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We're getting ready to start a new adventure path and are looking for some new players. Kingmaker or Skull & Shackles are possibilities but no decisions have been made yet. We play about 3.5-4 hours each night. The group has done the following already, so they are out: Shackled City, Savage Tide, Crimson Throne, Second Darkness, and Legacy of Fire. This will be a Core Rules only adventure path. No Ultimate Combat, Ultimate Magic, or other books will be used. We use Maptools for the VTT, version b87, with the lMarkus framework. We use Skype for voice and Google docs for character sheets and various things. For the next couple weeks, I'll be running some Pathfinder Society games. This will give you a chance to see if you want to play with us and whether we want to play with you. If you're interested, join the Google Group UndegroundGM:
Watch that group for announcements of upcoming Pathfinder Society games.
Fear
So does that duration mean that any caught in the initial blast is affected for that many rounds? Does the Duration mean that the Cone hangs around for that many rounds and anyone entering it makes a save? I assume it means the first - the cone goes off, anyone in the cone is affected for that many rounds, and then the cone is gone. The spell isn't explicit though. (Duration should really be Instant, with the text explaining you are panicked for 1 rnd/level).
Any thoughts on how to string together scenarios and modules to make a Ruby Phoenix campaign, keeping all of it Pathfinder Society legal? My first thoughts Level 1: First Steps scenario Level 2: Quest for Perfection trilogy Level 3: Feast of Ravenmoor (maybe the missing tax collector is a Pathfinder, change the village to be in Tian Xia?) <profit> Level 11: Ruby Phoenix Tournament
What Society scenarios can be strung together to make a mini-module type adventure? I know there are the intended series like Quest For Perfection, but what are some of the others (for example, there are multiple Blackros Museum scenarios, but what are they? Or "this module from Season 0 has a kind-of follow up in Seasion 2" type stuff)?
Does the Sessions tab of the Paizo website for a character actually work? I ask because I'm seeing weird stuff. This character:
Shows no sessions, but I recorded it for this person. I can go to my account, see the event, and see her name in there. I can also go to my character that I gave the DM credit to:
And I can see the event there and I have credit for it (the 12-06 Tides of Twilight game). Or this person:
Has played in 5 events with me, I've record all the events, but I see no sessions reported there.
Just a thought, a Christmas Day boon would be kinda cool. A little something that DMs could give to the players on their shopping list. Maybe a festive Christmas goblin graphic on it. Some possibilities: * Jolly man in a red suit instantly delivers one mundane item costing less than 25gp to you. * Determine if any one person in sight is Naughty or Nice. * Joy of the holiday adds +2 to Diplomacy roll.
When my group decided to play Second Darkness, I knew it wasn't one of the more popular campaigns. I'm surprised to find how sad I am each day when I visit the message boards and there are no posts for Second Darkness. No posts for weeks at a time. I hadn't realized that a substantial part of the fun of an AP is coming here and seeing what everybody else is up to. Boo-hoo for me. Our next campaign will be whichever one has the most active thread counts.
So first, I say:
To which Joana replies:
Did anyone put together a timeline of events at the Gold Goblin? I'm looking to put a little more structure on what is going to happen over the weeks that the players are owners of the GG and to tie those events into the plot. For example: It would be nice to lay some hints before the event with Larur. He can't pay the PCs one week. According to the books he should have the money but it's not in the vault. He'll have to talk with Saul. Or, for example: The GG is supposed to have angered the other crime bosses, what other minor events do we have to make that work?
I can't quite figure out how the Cheat the Devil tournament should work. 1) Are they people playing with their own coin or are they limited to the 1 GP entry fee they start with? If they can play with their own money, rich folk would simply buy their way into the final, so I assume you have to play with just the entrance fee. 2) Most of the games given in the book favor the house for a certain percentage. That means that over a little bit of time, the players probably lose. I'm thinking maybe it should work more like a poker tournament. You pay a fee to get in, have a set number of chips to start with, and win your way up table to table until you eventually beat all of the other players. I'm thinking say 6 players per table, which means the winner of that table ends up with 6 GP. If they win the second table, they have 36gp. Table 3 is 216, table 4 is 1296. You could set a DC for each level and require the CHA/Profession (Gambler) check to more on to the next table. DC10 at the first table, Dc 12 at the next, etc. Or maybe they have to make the DC for 3 out of 5 skill checks. To put some decision making into it, you could also give a +2 bonus to one roll if they make a Diplomacy, Bluff, or Intimidate check. Spells or cheating might give a bonus as well.
