Title: Pathfinder Lost Omens – Shining Kingdoms
Publisher: Paizo Inc
Authors: Dan Cascone, Caryn DiMarco, Sen H.H.S., Laura Lynn Horst, Michelle Y. Kim, Stephanie Lundeen, Derry Luttrell, Matt Morris, Collette Quach, Gina Susanna, Esther Wallace, and Andrew White
Artists: Hazem Ameen, Ekaterina Burmak, Diana Campos, Loïc Canavaggia, Gunship Revolution (Mico Dimagiba, Jen Santos, and Brian Valeza), Miguel Regodón Harkness, Vlada Hladkova, Audrey Hotte, Katerina Kirillova, Paulo Magalhães, Damien Mammoliti, Alexander Nanitchkov, Irina Nordsol, Nikolai Ostertag, Christoph Peters, Roberto Pitturru, Audy Ravindra, Roena Rosenberger, Keri Ruediger, Riccardo Rullo, Luis Salas Lastra, Elisa Serio, Riley Spalding, Matias Tapia, Vicky Yarova, and Ilker Serdar Yildiz
Year: 2025
Genre: Pathfinder lore book featuring six nations of Golarion
Pages: 191 pages
MSRP: $59.99 for the hardcover or grab the PDF for $29.99
True to form for Lost Omens sourcebooks, Shining Kingdoms doesn’t skimp on detail. In its introduction alone –a section spanning just twenty-nine pages– it provides an in-depth history of the region, insights into its people, languages, regional slang, beliefs, and local myths, all broken down by nation. It is robust and engrossing if, at times, a little overwhelming. Smart layout choices go far in mitigating information overload, but it’s safe to say Shining Kingdoms isn’t a “one and done” read.
Nation profiles are similarly jampacked with new information. Each section opens with an at-a-glance reference detailing name, capitol, government, ruler, peoples, languages, factions, religions, and resources. One curiosity was the decision to use the same resource symbol for both “honey” and “ships” in the Andoran profile, a decision made even more curious by the fact that the symbol in question has no obvious visual tie to either of the resources it is meant to represent.
The profiles continue on to include a map, overview of government, current events, a national gazetteer, and then an in0depth presentation on the capitol city. Local festivals, factions, and locales all make an appearance, followed by new character options, items, and feats. Taken together, readers are presented with a rich portrait of a city that feels alive and ready to play host to any number of adventures or campaigns.
A bestiary rounds things out, adding even more new possibilities to the GM’s bag of tricks.
One of Shining Kingdom’s greatest strengths is its commitment to holistic worldbuilding. While each of the six nations exist independently, they do not exist in isolation from one another. Trade, diplomacy, and conflict are all woven in to the understanding with which we are presented which, in turn, leads to a more cohesive sense of storyworld. This same sensibility informs the book’s treatment of history, leveraging it as foundational to understanding the current worldstate, rather than presenting it trivia. Though there is certainly an abundance of detail, none of it is truly extraneous.
The decision to include current events is one that may raise eyebrows. These potential storyhooks –particularly those involving the Broken Ghosts in Galt– are undoubtedly juicy, they feel like they might easily be folded into a future Adventure Path. Their inclusion here in no way prevents that, but any further shift in the world (a virtual guarantee) risks dating these books. In the larger picture, it’s a minor concern as the rest of the text would remain every bit as relevant.
Shining Kingdoms is likely to be a title that draws GMs over players, but anyone with an interest in Pathfinder lore will delight in its thoughtful expansion. While it would have been nice to have more in-world perspective, it is a stylistic decision rather than a critical omission.
Offering a substantial expansion to the Pathfinder setting, Lost Omens Shining Kingdoms is a trove of new possibilities sure to be welcomed by fans of all stripes.
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