Michael Sayre, Jessica Catalan, Matt Chapmond, Steven Hammond, Steven T. Helt, Brent Holtsberry, Jason Keeley, Michelle Y. Kim, Luis Loza, Erik Mona, AJ Neuro, Joaquin Kyle “Makapatag” Saavedra, Tony Saunders, Andrew Stoeckle, Greg A. Vaughan, and Ruvaid Virk

Artists: Oleksii Chernik, Kendal Gates, Kent Hamilton, Katerina Kirillova, Ivan Koritarev, Sandra Posada, Audy Ravindra, Wayne Reynolds, Riccardo Rullo, Luis Salas Lastra, Rafael Bruno Gomes Silva, and Firat Solhan

Year: 2024

Genre: First chapter in the orc-centric Triumph of the Tusk Pathfinder roleplaying adventure path

Pages: 224 pages

MSRP: $64.99 for the hardcover or $19.99 in PDF

The death of Gorum and the Godsrain changed things forever on Golarion. As the dead god’s power rained down, it unleashed far greater conflict and far more serious discord than Gorum ever did in life, sparking the titular War of Immortals and opening the door for a new flavor of Pathfinder play.

War of Immortals introduces two new classes, five new archetypes, rules for Mythic play, and more. The book also highlights the fiction released in tandem with the game, opening each chapter with a brief story piece and specifically noting the Godsrain novel tie-in.

The two new classes, the Animist and the Exemplar, receive robust introductions, helping players to understand not only the mechanics, but the spirit of each class. The team has also gone out of their way to include a variety of sample characters, demonstrating the variety and versatility of the underlying design. The Animist relies on spiritual entities and divine magic to wield powerful spells while the Exemplar fuses heroics with divine power to imbue Ikons – items that aid Exemplars in accomplishing amazing feats.

Multiclassing rules are, of course, included for both classes, along with the new archetypes.

War of Immortals also rolls out Mythic rules for second edition. Mythically empowered characters gain a calling and, ultimately, a destiny, along with a bevy of new or altered mechanics. Fittingly, Mythic characters are able to influence the story in ways far beyond the means available to the typical character, bringing a nice sense of ludonarrative cohesion to the proceedings, along with bigger demands on the GM. On the flip side, this allows for higher stakes and sets the stage for some truly epic gaming moments.

One of the standout sections is the Mythic Gazetteer, which provides a small snapshot into many of Pathfinder’s most beloved locations, highlighting how the fallout of Gorum’s has impacted the situation on the ground. For campaigns already in progress or for those wrapping up Adventure Paths in a given region, it’s the perfect on-ramp to move into War of the Immortals-focused storytelling in a way that feels natural. The section also doubles as a rich collection of plot hooks as the complications brought on by the Godsrain open up countless narrative possibilities.

War of the Immortals is certainly a substantial add-on, but its suitability for any given table will largely depend on the group’s interest in either Mythic play or exploring the canonical fallout of this mass conflict. For the PDF, that’s less of a concern – coming in at $19.99 from Paizo, it’s a low-risk addition that’s packed with value, even before factoring in the new weapons, armor, artifacts, spells, enemies, and more. Print, however, is a tougher pill to swallow. While War of the Immortals is substantial at 224 pages and packed with beautiful art, the $67.49 price tag for the regular edition or $87.49 price for the special edition is a bigger ask. For GMs and players sitting on the fence, the PDF certainly won’t be a bad investment, but print purists should ensure they’re committed before taking the plunge.