Got this last weekend and am enjoying playing it with the kids & wife. Search a sinking island trying to recover four artifacts and then get off the island before anyone drowns. From the guy who did Pandemic - a cooperative game with some of the same type of mechanics. Quick 30 minute game, easy/fast setup, and snappy, exciting play.
I'm a bit confused on what genies can & can't do wishes, and where they are statted: Djinni: No wishes, stats in MM Efreeti: 3 wishes/day to non-genies, stats in MM Janni: No wishes, stats in MM Shaitan: No wishes, stats in End of Eternity Marid: 1 Wish/year, Shazathared is in Impossible Eye but she's Bard 10. Where's a plain Marid detailed? Nefeshti is listed as a "noble" djinni and has 3 wishes/day. Djinni can't grant wishes though. Is "noble" something special? Where is it statted?
Davashuum's betrayal is an interesting story but it loses much of it's punch since it occurs off camera, the PCs don't meet either PC before this happens, and the PCs don't learn of it until much later. Here's my take on improving things: Just as Jhavhul works for Yemeri's attention, Andrathai and the Templars compete for Nefeshti's attention. Andrathai had all but won this competition but the rivalry still existed. Due to this rivalry, Andrathai did not inform the rest of the Templars of his plan to defeat Jhavhul -- his defeat was to be Andrathai's crowning achievement. While Andrathai's plan went awry, the rest of the Templars simply believed that Andrathai had destroyed Jhavhul and his army in one cataclysmic magical blast. Nefeshti believed that Andrathai had sacrificed himself to assure her safety. Nefeshti is despondent and sick from the war, wanting nothing more to do with it. This leads to Vardishal leaving. Kardswann, the scout, was not content to sit and do nothing and eventually succumbs to his wanderlust and leaves. Zaifyd, Pazhvann and Davashuum remain with Nefeshti, each hoping she eventually grows out of her depression and notices them still around. Over the years, unscrupulous humans, genies and outsiders cruelly tempted Nefeshti with false news about her lost lover in hopes of gaining her favor. Eventually, Nefeshti banned all talk of Andrathai and what had happened. When Zaifyd learns of the Scroll, he sees this as his chance to gain Nefeshti's favor. He leaves in hopes of finding it, slowly losing his power as his search takes much longer than he planned. When the scroll eventually turns up in Katapesh, it first comes to the attention of Pazhvann. He goes to the capital and poses as a buyer for the scroll. If turned down or if the PCs learn who he truly is, Pazhvann reveals himself. Pazhvann only wants to know if the scroll is real. If the PCs will agree to tell him everything Rayhan learns, he agrees to tell them about Nefeshti and the Templars (thus getting out some info that hasn't really gotten out at this point). Once he knows if the scroll is real or not, he'll return to Nefeshti and inform her. Davashuum is no fool though and quickly realizes what Pazhvann is up to. He too journeys to Katapesh but, lacking the scruples of the other Templars, he simply shows up to the PCs and demands the scroll. When that doesn't work, he attacks the PCs to take the scroll by force. Hopefully the PCs are on good terms with Pazhvann, who shows up to aid the PCs against Davashuum. It is during this fight that Davashuum kills Pazhvann. The genie then turns back to finish off the PCs. The absence of her last two Templars has been noticed though by Nefeshti. Sensing the death of one of her Templars, she appears over Pazhvann's body. Seeing what has happened, she strips Davashuum of his powers and banishes him from the city. The genie flees before the PCs can do much about it. Nefeshti's sees the scoll and asks if it really is Andrathai's. She touches it tenderly, a tear rolling down her cheek, before teleporting away. Davashuum travels the countryside in disgrace until Jhavhul's return. Sensing his opportunity for revenge, he joins forces with the efreet.
Thoughts on bringing the Kingdom Rules from River Runs Red into Legacy of Fire and specifically on building up Kalmarane? I was trying to figure out how to get my characters interested in saving this city, letting them build it up would be the obvious way. I haven't grokk'd the kingdom rules yet so I've got no specifics to offer but had some general thoughts: Since the town already has some buildings, it might be cheaper to refurbish some of them (lower BP cost). Being in a desert and lacking resources, maybe 3 month time frames would be better than quarterly. Along the same vein, I'm not sure how many hexes the kingdom can really spread to.
