Hey all,

It's been a while since I dropped by to comment. In my SCAP (FR) Campaign, we've gotten to the Secrets of the Soul Pillars, and a lot of my campaign threads are beginning to tie together beautifully!

The PCs have just defeated Ike (Enkur) and uncovered the high priestess' involvement with The Thirteen (tm). They've walked out of the temple with a bone devil's head and damning documents, and the city (already unstable with the missing lord mayor) is going to shake with the consequences of this.

IMC, instead of an orphanage in Chapter 2, I had slaves vanishing from a Thayan nobles manor (one that used undead gardeners). For the last real year, the pcs' cleric has been itching to go back there and turn all his gardeners to dust! Now I have a chance to bring him back into the fold. I've decided he was a patron of the Cathedral, and he and his mohrg gardeners are going to object to this frontal assault of his friends in the church. Whoo boy, what fun.

Question -- did anyone have an issue with pcs using speak with dead on Ike? I got very very worried after they killed him and mentioned the idea (Ike knows a fair amount), but fortunately they forgot about that idea and move on ... anyone else have that problem? And how did you deal with it?

glad your enjoying it so much!

Question -- did anyone have an issue with pcs using speak with dead on Ike? I got very very worried after they killed him and mentioned the idea (Ike knows a fair amount), but fortunately they forgot about that idea and move on ... anyone else have that problem? And how did you deal with it?

Remeber Ike does not belong to the inner circle of the 13 - yet. he doesn't know that much. Probably no more than what Thirfane reveals in Lords of Oblivion. Ike also gets a will save to avoid ansering the pc's questions. And even if he fails his save, the answers are brief and cryptic

Too true. But I imagine Ike would know (and divulge) there's a council of 13 in the Cagewrights, Vhalantru is a beholder and wants the PCs dead, and the high priestess is somewhere preparing for a big ritual involving the shackleborn ...

Too true. But I imagine Ike would know (and divulge) there's a council of 13 in the Cagewrights, Vhalantru is a beholder and wants the PCs dead, and the high priestess is somewhere preparing for a big ritual involving the shackleborn ...

That doesn't sound like too much to me. 'specially since there's no way they can use that info in any meaningfull manner yet.

Running the last cauldron adventures (Soul pilars, Lords of oblivion, Foundation in flame and 13 cages) is all about pacing. You can pretty much rip those adventures appart and put them together in a different order. The improtant thing is that by the end of the adventure, the PC's should knwo what's going on. How (or where) the get that information isn't that important. In fact, PC's should have a free run of the city. Als long as you make them earn the info, you're fine.

Too true. I'm replacing the 13 Cages and Asylum adventures with my own creations, but I think that Pillars, Oblivion, and Foundations really create great tension for powerful characters.

I tried running an "urban city campaign" before, and it never took off, and no one really got into it. Now in the SCAP my players are really enjoying my version of Cauldron as a living, breathing city, and are going to be rather put out when it catches fire ...

I'm also in the soul pillar, but I have a question...

I should note I am using the hardcover SCAP adventure

In the Players' Handout section, there is a "Birthmark of the Shackleborn" handout that is labelled for Chapter 7, Secret of the Soul Pillars. Problem is, I can find no reference to it in the text! When should the players find it? What does the text next to the symbol represent? I could make it up and toss it in anywhere (and I'm going to have to by next weekend) but does anyone have the proper reference? I have the magazines as well, but a whole chunk of them are loaned out :(

Dekker

Hey Dekker!

You could easily put that in with Fetor's notes, I would think.

Update for everyone else:

So, they fought through the rest of Kurran-Kural, wiped out Fetor in 2 rounds, with a silence spell, maximized warlock eldritch blast, and a sneak attack, so he wasn't that threatening.

When they got to the Pillars themselves, I had replaced the dracolich with a Nightwalker (my players have lived in fear of that miniature for a long, long time), and that was very memorable -- especially when the Nightwalker snatched away one of the players' intelligent sword and rendered it to so much scrap ...

So, now I have to get ready for Lords of Oblivion ...

When they got to the Pillars themselves, I had replaced the dracolich with a Nightwalker (my players have lived in fear of that miniature for a long, long time), and that was very memorable -- especially when the Nightwalker snatched away one of the players' intelligent sword and rendered it to so much scrap ...

Oooh. Neat idea. I've used that mini for the Huge Fire Elementals in Demonskar Legacy, but using it for an actual Nightwalker would be sweet!

