Archade's page

Very interesting!

I see that Paizo took the time to upgrade some of those NPCs to include nifty new classes like the Swashbuckler ...

I didn't have a problem with the mooks in Flood Season, but that's because my PCs had a rogue with a Diplomacy and Bluff of +12 and was a member of the Alleybashers, so he talked his way out of most of the combats involving them ...

... and am I thrilled with what I added in.

- Todd Vandenboren (son of their landlord, Lord Vandenboren) joined the party for the adventure, and at the end, quit to join the Stormblades because they are a more successful and famous adventuring band (hah!)

- Gave them a celebratory dinner from Vhalantru and dropped many hints he has the ear of the Lord Mayor

- Had the Mud Slaad (I used a Mezzoloth) use his dying words to call out to his "masters" and threaten death at the hands of the Blue Duke...

That other author would be Ambrose Bierce.

You mean "The Devil's Dictionary" Ambrose Bierce? What other titles has he written?

Hi guys,

Erik asks in the latest Dungeon what we all think of the new stat block format. After taking a month to get through the culture shock, here's my take on it.

WHAT I LIKE:

Alignment at the top! Thanks! It's more likely to affect npc behaviour than being buried in a stat block.

Calling out effects of feats, spells, and class abilities (like frequency of uses and brief bonuses) in short hand helps us remember the rules - thanks.

Languages being called out is great too.

DCs and chances to hit with spells - thanks.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

Combat gear in the middle of the stat block being split up from possessions - not necessary, and confusing. Oh yeah, and keep possessions at the very bottom. If you put special ability paragraphs afterwards it makes the possessions hard to refer to, both as possessions and as treasure after the dust settles.

WHAT I MISS:

The icons for traps, monsters, and npcs really call attention to them out of blocks and blocks of text - any chance of bringing them back?

A fiddly little thing - why can't you list 2d8 HD instead of 1HD? It makes advancing creatures on the fly much easier.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE:

List the (ACP -x) next to armor in the possessions, so DMs can work out skills on the fly.

Use MW instead of mwk for masterwork items and save some space for the magazine!

You are putting a separate typed line for multiple attack options - I don't think it's horribly necessary with the rest of the stat block spaced out - treat yourself to one condensed paragraph.

Put SR & DR on the same line as saves, prior to the saves themselves.

I notice that your abilities line is always just too long to be put on one line. Why not get rid of the word "Abilities" and bold up Str, Dex, etc.? You don't put "Save", but we know what Fort, Ref, and Will are, as an example.

SUMMARY:

Overall, I'm trying to adjust to the new skill blocks. I'm enjoying reading them in Dungeon, and I'll likely switch to using them in a month or two -- I'm still wrapping my brain around that large gold brick.

Thanks for being open to input and keeping our opinions in mind!

I can think of a few reasons

- the fixes, tweaks and changes make it worth it
- the extras make it worth it
- not having to lug many magazines about make it worth it

Not to pick on anyone in this thread, but we (as a collective group) clamored and begged for the HC, and now that it's on its way, we complain?! Doesn't seem right to me.

I've got the magazines (which I photocopied and put into a binder for ease of reference), and I have no problem shelling out the money for the Shackled City AP ver 1.2 (you get the idea). I'm going to get about a year's worth of enjoyment out of this, the enjoyment of which will be enhanced by receiving the HC, even though I'm running my players through it heavily modifying the setting and encounters. I simply can't find fault with the cost.

I use a laptop off to the side to do a number of things:

1) Play background music, with general and battle music playlists set up as Winamp icons on my desktop.

2) Use DMGenie - not as a combat tracker (as it was intended), but as a quick reference guide for Monsters, Spells, and Feats. Also use it when I need to pick a monster out of my posterior, since it has quick CR and environment searches for critters.

3) Keep running notes in a MS Word campaign log, so I can track what has happened, and what will happen...

Funny, my PCs went looking for a home to rent right after the first AP adventure -- they ended up renting a villa from Petrus Borenti (whom they befriended)!