Since my players have opted for a direct frontal assault, I needed to figure out where everyone in Kelmarane is during the day. Here's my thoughts: Gnolls in General: The gnolls that don't remain in the Battle Market leave morning to mid-morning on their patrols. They return (all of them?) at dusk for festivities in the Battle Market. Mamba: Always at the market. Undrella: Works in her shop in the morning to mid-afternoon. She then moves to her stall and works on her contraption, makes sales in her shop. Come evening, Kardswann demands her company. If Kardswann demands, she spends the evening with him else back to the shop. Kezurkian: Patrols the city by day with the other gnolls. Remains patroling when the other gnolls go in at dusk (he has no interest in watching a fight that doesn't end bloodily). Around midnight, he returns to the battle market to sleep. Peryton: Hunts at dawn and dusk to take advantage of low-light vision. Spends the days slumbering out of the heat and the night sleeping. Old Bone Grinder: Awake and eating during the day, sleeps at night. Agitated and ultra-agressive in the morning until he has been fed. Watch GateHouse Gnolls: I figure these guys are outcasts, forced to stay at the gatehouse 24/7. They pay lackluster attention during the day unless an alarm is raised. Sleep at night. Jank: Is forced to stay outside 24/7 unless Kardswann wants him for entertainment. Sleeps at night, naps during the day. Bugbears: At the tavern 24/7. Sleeping at night. Kurellak: Tavern 24/7. Sleeps behind the counter. C7 Guards: During the day they hang-out in the room. In the evening they are on the main floor enjoying the tavern/battles. Sleep during the night in that room. Hurvank the Stangler: At the 24/7 to avoid Haleen. Haleen: In her room the majority of the time to avoid Hurvank. Comes out for meals and is generally on the main floor during festivities. C11 Guards: Generally in this room. 1 is always on duty during the night while the others sleep. 3 are awake during the day, while the nightguard sleeps. Ugruk: Hmm, adventure doesn't really give him quarters or anything. During the day while Kardswann is absent, he takes Kardswann's throne and orders the gnolls about below. During the evening he is on the observing platform with Kardswann. During the evening, he sleeps on the main floor with the gnolls that have returned from patrols. Kardswann: During the day, he broods in his quarters while Ugruk runs the market. In the evenings, he enjoys the festivities and demands fights. At night, he abuses Undrella sometimes or simply sleeps.
All spoilers, all the time: After watching Kalmarene for two days, my players are ready to attack the battle market. They've seen the patrols in town but that's about it. They've rescued Fellipad, they know that human merchants recently came to the market and are inside, they know about Kardswan being the leader (but didn't connect that to the info I gave them from the book). So with that, they are planning to ask Almah for the mercenaries, her guards, and to make a direct attack on the market. Normally, I'd let the players hang themselves with their own rope. Almah could talk them out of it - "Are you crazy? Risk my entire force on a attack when we know nothing about the enemy?", but I hesitate to have an NPC take such a direct role in where the adventure goes. Thoughts?
So my players, of course, wiped out the mold before anyone became infected. It doesn't sound likely any of them will need Zoraster to heal them, so anybody have ideas for other ways they can become moldspeaker? Seems too important to leave out of the adventure but I don't want to fudge die rolls to get it in. One though is that Zoraster is going to setup his lab down there. Perhaps the party will buy a potion or two from Z and that might infect them?
Was thinking my 10-year-old is ready to read Dragonlance Chronicles (she's a pretty advanced reader, making her way through the Belgariad right now). I see that there is a new version of these books (the 3 books split into six books) aimed at younger readers (8-13). Now I don't remember the original books particularly well, were there things in there not suitable for younger readers?
Spoiler:
Did anybody else have PCs that tried to "save" Ileosa from the crown? The adventure kind of hints and Sabina thinks, that Ileosa maybe wasn't that bad - that it is the crown that corrupted her.
Not sure that my PCs will attempt it, but what happens if the Crown is taken from Ileosa? Does she keep on fighting?
Several NPCs from the earlier adventures have survived in my campaign. Here's how I'm going to use them: Bahor: Has been named Minister of the Blood. His men are collecting the blood samples and storing them at the Arkona palace. Triffacia is also his gift to the Queen and the Scarzni working with Triffacia are actually Rakshasa. Vimanda: Once Kroft quit and went into hiding, the Queen had Vimanda assume her identity to try and keep the troops in line. Hopefully the PCs will go see Kroft directly and let her hold Serithial. At that point, the Grey Maidens in hiding will jump out and kill them. Sial: My PCs bluffed Sial throughout Skeletons of Scarwall and made off with the sword. Quite angry, Sial is preparing in his Bone Tower to go after them. He has a wizard in his employ for scrying and teleporting. Once he finds the PCs, he, the wizard and his mummies will go after them. If the PCs don't manage to scry & teleport on him first. Laori: Calmer than Sial, she'll continue to work the PCs. She's waiting at Salvator Scream's for the PCs to scry & teleport on her. When they do, she'll put up no resistance. Claiming to have critical Kazavon information, she'll demand to accompany the PCs from this point on. If they refuse, she hangs around town and waits for a chance to attack (after the Triffacia fight or Sebina perhaps).
