Supernatural (disambiguation)
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Supernatural generically refers to phenomena or entities that exist beyond the laws of nature. It is an ambiguous term defined in conflicting manners across edition-specific Pathfinder Roleplaying Game mechanics, non-mechanical Pathfinder campaign setting text and fiction, and generic uses of the term in Pathfinder works; avoid linking to it as if it has a consistent, reliable, or meaningful in-universe definition.
It might variously be used in canon works to refer to:
- Magic, a mysterious supernatural force, and magical effects mechanically defined as "supernatural" in Pathfinder First Edition
- Non-magical but generically supernatural phenomena, such as:
- Alchemical effects, which are inherently non-magical but generically supernatural1
- Curse-like non-magical supernatural diseases, such as ghoul fever23 and some conflicting First Edition descriptions of early-stage acquired lycanthropy as a curable disease rather than a curse4
- Non-magical "extraordinary" abilities, such as certain creature auras5 or innate forms of non-magical telepathy678
- Some forms of technology, particularly those alien to Golarion, that are indistinguishable from supernatural phenomena from an in-universe point of view9
- Naturally antimagical materials such as noqual that are alien and generically supernatural, but are not themselves magical in nature10
- Generically supernatural manifestations of spirits and undead in the Universe, such as haunts,1112 or similar manifestations of material beings in spiritual realms and mindscapes13
- Planar or extraplanar entities, energies, powers, or forces that are natural to one plane, but whose nature becomes generically supernatural when it is experienced on another plane.14
Mechanical usage
Various editions and revisions of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game define and use terms such as "supernatural" and "extraordinary" to refer to mechanical abilities that are treated as magical and non-magical, respectively, for the purposes of playing the game.
These definitions can conflict with more generic use in Pathfinder campaign setting works, including fictional works that are restricted in their ability define mechanical terms with the same precision due to licensing constraints. PathfinderWiki is not a mechanical resource; wiki articles should not be limited solely to mechanical definitions, and non-mechanical usage and definitions can be equally valid or more authoritative from an in-universe point of view depending on the context.
References
- ↑ . “Treasure Trove” in GM Core, 244. Paizo Inc., 2023
- ↑ . “Monsters A-Z” in Bestiary, 169. Paizo Inc., 2019 ; Monster Core tacitly replaced the non-magical ghoul fever disease with the magical forbidden cravings curse. Canon works that describe ghoul fever might not align with the description of forbidden cravings.
- ↑ . “2: Hymns for the Dead” in Book of the Dead, 48. Paizo Inc., 2022
- ↑ . “Ecology of the Lycanthrope” in Broken Moon, 71–72. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ . Occult Bestiary, 55. Paizo Inc., 2015 ; tenebrous blight's tenebrous aura.
- ↑ . “Appendix 3: Glossary” in Bestiary 4, 294. Paizo Inc., 2013 ; formians have non-magical telepathic communication within their hive mind.
- ↑ . “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 5, 37. Paizo Inc., 2015 ; astomoi have non-magical telepathic senses and communication.
- ↑ . “Pathfinder's Journal: Hell's Pawns 1 of 6” in The Bastards of Erebus, 84. Paizo Inc., 2009 ; torbles have a non-magical sensitivity to telepathy.
- ↑ . “Introduction” in Technology Guide, 2–5. Paizo Inc., 2014
- ↑ . “Tesyovensku's Warehouse” in Grand Bazaar, 99–100. Paizo Inc., 2021 ; noqual is described as associated with abjuration magic in Shards of Sin 71 and Children of the Void 19, but not in Pathfinder Second Edition works, including those prior to the de-emphasis of the schools of magic in the Pathfinder Remaster.
- ↑ . “Building Games” in GM Core, 100–101. Paizo Inc., 2023 ; for example, the demonstration "bloodthirsty urge" haunt, which has no magical properties and lacks the Magicalmechanical trait of a magical hazard.
- ↑ . “Glossary and Index” in GM Core, 330. Paizo Inc., 2023
- ↑ . “The Summer That Never Was” in The Summer That Never Was, 67. Paizo Inc., 2023 ; many supernatural phenomena in this Pathfinder Adventure Path are not inherently magical in nature.
- ↑ . “Appendix 3: Glossary” in Bestiary, 312. Paizo Inc., 2009 ; aside from the stereotypical and obvious supernatural nature of a devil in Heaven or an angel in Hell, in Pathfinder First Edition a creature also mechanically gains the extraplanar subtype when on its native plane and loses it when it returns to its native plane. Statblocks for creatures assume a default of the Universe; creatures of the Universe who travel to another plane also gain the extraplanar subtype. Only transitive planes were exceptions to this rule.
External links
- Supernatural (real-world concept) on Wikipedia
- Common terms on Archives of Nethys for Pathfinder First Edition