Review of Beadle and Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens for Pathfinder 2nd Edition

A few months ago, we reviewed Beadle & Grimm’s Complete Character Chronicles for Pathfinder Second Edition. And recently we received in Beadle and Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens at Nerds on Earth HQ! We’ve been chomping at the bit to get this in our hands and it’s worth its weight in gold!

Seriously, this thing is heavy!

We want to share all of the Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens goodies with you, showcasing how it squarely fits in the realm of deluxe tabletop gaming products with immense amount of functionality attached.

Now, keep in mind that we’ve already reviewed Paizo’s Lost Omens: Absalom, City of Lost Omens book. You can find that review here. I’m not going to focus much on the contents of that book, but rather on Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Box itself and how it takes the exploration Absalom up a notch.

So let’s dive into the Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens from Beadle & Grimm’s!

Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens: Who It’s For

Alright, so at its price point, Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens is very clearly a premium product. You might even consider it the gold standard of premium products. There’s so much packed into this edition that it’s not something that you would likely pick up on a whim. In fact, that might be why you’re here to begin with!

This set is strictly designed for people who run games. If you’re a player of Pathfinder Second Edition, this isn’t going to be like some of the other Pathfinder Second Edition supplements that cater to the delights of Gamemaster and player alike. I mentioned it in my full review of the Absalom: City of Lost Omens book that this tome is primarily made for Gamemasters.

Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens gives Gamemasters everything – and I mean EVERYTHING – that they need to run countless adventures within Pathfinder’s most famous city. With the pre-written adventures in ‘Tales from the Warehouse’, pregenerated characters, and amazing handouts, Gamemasters will absolutely wow their tables with the depth of knowledge at their fingertips.

What makes the Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens box different than just having the book mainly boils down to organization and ease of access. Each of the chapters of the book are now in their own accessible soft-bound book, so you can pick and choose which pieces you might need for a session. For example, if your players are all setup to spend the day in the Coins, you probably don’t need to pack the book on the Wise Quarter into your bag.

Instead, you’ll want to grab the two-sided book detailing the Ascendant Court and the Coins and grab the large tent handouts showing the Chelaxian Embassy, Pleasure Salan of Calistria, The Eternal Shackle, the Gallery of Innovation, the Hall of Commerce, and the Temple of Lost Coins. While you’re at it, tuck into the blue map folder and grab map for the Coins. Lastly, find the NPC cards for anybody you think the party might run into, the corresponding NPC tome(s), and the metal coins from the box.

BOOM. Master of the Game.

The book itself was already incredible but now I’m able to piecemeal it out in a smart and organized way that makes me feel like a genius. And I sort of just mentioned the tent handouts in passing, but I’ll go into more detail on those below. These kinds of things help the table come alive.

Even if you aren’t a Pathfinder player, the contents of Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens allow you to pick up Absalom and place it in countless campaign settings or game systems. This is about breathing life into your stories and helping everyone visualize the setting more fully. I’ll be pulling these NPC cards all the time, from published adventures, to homebrew, to Pathfinder Society scenarios. They’re just so relatable and applicable everywhere.

Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens: The Best Parts

Now let’s take a look at my top three takeaways from Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens for Pathfinder Second Edition. These are things that caught my eye when reading through the book, and the things I’m most excited to bring to the table.

The Tent Handouts

I’ve mentioned them a few times now, but the tent handouts (my phrase, not theirs) are one of my favorite things about the Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens box. These folded pieces of paper are roughly 6″ x 8″ and showcase the magnificent Absalom art on one side with next on the other. They’re made to stand up on a table so that you can show the image to your players while giving the Gamemaster access to the information on the back.

One of my qualms with tabletop roleplaying game book content is that there is so much gorgeous art that the players never get to see unless you find the image source online or hold up the massive book towards the group. These tent handouts depict people and landmarks central to Absalom and take that qualm away without thinking twice.

They’re perfect for conveying information. You know what they say about pictures and their worth in words, right? Totally stands true here. The landmarks are presorted by location, while the people/NPCs will need to be sorted how you want them. I recommend sorting alphabetically.

What’s great is that even within the two alphabetized NPC books, you still have additional character art not represented in the tent handouts. So, if you still want to get that arm workout in, the option is available for you to hold the books up as well.

Tales from the Warehouse

My next favorite part about Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens is the exclusive set of adventures and encounters present in the box. Collectively, these are in the ‘Tales from the Warehouse’ book, and outline two separate adventures and two encounters that you can instantly bring to the table.

• Crimson Corruption is designed for four 6th-level characters and takes players on a hunt to find a missing fiance.
• Putrid Prize takes four 4th-level characters on a chase to catch a clockwork monkey thief.
• Fun and Games guides low and mid-level characters on the beautiful Besmara’s Boardwalk battle map.
• A Ghastly Siege drops 2nd-level characters into the Sewer Dragon Theater of the Undercity.

If you’ve never opened up a Paizo-published adventure, you’re in for a real treat with these Warehouse Tales. Each one is well-written and provides everything you need to plug-and-play Pathfinder Second Edition with your group. There are even guides for which handouts and maps to use from Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens!

I’m especially fond of A Ghastly Siege. I can just picture the scenario very well in my mind, from the villain’s bravado to the decrepit theater. And it has an incredible map to accompany it. Highly recommend.

Jewelry and Artifacts

If you’re picking up Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens, odds are high that you are doing it for all of the extra accoutrements that come with it. I’m all about those game upgrades, like metal coins for Scythe, so I’m definitely here for the cool extras that come with the Gold Edition.

These pieces basically take the Gamemaster’s handouts and bumps them up to a whole new level. Plus, they are all broad and applicable to many types of games that you might play. The next time I’m running some Pathfinder Society Scenarios, I’ll be breaking some of these out!

Here’s what you get:

• Absalom Coin set featuring 1 copper, 1 silver, 2 gold, 1 platinum, and 1 gold piece exclusive to the Gold Edition. Complete with Vault of Abadar pouches.
• Aspis Consortium token that will take you to the land of the Neverending Story.
• City Watch badge, which is perfect if you’re running the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path
• Arcanamirium pin for all of you magic-lovers out there.
• Set of 4 wooden Tri-Stripe Society coasters and holder, which are a tasteful finish, allowing them to blend into your living room decor seamlessly.
• Absalom “Coin of Completion”, which is an oversized coin to remind you of the campaign.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, than a piece of jewelry is worth ten thousand at least. And this isn’t even to mention all of the other really cool handouts like the Pickled Imp shopping bag or the Gutless Griffon Storytelling Contest flyer.

I’ll also take the time to put in a word about the map tube that comes with Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens. It’s full of six detailed battle maps for the Tales from the Warehouse, 3 poster-sized maps of Absalom, and a map of Starstone Isle. In addition, you also get the individual district maps in a compact folder. You shall never want for a map again.

Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens: Parting Thoughts

Beadle & Grimm’s is known for their high-quality supplement material for roleplaying games, and the Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens is as premium as they come. They’re quickly becoming the go-to for premium Pathfinder Second Edition supplement material, and I’m incredibly excited for the next thing they put out. You know that I’ll still be using all of this great Absalom material when that time comes!

Time to start an Absalom campaign!

You can order your copy of the Beadle & Grimm’s Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens directly from Beadle & Grimm’s.

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[Disclosure: Nerds on Earth was provided a copy of the Gold Edition of Absalom: City of Lost Omens from Beadle & Grimm’s in exchange for an honest review.]