Ponyfinder – Campaign Setting (Unified Edition) by David Silver, Byron Mulvogue and Ismael Alvarez is a role playing game supplement published by Silver Games LLC. This is the core book for the Ponyfinder setting and is designed for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available from DriveThruRPG as a PDF for $19.99, as a hardcover standard print on demand book for $39.99, as a hardcover premium print on demand book for $59.99, as PDF and standard book for $41.99 or as PDF and premium book for $61.99. It’s also available in printed for from sites such as Amazon. The PDF is the version reviewed, although it was purchased at a reduced price during a sale, and has 188 pages. Two pages are the front and rear covers, one the front matter, one the Contents, four the Open Game Licenses and one a map of Everglow.
Welcome to Ponyfinder: Campaign Setting explains that the supplement is meant to make it easy to add ponies to a setting and not make them unbalanced. It also shows how those sections aimed specifically at Pathfinder or 5th Edition – as the book is designed for both, there are parts with different mechanical elements – are indicated.
Ponies of Everglow starts by explaining that ponies are a people whose time has come and gone; once overseeing nature like modern druids, they have now surrendered most of these tasks and primarily live in remote communities. It explains that ponies are four-legged creatures with equine features, coming in a variety of different hues. All have something called the “Brand of Destiny,” a symbol signifying their destiny or talent which appears on them before birth without magic or ritual. This also looks at pony relations, culture, alignment, religion, adventurers and relationship with factions. There are rules on dealing with items and things that would normally require fingers and the general attributes for ponies. There are three sub-races of ponies. These are the earth-bound, pegasus and unicorn. There are also four uncommon sub-races; ghost pony, leather wing, sea horse and zebra.
Ponies have seven spiritual paths, with most ponies having the first, unique destiny, related to the brand of destiny mentioned earlier. One of the paths stands out a bit, as it’s a clockwork pony. The different paths have different game effects. Following this is a step-by-step example of the same pony being built for both Pathfinder and 5th Edition; it doesn’t apply to the non-ponies that follow in the next chapter. Finally, there are feats for ponies for both Pathfinder and 5th Edition; given how differently feats are handled in each system, this has one of the biggest divergences in the sourcebook between the two systems.
Races of Everglow covers various new species that are not ponies. Cloven are a type of intelligent goat. Flutterponies are tiny pony pixies. Griffons are as they normally are, though more intelligent. Phoenix wolves are intelligent wolves that originated from conjured hell hounds. Purrsians are intelligent cats related to sun cats that enjoy amassing wealth. Steelhearts are intelligent creations that look like ponies with metal hides and some wooden pieces. Sun cats are nomadic cats. Each species has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Character Options starts by looking at playing ponies as different classes, and the characteristics of ponies that are drawn to the classes. This is followed by pony favoured class options, racial archetypes, for both ponies and other quadrupedal races, and bloodlines for Pathfinder. For 5th Edition, there are racial class specialties, for ponies and other quadrupeds. Pathfinder has new evolutions and new traits and 5th Edition has Everglow backgrounds. Again, the differences here between the stats for the two systems is significant. Finally, there are charts for height, weight and age.
Equipment and Spells has new things that are used by ponies. Equipment starts first, with Pathfinder and then 5E versions covered. There are new items of racial equipment designed to be used by ponies, who naturally lack hands, followed by magic items with a similar concept. Spells, again divided by system, follow this, and are again designed for use by ponies and have limited utility for other creatures.
Gods and Myths covers the deities of the setting. After some introductory text, the gods are each described. Each is given a name, alignment, description, revelations, visitation, favoured weapon, domains, subdomains and holy symbol. Following this are three myths for the setting, then a page with drawings of the holy symbols.
Eras of Everglow looks at the different periods of history for the setting; each period of history has differences. The periods are separated in pre-empire (the pony empire), height of the empire and the fall. Each section gives an overview, details on some major events and the major factions of each era. Finally, there is a timeline of Everglow.
Places of Note is an alphabetical list of settlements. Each may have existed before the empire, during it or after it, and which of those time periods it existed in is marked. Each is given demographics, which are the population, percentage of races, government type and alignment, and then a description which can include the history.
Notable Persons is an alphabetical list of different NPCs, though without stats. Each is given a description, plus a GM Note on them. Some clearly date from different periods of the setting, though in most cases it’s not outright specified. After the individual NPCs are detailed, some notable groups are as well; these are groups of ponies with details on individual members.
Plot Hooks explains that, rather than violent plot hooks of which many can already be found, this section has more peaceful situations. The hooks are divided into three categories; before the pony empire, during it and after it.
Everglow Bestiary has half a dozen new monsters for Everglow, with stats for both systems.
Optional Rules is a single page of optional rules.
Ponyfinder – Campaign Setting (Unified Edition) in Review
The PDF is bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. The Contents covers the major sections. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a variety of colour illustrations, up to full page in size, and black and white ones, many almost certainly custom. Presentation is decent.
This is not a standalone game; it’s a supplement for 5th Edition and Pathfinder and you will need at least one of those to use it; there’s also a Pathfinder 2 conversion guide that can be used in combination with this and other Pathfinder supplements to use Ponyfinder with Pathfinder 2. Though primarily this supplement also concentrates on the Everglow setting, much of it can be used just as easily with other settings, as long as there’s a desire to have intelligent ponies, and the other quadrupeds, as character options. Much of the supplement may be about Everglow or reference how the ponies fit into the setting, but the mechanics are transferrable.
This, therefore, has two main options for use; as the foundation book for a setting in Everglow, which also has a large range of history to use, or as a way of playing ponies in other settings. Fundamentally, whether or not this is useful will depend on whether or not people want to play ponies in RPGs, and there is naturally a percentage who do. It does have a range of options and a decent overview of Everglow, though given that different time periods are all considered to be playable time periods, it’s not necessarily as in-depth in parts as it could be with a narrower focus. Ponyfinder – Campaign Setting (Unified Edition) can be found by clicking here.
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