Rather than charging them 50,000gp up front for the home (which is rented, so that's silly), I just use the upkeep rules from the DMG p.142 -- each PC has to give up 100gp per month for rent, food, clothing, incidentals, etc.

When the city taxes start going up, so will their upkeep -- and won't that offend them!

Already have!

Here are my 'guilds' in Taskaunt:

The Hierarchs Guard
Red Wizard Enclave
The Church of Assuran
The Church of Ramathant
The Church of Istishia
The Church of Kelemvor
The Church of Lathander
The Simbulmyn (to replace the Shadowmasters)
The Shadowmasters (to replace the Last Laugh)
Razzam's Nighthawks (to replace the Alleybashers)
The Golden Pheon (to replace the Chisel)

I'm actually planning on having fun with the MTA. Since I'm running the Shackled City Path in Taskaunt in the Wizards Reach (FR), the MTA will be a non-Red Wizard organization - lots of fun conflict, and a place for the western wizards in the PC party to join...

I'm thinking of calling them Hazard Mages. Anyone remember the Thieves' World reference?

So, I'm currently two-thirds through Flood Season, and I get the DMG2 ...

This book is going to really add to the adventure path. I can flesh out the Town with Guilds and Contacts!

So, while I'm running the adventure in the FR, I think it would be great if we collaborated on Guilds and Contact information for other players to use. Guilds are a bit of work to put together, and I'm glad to share what I'm working on...

Guilds:
The City Guard
The Church of St Cuthbert
The Church of Pelor
The Church of Wee Jas
The Church of Kord
The Last Laugh Thieves Guild
The Alleybashers
The Chisel
The Striders of Fharlanghn

Am I missing anything?

Hey James,

Why not do what is often done for a barbarian npc statblock, with a follow-up mini-statblock for raging stats?

Publish (for example) Jenya's statblock, and then post any changes to her stats as she levels up and gains new magical gear, not repeating anything that stays the same.

I'm not sure how well this could be executed, but hey, ideas are free, right?

James, you are doing a phenomenal job - bravo!

For those not going to Gen Con (alack, alas!) when will the HC ship to those who preorder?

Thanks Slaadmaster -- now I have to poke *my* eyes out ...

I'm using the monthly upkeep rules in the DMG (and avoiding nickel and dime stuff for drinks at the tavern, etc). Won't they be suprised when those costs start going up! It won't horribly inconvenience them, but it will tie the city's problems right into their pocketbook...

Hiya Boolay and others!

Our sessions are about 4 hours long, so it took about 2-3 hours.

So our session last night was interesting, we started with Koran Doon (aka Keygan) standing at the door of their very expensive villa giving them the leather map to Doon's Retreat, and telling them that underneath his hall in the Red Wizard Enclave is his grandfather's old retreat, a place where magic items were manufactured, a prototype of the Thayan enclave idea. Anyhow, Doon's Retreat was abandoned during the Salamander War when elementals brought something over from the Plane of Fire that mixed with a remnant of the Dragon Plague and came up with the Firedance, a magical disease that burns people from the inside out, that contaminates magic items and magical beasts (like familiars). He also told them that he was being watched by bird men and their plant minions.

So, the PCs had to figure how to get in the enclave with their weapons, so a visit to Lord Ulem Var (aka Vhalantru) was in order. I tried to forshadow a bit of knowledge/sinister mannerisms of Lord Var by having him open his door and greet them before they knocked, and provide them a ready-made sealed letter for the guards of the enclave. Spooky...

So, the PCs throw their weapons and shields into a box, give the letter to the guards, get in the enclave, and push their way into Koran's shop. Instead of a skulk, they got to fight a splinterwaif, which kept them on their toes. Beating it, they talked to Koran, found out that the bird men (kenku) and splinterwaifs had stolen his familiar, and he showed them the way down into Doon's Retreat.

Down there, the PCs started crawling through the tunnels, fighting splinterwaifs, and found out what made the tunnels - a bronze large animated object, which was a statue of a minotaur with a maul. The PCs being brilliant, ran like hell.