Well, just to warn you how my nightwalker encounter went...

First, the nightwalker was described as a fallen solar -- tattered wings and all. That made it extra creepy for the party.

When the encounter started, the nightwalker grabbed the fighter/rogue's intelligent greatsword and crumpled it. He then did unholy blight, unholy blight, unholy blight ...

With the damage reduction he had, and his reach, the multiple attack fighter did squat to him. The cleric tried turning undead which was futile.

Ultimately, it was a bunch of lucky rolls for spell penetration and about six lightning bolts that did it in.

Be careful -- it's a very, very tough monster! My players are even more terrified of that miniature now.

I'm also in the soul pillar, but I have a question...

I should note I am using the hardcover SCAP adventure

In the Players' Handout section, there is a "Birthmark of the Shackleborn" handout that is labelled for Chapter 7, Secret of the Soul Pillars. Problem is, I can find no reference to it in the text! When should the players find it? What does the text next to the symbol represent? I could make it up and toss it in anywhere (and I'm going to have to by next weekend) but does anyone have the proper reference? I have the magazines as well, but a whole chunk of them are loaned out :(

Dekker

Anytime they see the sign I suspect. If they have see invis up somehow during Life's Bazzaar they would see it on the oprhan so hand it out then.

More than likely they would see it on Zenith when they fight him and his invisible friend. But whenever it either fits your time scale or the players logically find it.

Last Tuesday my heroes did a great job taking on Ike and his minions. Truthfully, only Ike and the dread wraith really gave them any problems. When the dread wraith made its first appearance and put the smack down on the cleric for 8 con drain there were some very very worried PC's. I have to admit they rallied well. After seeing Ike heal himself with the quickened inflict serious the cleric got his revenge with back to back mass cure lt's that not only healed most of the rest of the party but manged once to catch both the dread wraith and Ike at the same time.

The party had a lot of fun, and tonight it's off to korran korral.

Last Tuesday my heroes did a great job taking on Ike and his minions. Truthfully, only Ike and the dread wraith really gave them any problems. When the dread wraith made its first appearance and put the smack down on the cleric for 8 con drain there were some very very worried PC's. I have to admit they rallied well. After seeing Ike heal himself with the quickened inflict serious the cleric got his revenge with back to back mass cure lt's that not only healed most of the rest of the party but manged once to catch both the dread wraith and Ike at the same time.

The party had a lot of fun, and tonight it's off to korran korral.

My party did not do so well. Six characters including a paladin, barbarian, sorcerer, and three rogueish types. The barbarian and one rogue charged into the illusionary hall created by the bone devil. The sorcerer with true sight entered and dispelled the illusion. Ike dropped the flame strike on him and the scout/bard. The zombie renders completely surrounded the barbarian and rogue as the bone devil dropped a ice wall between them and the rest of the party.

The dread wraith pursued the sorcerer, who was spider climbing the walls. The barbarian flew up to grapple Ike, who hit him with a successful Harm. The paladin and other two rogues busted a hole in the wall of ice, but could not get past the renders to accomplish much.

In the fourth round the dread wraith killed the barbarian, Ike cast Destruction on one rogue, and the sorcerer teleported away. The paladin refused to teleport with him, and was killed the next round by the wraith. The bard/scout was pounded flat by the renders while the other rogue was killed by Slay Living.

My players are also off to Karran Kurral, but with an almost entirely new party. :)

Second near-TPK in the Adventure Path, and both times the arcanist was the only survivor.

My party spent the entire evening research every sentance in the letter from Fetor. They have some pretty good intel on kurran korral, Vittius Bale, and the Cagewrights. The conspiracy theroies they have been coming up with our pretty cool. Right now they believe that the part of the letter that refers to "The insanity beneath" refers to Adimarchus (demon prince of madness) being imprisoned below kurran korral.

Next tuesday I have a few random encounters for them (all 2/3 of the party have died at least once) to boost some of them a little on the journy to Korran Korral. So far I think soul pillars is the funnest of the chapters to have DM. It may be because the plot really starts to thicken but still a well concieved adventure none the less.

Well, my party had a blast in Korran Koral last night. The fight with Fetus was rather drab, but the demodand proved to be big fun for everyone, especially after both the divine and the arcane casters failed to dispel the acid fog spell. I caught the entire party in the mess.