This article is primarily or only relevant to Pathfinder First Edition.

Outsider

From PathfinderWiki
Outsider
A keketar, a protean outsider.
(Creature)

Type
Outsider
CR
Varies
Environment
Any
Alignment
Varies
Source: Bestiary, pg(s). 309
For a list of known outsider races seen on Golarion, see Category:Outsiders.

While an outsider is generally a person not belonging to the group or locality of the speaker, the term is also used on Golarion to refer a being not native to the world, whether from one of the other planets in the solar system or another plane of existence in the Great Beyond.

However, in the term's most technical sense, an outsider is a being that is at least partially made up of the quintessence of a plane other than the Universe. Unlike most other living creatures, an outsider does not have a soul separate from its body.1 Upon their destruction, their quintessential matter is instead returned to their plane of origin.2

Aside from native outsiders, outsiders do not need to eat or sleep.3

Death

Outsiders do not die of old age in the same way mortals do. Whether through sudden destruction or eventual weariness or loss of focus, their quintessence eventually melds back into its home plane.42 An outsider's death causes its essence to disperse back to its home plane and destroys its identity, while their dissolution into their home plane permanently returns its quintessence.5

Outsider types

There are many different kinds of outsider, but they can be broadly split into three categories: Inner Sphere, Outer Sphere, and native outsiders.

Inner Sphere

An earth elemental is one of many Inner Sphere outsiders.

Outsiders from the Inner Sphere are typically from one of the Elemental Planes. Elementals, such as genies, are perhaps the most well-known Inner Sphere outsiders on Golarion.

Outer Sphere

The empyreal lord Ragathiel leads an assault on evil Outer Sphere outsiders.

Outsiders from the Outer Sphere are usually strongly associated with the moral (good or evil) and ethical (law or chaos) outlook of their home plane. These outsiders include the following broad races.

  • Aeons were once considered strictly neutral in alignment, but have recently revealed their association with law6
  • Agathions are associated with good6
  • Angels are associated with good, and may favour law, chaos or neither6
  • Archons are associated with law and good6
  • Asuras are associated with evil and law
  • Azatas are associated with chaos and good6
  • Daemons are associated with evil6
  • Demodands are associated with evil and chaos
  • Demons are associated with evil and chaos6
  • Devils are associated with evil and law6
  • Divs are associated with evil
  • Inevitables are associated with law, being a subgroup of aeons themselves6
  • Velstracs are associated with evil and law
  • Proteans are associated with chaos6
  • Psychopomps are strictly neutral with respect to good, evil, law, and chaos
  • Qlippoth are associated with evil and chaos6
  • Sahkil are associated with evil

Native outsiders

This unicorn is a half-celestial creature, which is a type of native outsider.

All outsiders are native to the plane of their creation. Some outsiders have a strong enough link to the Universe to be considered native to it. For example, most native outsiders have mortal ancestors. Unlike other outsiders, these creatures are native to the Universe and need to eat and sleep. They can also be brought back from the dead by powerful magic in the same way as other mortals.7

For a list of native outsider races, see Category:Native subtype creatures.

Broad groupings of native outsiders include:

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. Robert Brookes, et al. “Chapter 2: Running Planar Adventures” in Planar Adventures, 64. Paizo Inc., 2018
  2. 2.0 2.1 Robert Brookes, et al. “Chapter 2: Running Planar Adventures” in Planar Adventures, 67. Paizo Inc., 2018
  3. Paizo Inc., et al. “Appendix 3: Glossary” in Bestiary, 309. Paizo Inc., 2009
  4. John Compton. Sayashto” in The Reaper's Right Hand, 65. Paizo Inc., 2018
  5. John Compton. “The Reaper's Right Hand” in The Reaper's Right Hand, 25. Paizo Inc., 2018
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Paizo Inc., et al. “Appendix 3: Glossary” in Bestiary 2, 305–309. Paizo Inc., 2010
  7. Paizo Inc., et al. “Appendix 3: Glossary” in Bestiary, 312. Paizo Inc., 2009
  8. Paizo referred to cambion planar scions as tieflings until the publication of Player Core. These cambions are unrelated to the type of demon with the same name.
  9. Paizo referred to empyrean planar scions as aasimars until the publication of Player Core. These empyreans are unrelated to the type of angel with the same name.