They then started opening the trapped doors, which were brass-plated doors etched with runes of the various outer planes. With the rogue in the party having a Disable Device skill of +11, they're making pretty fast handywork here.

They're now in the great hall, where the magic items were made, and find the place is boarded up from something inside here, and they hear a chittering. I'm thinking an arachnoid rust monster might be better than a grell, it's still to be determined ... ;>

Oh. my. goodness.

It sounds like the players are having a grand time, and you definitely have characterful characters!

But tell me, does your DM whimper and occassionally try to poke his own eyes out? :)

So, we played our first session of Life's Bazaar tonight, and it was definitely interesting ...

They heard rumors about people going missing, and asked about town. They decided that living in a tavern was too expensive, so they went and talked to Lord Petrus Borenti (aka Lord Premiach Vanderboren) and rented a villa from him and got to like him. They then tried to see the Hierarch (aka Mayor) and got to meet instead Lord Ulem Var (aka Vhalantru, only he's an Ultroloth), and agree to try to help find the missing persons.

Then they have the alley encounter with Rufus, Jil of the Shadowmasters (aka Last Laugh) and the thugs. First off, in a raining alley the aasimar cleric of Lathander casts daylight on the alley wall, revealing Jil and setting up a rooftop chase of her! They rescue Rufus, go back to the Church of Assuran (aka St. Cuthbert) and are asked by Jenya to help find the slaves (aka the orphans).

They examine Phen Manor (aka Lantern Orphanage) and learn a bit, including the locks were made by Koran Doon, and that some mysterious half-elves (aka the Striders) were by, but nothing horrible.

They Meet Koran Doon (aka Keygan) and botch it, alarming and annoying him more than anything, but they realize something's up. Finally, they later send a note via urchin to Koran with an implied message they know he's in trouble and they want to help, and Koran shows up at their doorstep at noon, stating he only has a few minutes to speak ...

Fun, fun fun!

Life's Bazaar should certainly be interesting, especially with the following changes:

- instead of children stolen from an orphanage, slaves have gone missing from a mulan noble's manor.
- Keygan is now Koran Doon, a junior mulan wizard
- Jhazidrune is now Doon's Retreat, a secret magic item workshop that is a precursor to the idea of the Thayan Enclave, and the demense of Koran Doon's ancestor
- the Gear doors are now planar rune doors, but trapped pretty much the same.
- The Vanishing is now the Firedance Plague, an extradimensional disease brought by the salamanders that burns people alive on the inside.
- instead of dark creepers and dark stalkers, I'm using kenkus and splinterwaifs. The head dark stalker is now a half-fey splinterwaif.
- The malachite fortress is a dueregar outpost/trading enclave
- Kazmojen is now a dueregar, haven't exactly decided how to make him interesting.

We'll find out at tomorrow's session!

Okay, here's the saga thus far!

We've run the last two weeks a slightly modified version of Unfamiliar Ground. I've used this adventure to gel the various PCs into a group. The first thing I did was start them asail the Wings of Tanalee, pushing off from the docks of Bezantur. I used other passengers in NPC interaction, and the first mate asking their business in Taskaunt for the register to get the PCs to introduce themselves. Then I started throwing things at them ...

First, I threw a storm at them to blow them off course, make a couple of balance and climb checks, and put them on edge. Then I threw Hezzrack at them. I had him come aboard the ship invisibly, start chewing on integral ropes, and using unseen servant and suggestion to have the slave crew mutiny and have various objects dropped overboard. The PCs are very much pushing the "free all slaves" angle, so they got Hezzrack's attention quickly.

They then made their way to the cave complex (now filled with bullywugs), and after a few forays there and back to the ship, set sail for home. Most of the PCs have made 2nd level, but the ones with Level Adjustments aren't quite there yet. They fought an assassin vine in the swamp, some gnolls, pushed partially into the tower and fought the skeletons and bullywugs, but didn't get into the wizard's chamber or look in the pool.

