Publisher: Paizo Inc
Authors: Kate Baker, Rigby Bendele, Joshua Birdsong, Chris Bissette, Jeremy Blum, Logan Bonner, Dan Cascone, James Case, Jessica Catalan, Brite Cheney, Rue Dickey, Caryn DiMarco, Matthew Fu, Leo Glass, Steven Hammond, Patrick Hurley, Michelle Y. Kim, Dustin Knight, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Christiana Lewis, Jessie “Aki” Lo, Luis Loza, Letterio Mammoliti, Jonathan “Ryomasa” Mendoza, Quinn Murphy, Dave Nelson, Mikhail Rekun, Kai Revius, Ember Rose, Simone D. Sallé, Michael Sayre, Shay Snow, Levi Steadman, Kyle Tam, Ruvaid Virk, and Andrew White
Artists: Wayne Reynolds, Shafi Adams, Wilmar Ballespí Escarp, Gunship Revolution (Mico Dimagiba, Patsy Lascano, Adelijah Ocampo, Luisa Odulio, Hinchel Or, Marcus Reyno, Jen Santos, and Brian Valeza), Ivan Koritarev, Vira Linevych, Mayra Luna, Damien Mammoliti, Lucas Melo, Justine Nortjé,
Mirco Paganessi, Maichol Quinto, Riccardo Rullo, Firat Solhan, Luca Sotgiu, and Jessé Suursoo
Year: 2024
Genre: Pathfinder 2E roleplaying supplement featuring new player character options focused on the natural world
Pages: 224 pages
MSRP: $64.99 in hardcover or $19.99 in PDF
Paizo Inc’s titles are reliably well-written, clear, and engaging. However, when books are allowed to come with a touch of in-universe narration, they tend to really shine, as highlighted by Geb’s sardonic commentary shaping Book of the Dead into one of the liveliest releases in recent years. Howl of the Wild offers us another in-universe look at the world, this time from Baranthet Zamendi, a naturalist and adventurer who has been compelled to record the details of his fantastic journey for the benefit of all who crave adventure, as well as for the financial benefit of the Droon Youth Conservation Foundation.
Functionally, Howl of the Wild introduces new ancestries, including minotaurs, mermaids, and awakened animals; new archetypes and options for existing archetypes; new items; a detailed bestiary; and the Wardens of the Wild themselves. It is a substantial expansion to an already massive gaming toolkit that maintains an outstanding caliber of game design throughout. Even if you are merely interested in the mechanical elements and not the framing, Howl of the Wild is an absolute delight — though you’ll be missing out on a real treat if you really do choose to bypass the narrative elements.
Baranthet’s narration feels something like a crossover between a Jules Verne novel and an old-fashioned adventure serial. He’s full of wonder and warmth, making him an appealing NPC to drop into a campaign or a connection for player characters. From the sample in Howl of the Wind, a proper novel detailing the expedition would be a welcome (if admittedly unorthodox) future addition.
It’s tempting to venerate all of the individual brilliant choices that the team have made, but that highlight reel could go on for pages. While art is consistently high quality in both Pathfinder and Starfinder, some of the character art and full-page spreads are highlights across the entire gameline.
Paizo Inc seems to delight in challenging its creatives to continually up their game, to find new and exciting things to expand the massive variety of options already on offer for players and GMs,and to bring the game’s stated values to the table in fun and surprising ways. Howl of the Wild delivers on all fronts. It’s a wonderfully substantive addition wrapped up in a charming framing device and bedecked with spectacular art. Whether you’re a player or a GM, if you’re a Pathfinder fan, pick this one up.