Is there any interest in starting a Pathfinder Society group that would play via virtual tabletop (I'm using Kloogewerks, but am open to others that don't have to be purchased). Ideally, there would be a group of a dozen or more players with a couple people interested in sharing the DM role on a rotating basis. DM could just pick a module, date/time they want to run it, and whomever wants to play can play. Interested in playing? Interesting in DMing? Experience with virtual tabletop software?
How have other people handled Sial & Laori in Scarwall? Do they just tag along with the party, hanging back, until the big encounter? Do you turn them over to the players and let them run them? Does the DM actively run them in each fight? Do they not tag along with the party - instead maybe showing up at different places along the way? Adding in these three (plus Trinia if she makes it that far), seems like a big group to manage (6 PCs, a couple animal companions, 3 NPCs).
I can't make heads or tails of this. The text says that the totems have to remain erect for the two full days and that many eyes will be watching. But it also says the totems can fall over, take damage, but as long as they don't shatter the PC is OK. Which is it - does the totem have to remain erect the entire time or is it allowed to fall over and then be put back? If a PC does leave his totem, does it automatically fall over? What about the Vision of the Auroch - if a PC leaves his totem for that does it fall?
Escape from Old Korvosa ended up in a battle between Bahor and Vimanda (see the obituary thread if you want to know how it came out). I'm wondering though if I played out the battle between these two correctly. Both are armed with weapons that can't get past the DR, right? They have spells, but can't get past SR. Vimanda has area attacks, but Bahor's evasion nerfs that. They do have natural weapons. I seem to recall (but can't find) a rule where a creature's natural attacks bypass the DR of the same type? So the only way these two can hurt each other is to use the natural attacks?
Spoilers abound. Rather than run the four bad guys as the MM says, I did some customization based on their role/personality. Spoiler:
Spells Known: 7/5/3/2 Per Day Cast: 6/7/7/5 Avishandu – Artistic maintenance, At Garden Elephant 0: Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Message, Open/Close, Read Magic, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue
Carnochan – Public face, Patrols 0: Arcane Mark, Detect magic, Distraction, Mage Hand, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic
Nudhaali – Food, At Garden Elephant 0: Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Mage Hand, Message, Read Magic, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue
Vennashti – Security, Patrols 0: Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Message, Ray of Frost, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue
Avidexu – Animal lover, Temple below 0: Detect Magic, Light, Mage Hand, Message, Read Magic, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue
Should the plague still be an issue for the PCs during Escape From Old Korvosa, or is the plague supposed to have been resolved by now? Seems like the plague should still be going - if it's cured, why is Old Korvosa being cut-off? If the plague is still going though, it makes things a bit tough on the players - the cleric will be spending a couple spells a day just to do Remove Disease, Restoration to cure damage.
All of the hooks in Seven Days to the Grave are of the “NPC tells the party to go to X” variety. I want the PCs investigations to lead them to the various hooks, not for NPCs to lead them there. Also, the story of the Direption has some issues as noted in other threads. My ideas for changing the adventure to give the PCs clues to follow-up on: The cult is going to spread disease by having others unknowingly spread it for them. They find some greedy merchants willing to turn over some of their merchandise, the cult infects it, gives it back, and asks the merchant to sell it quickly and cheaply. In return for this, the merchant is paid handsomely. Unfortunately for the merchant, the cult is going to kill the merchant shortly afterwards so that no trace is left. The cult also used an intermediary, Girrigz and his gang of wererats, to make the deals and distribute the Death Head Coffers (DHCs). The merchants in question: Giotorri's Toys: Infected items were some simple rag dolls. Giottorri put these out for display on the street where many children played with them and they were quickly stolen (not that Giotorri cared). Brieena is clutching one of these dolls when the PCs come to see her. At the temple of Abadar, they might also see one or two other sick children with the dolls. This is the major clue to start the adventure. At Giotorri’s, the PCs hopefully find the Death Head Coffer (DHC) and the key to the vault of Abadar. Using Locate Object, they can track down other DHC. At Abadar’s, they can check with the sick priests to see if anybody else unusual made a large deposit. Kreel McGee: Runs a small stall in the Reefclaw Run Market that sells crackers. The Red Mantis assasins found Kreel, killed him, and stuffed him into