Now I'm ready to spring Life's Bazaar on them ...

The PCs thus far:

Xuthah, a murghom human/half-dragon ranger 1/fighter 1
Kazah, an aasimar cleric of lathander 1
Tetsuo, a shou human rogue 2
Demos, an untheric human bard 1/fighter 1
Rast, a moon elf (escaped slave) rogue 2
(Name?), a gnome wizard 2, with his animal companion a riding hyena
Nelson, a human (former sailor of the Wings of Tanalee) fighter 1

That's a bit too far to travel ... good luck getting it going!

Good luck! I'm in the opposite boat -- I have 6 players, and a waiting list for 3 more. Are you anywhere near Hamilton, Ontario?

Funny you should mention that - I've taken the map from the web enhancement of Box of Flumph, enlarged it and printed it into a battle-mat sized boat.

The adventure inspired me to jam a bunch of unattached pcs on a board, smash it up, jam them in a swamp 10 miles from town, and spring an adventure to gel them together...

I love setting up moral quandries, but it's not easy.

The best one I ever had, the party (including a paladin) charge in to the evil wizard's den for the climactic battle - and he surrenders immediately. He places himself in the paladin's care. He states that he truly feels that he should repent his ways (and everyone knows he's not being honest). Whattaya do in that case? That was half an hour of agony for my players ...

As I'm modifying the Adventure Path #1 for my campaign to a devilish theme, I'm noticing something -- there's four times as much demonic stuff as there is for devils!! What the heck is up with that?

Sure there's the fiendish and half-fiend templates, but overall, it seems Chaotic Evil is more predominant in the Monster Manuals, magic items of great power, etc.

Anyone else notice this?

Regardless, James, why not set up a Dungeon Adventure that actually uses one of the Demon/Devil Lords? Sure it'd be a 25th level adventure, but what the heck, eh?

One of our group's early moments playing our first 3e edition game of D&D was in the Sunless Citadel - and the wizard used charm person to get a goblin child to open potentially trapped chests, while the other players looked on in horror... obviously it was a holdover of behaviour from high school.

1e adventures had great ways of getting around the fact that characters over 10th level were nigh invulnerable. Some were very ingenious.

Hiya!

I'm prepping up Unfamiliar Ground, and I'm looking to start it with all the players (likely not knowing each other) on a boat from Bezantur to Taskaunt. The boat is going to sail within 5 miles of Hezzrack, and he's going to perform some mischief on the ship during a bit of rough seas.

It'll give the PCs a chance to try to tie down sails, deal with crewmen under suggestion, deal with an unseen servant dumping things overboard, and an invisible Hezzack chewing through ropes, clawing up the sails, etc.

Ultimately, it'll leave them stranded in the Bone Swamp 10 miles west of Taskaunt, with a crazy raven talking to them. I'm thinking of stranding them with the captain, or one of the Stormblades, but I'm thinking that might detract from the unifying effect of being forced to deal with the situation. Maybe I can have the ship break apart, and the Captain and the Stormblade get home 'offscreen'.

Great minds think alilke, eh Bulette?

Hey, I'll post on yours if you will post in mine (When Hell Freezes Over diary).

Where is your campaign so far?

Rend is a solid PC instant-retirement device, but the thing that has killed more PCs in my games are NPC barbarians.

Take a nice orc, half-org, ogre, orog, troll, grimlock, or any other race that gets a nice strength bonus (natural armor is just icing), 5-10 levels of barbarian (enough to match the PCs EL), spice with a two-handed weapon, and send him in! Raging barbarians of any level hand out great amounts of damage, and can take amazing amounts of punishment. And the obvious feats of cleave, power attack, etc. just make it unpleasant.

Although, my favorite bad guy was a drow illusionist. He'd create an silent image of himself appearing about 100 feet away, seeming to cast silence, then seeming to cast invisibility, then vanishing, and watch the party waste all their spells and magic items trying to find the invisible illusionist in their midst...

And the Red Render did in two pc goons ... I have to agree with ya, James!

I dunno ... as a side-adventure for my players of 12th level pcs, the advanced size huge weasels in the adventure by Andy Collins in Dungeon #100 made them remark, "Kobolds? You're kidding, right? And weasels? Weasels! Oh, my god - the WEASELS!!!"

Snicker - they were happy to go back to Hellgate Keep after that ...

So we rolled up their characters last night ...

A gnome wizard with a riding hyena that he plans on making a familiar at 3rd level (with Improved Familiar)

A human cleric of Lathander who hates undead

A shou human rogue, who will be later multiclassing into monk and then thief-acrobat.

An untheric human bard, who is an former galley slave turned storyteller from unther with a nervous twitch and a Charisma of 11 ...

Two more characters to generate, and then we're off!

Thanks for the input PBEM - makes me feel like I'm not talking to myself ... ;> So, I'm starting them on a boat -- any ideas on challenges to throw at them, before I wreck their boat and leave them washed ashore in the Bone Swamp, near a destroyed tower, with a raven talking to them ...

I think a campaign arc for FR would be great -- since the Istivin arc was based on the Giants/Drow modules, perhaps we could see something based on a novel or old module for FR ...

Okay, 1 week to go before I take over the DM reigns again, and I'm looking at running a preliminary adventure to get the party together. I'm looking at Unfamiliar Ground as a lead-in, with the following rough ideas

1 - Hezzrack is a great foreshadowing detail for rampant devils later. He can be a good story line as we go, taunting the PCs and giving them small bits of information.

2 - I'm changing the goblins in the forest to frogmen in the swamps of Taskaunt (sivs? bullywugs? one of them...)

3 - The destroyed tower will belong to the father of Fetor Ambrosius, the archtitect of the Cagewrights (IMC Hexblades). I'm thinking Fetor's dad isn't dead, he's stuck on Stygia, and Hezzrack has gone loony from wizard/familiar reception on the fritz or some such thing.

Any other ideas?

Great idea! YOINK! (sound of idea being stolen ... er, borrowed ... ;> )

Hi all!

I'm currently taking a break from DMing, but my surrogate replacement wants to go back to the ranks of playing, so I'm up in about 2-4 weeks. I've decided to run the adventure path with some heavy tweaking, and given the meeting of minds here, I thought it would be useful to post a progress report as I go, so if I get into a pickle, you kind, kind souls can help me.

I've had to change some of the cosmetic details of the campaign to (a) fit in the Wizard's Reach area of the Forgotten Realms, (b) confound a DM who's run the first two adventures, and (c) make it my own thing.

What I've decided thus far...

1. Cauldron will be replaced by the large town of Taskaunt. Instead of a volcano, they are on a thinly patched hole to the Elemental Plane of Fire from the Salamander War.

2. Instead of the Cagewrights seeking to open a gate to Carceri, they are the Hexblades looking to free Levistus, Prince of Hell. Really, I appreciate the input on the boards suggesting a more direct connection to Adimarchus, hence, this!

3. Little cosmetic things, such as names to sound more Thayan/Untheric, the Church of St. Cuthbert is the Church of Assuran, the church of Wee Jas is the church of Kelemvor (with Embril really being a cleric of Jergal with sinister plans).

4. The final encounter will lead the players to Stygia, to face off against Levistus...

I'm halfway through my little conversion notes of Flood Season, but when I run my first session, I'll be sure to post what happens. Suggestions are welcome...

I've run the first bit of the Adventure Path in FR ... I replaced Cauldron with Everlund. I'm going to have to cosmetically replace the volcano with a malfunctioning mythal, or whatnot.

- The Striders are so OBVIOUSLY the Harpers.
- I had already decided the Wee Jas/Kelemvor connection - what a cool bunch of bad guys!
- Jhazidrune I placed beneath the Silver Wood. Ghelve's shop had a tunnel leading west to the enclave
- The Baboons became wolves in the Lucky Monkey.
- I decided the Cagewrights were Cyricists (as were the Last Laugh) and they were connecting to Cyric's Realm.