his flour bin (the ragged cut across his throat being a chance to forshadow the Red Mantis). Kreel had finished with the DHC and tossed it in the small creek behind his stall. PCs can find this with Locate Object. Brio Sage: The elder member of Hessim, Newby, and Sage; Brio was happy for a chance to earn some corn he doesn’t have to share with the others. He happily received dozens of small tainted jars of white paint. Brio can come to the PCs attention because of the priest that was made sick when Brio came to open a new, private account. Brio can be found in his home, his throat cut out by a Red Mantis blade. The assassins took the DHCs with them. Ruis Vindmel: Ruis worked at the West End docks selling fish dumplings on a stick. His tainted sticks have infected dozens of dock workers. Rius got nervous about the deal and decided that it would be best to leave town in a hurry. He booked passage on the Direption and sailed away. He would have made it except for the Red Mantis that were hot on his tail. The Red Mantis ended up having to kill all of the crew and they then burnt the ship to hide their tracks. (So, rather than the Direption being a plague ship coming in, it is a ship that burns and sinks in the harbor as it was leaving.) Bodies that float ashore have the jagged cut throat that Brio and Kreel do. The PCs can learn about Ruis from a sick priest of Abadar who describes a very nervous Ruis emptying out his account. Ruis’ home is ransacked by the Red Mantis. Gather Information at the docks will let the PCs know that Ruis was on the Direption. Locate Object in the harbor (it’s too far out and too far down to have worked from land) will lead to the Yvicca encounters (might move that to sea caves rather than remains of the ship). Lavender: Received several bottles of tainted perfume from the cult. She happily sprayed thes on her customers. Once all of her customers got sick, Lavendar needed a new line of business and started selling fake plague cures. (Lavendar hasn’t put 2 and 2 together though to realize she helped do it). Lavendar still has the DHC in her office and it can be found with Locate Object. The spawn that killed Giotorri were supposed to kill Lavendar but they never got around to it. If Lavendar can be made to talk, she can lead the PCs to the inn and identify the gang member who was her contact. That member will give up the location of the wererats in the sewers. Papers in Girrigz lair might implicate the doctor again or perhaps he has a doctor’s mask. Carowyn Manor: The Queen wanted the Carowyn's gone and got that message delivered to Dr. Davalus. Dr. Davalus approached the Carowyn's and told them of his desire to be "introduced" to Korvosan society. He gave them a large supply of tainted money for them to throw a party in his honor. Unfortunately, Lord Carowyn turned this money over to his servants without touching it. The servants spent it at the Three Rings tavern buying the party supplies. Once Davalus saw that the Carowyn's themselves were not getting sick, he told Rolth to finish the job (who then sent Jolistina to do it). The PCs can learn of the Carowyn's by questioning the sick staff at the Three Rings.
My eight year-old found The Olympians series at the library (first book is The Lightning Thief). Modern day America and the Greek Gods are still alive living on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. Young Percy Jackson learns that he's the son of one of the gods, adventure ensues. Ares as a biker dude, summer camp for half-god children, and all sorts of other wacky, fun stuff.
A disease has an incubation period, then a Fort save, and then WHAM! the victim has something very nasty happen to them. The bit of nastiness seems to come without warning - make a Fort save, if it fails, take the consequences. Should players get some warning of the coming disease -- they start feeling sick but don't yet have any consequences? This would give them time to Remove Disease before the nastiness. You'd have to let them make the Fort save in advance to see if the disease will actually progress. Or maybe after incubation and the Fort save, the disease manifests in a minor way (say 1 point of ability damage) then quickly does it's full damage (within 6 hours let's say). That gives them time to adjust to it. Thoughts? Do diseases come out of nowhere to do too much damage?
The Goldhammer dwarves, in the dock buildings, have been wiped out. The Cyphermages, holded up the remains of Witchlight, are nearly wiped. The PCs see an attack on the Cyphermages with 2 dozen Akatas. Cleeg on the other hand is camping in the open and seems to be doing...OK. That doesn't feel right. Without defenses, seems like they should have been wiped out first. Are Akata's supposed to be afraid of the bonfire? Is something else going on?
Started the campaign last night and two players out of the blue decided that they live in Old Korvosa. Does this become a problem during Escape From Old Korvosa when it gets quarantined? I suppose the quarantine could happen while the PCs were gone thus providing a need to sneak back in? Or maybe the PCs are all IN Old Korvosa when the quarantine is placed, thus "Escape"?
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