First, they also tried to keep the scroll a secret. However, they soon discovered they were finding little to nothing out in regards to it. If they are doing their own research, are they not consulting with anyone? How are they doing the research? There isn't much of a library in Kelmarene and I wouldn't expect them to find much on their own elsewhere. As soon as they mention it to anyone, I'd have that PC get back to them. Eventually the Jackal's minions, will learn of this, but I would have that one contact put them in touch with Rayhan
Zayfid lived a long time in my campaign too. In fact, he finally died at the Oasis. Unless you want to start adding to his power, his usefulness as an opponent is going to run out. And it will be difficult to have him tag along to the other locations in this AP.
As for Undrella, I think adding levels of Alchemist would work well.
We also had Lesaar hanging around for quite a while. My groups negotiated a means of return with Rayhan. If you like keeping him around, he may have a reason to be present when the PCs are taken into Kakishon. I'm not sure he'd jeopordize his return home by allying with Radi. By this point the PCs should have displayed considerable power compared to Radi, who would be a weak partner in comparison. He's been stuck in Golarion for a long time, he may be smart enough to be a bit more patient, even if the PCs are making a minimal effort.
Maybe a better route would be to have Lesaar convince Radi to find someone who can provide answers on what the scroll does. That way, he is not directly opposing the PCs, but is advancing a possible route home.
Yes, now I see that you even posted on that thread. I know you're going in a different direction, but here's what I had been planning.
Against the Runelords:
After the defeat of Karzoug, the heroes begin to find clues that the other Runelords are coming back. My PCs have established a base at Jorgenfist and are inadvertently protecting the library there. Thankfully, that is a good place to learn information on Thassilon and is a place that enemies would be attracted to as well.
Without the PCs knowing, I set the following points to give me an idea of what each Runelords was doing and his/her status because with high level adventures, and so many moving parts, I want to be able to react to whatever the PCs may do.
Sorshen: She is one of the first to awaken and become active. At the moment, she is remaining hidden and gathering some power in secret. More importantly, she is actively seeking out the other Runelords and trying to kill or stop them from returning. I was going to make her a CR 22, vampire enchanter.
Alaznist: She is the 2nd to return, and immediately starts gathering an army. Unfortunately, much of her realm has sunk. She tries using a hellfire flume, but it doesn’t work properly. She has to spend time finding or creating items to repair the magical weapon. Unfortunately for her, the test firing of the weapon has been noticed. She was going to be a CR 21 Eldritch Knight
Belimarius: She would have been the 3rd to return if Sorshen had not arrived first. If the PCs find her sanctuary, they will find most of the guardians destroyed and the remains of Belimarius. They may even arrive in time to see Sorshen and her elite minions leaving.
Zutha: He is calling out to the various pieces of the Gluttonous Tome. I may have a powerful necromancer arrive at Jorgenfist who is seeking knowledge from the library. If the PCs don’t allow him access, he’ll force his way. He may already have two of the books required. CR 23, necromancer.
Krune: I’m debating on whether he’d still be around or if he is imprisoned by a former planar ally. I could see a powerful demon betraying him sometime during the stasis. Perhaps the demon(lord), notices the disturbance in the runewells, and makes an arrival instead. He may even still have the runelord imprisoned in some magical cage. CR 24, conjuror.
Xanderghul: He is going to arrive last. I was going to have his sanctuary on another world that had been sealed off. The runewell’s reawakening causes enough disturbance that he has a way to return with his angelic slave army. I was going to make him a CR 25, probably wizard/monk.
Events of the Campaign
• While at Jorgenfist, the PCs defend the library from several groups that try to gain possession of the site possibly including; the aspis consortium, Riddleport, a wizard from the Acadamae, and a witch from Irrisen.
• Also while at Jorgenfist, they find many (almost too many) clues as to where the Runelords may have had bases of power.
• The PCs learn of a powerful magical attack on a group of ships near Hollow Mountain. One ship barely escapes, and survivors describe how a spout of fire emanated from one of the island’s mountainous peaks.
• At Hollow Mountain, they encounter Alaznist and her minions. They also find clues which lead to the sanctuary of Belemarius.
• The PCs encounter a necromancer who wants access to the library at Jorgenfist. This wizard is secretly seeking information on the last book of gluttony. Depending on how this encounter develops, the necromancer may be a continuous faction working against them.
• If and when the PCs investigate Korvosa, they will find that Sorshen’s agents have covertly taken over most government positions or assumed much power in the city without raising too many alarms. Sorshen has been quietly removing people of power, dominating other public figures, and silencing any who raise an alarm.
• If and when the PCs investigate Kaer Maga, they will find that a powerful plague has gripped the city. They eventually can trace the source to a powerful outsider who has taken residence and is unleashing plans for a horrific pestilence to be spread upon Golarion. Further investigation will reveal that this monstrosity once served Krune.
• Finally, rumors will reach the PCs of a massive army gathering near the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Minions of Xanderghul are gathering and attempting to hasten the runelords return.
.
But now, rather than stat this stuff out, I'll wait to see what Paizo has in store.
I've been working on a "continuing" campaign for a while. I was plotting out which Runelords would be where, what they were doing, and how they would be reacting upon their re-awakening. Then I asked a few questions on another thread;
See page 9 especially. If you don't feel like writing up a bunch of 20+ level Runelords and an adventure, there may be something brewing in the next few years from Paizo.
From the end of "Concluding the Campaign" in Pathfinder 6:
** spoiler omitted **
Spectacular! I couldn't have asked for a better response. I remember reading that passage, but I don't always expect such threads to be followed up on. Now I can quit working on my stats for Sorshen, and tell my players to just hold onto those old PC sheets. I'm really looking forward to whatever you have planned.
Is there any chance that there will be stats for the other Runelords at the end for continuing the campaign?
None whatsoever.
I have other plans for the other six runelords that far outstrips what I could do in a "continuing the campaign" element for Rise of the Runelords.
Wow. I expected the first part of your answer. You anticipated my second question, and now I'm wondering what those plans could entail. I hope that means something interesting for the Shattered Star AP.
I guess my next question would really be . . . if you have a group of players who just finished this AP, and they really wanted to continue the fight against the other Runelords, would you;
A. Spend a lot of time and effort in creating the stats for all the Runelords yourself along with their minions, lairs, and such to make your players happy?
or
B. Tell your players to wait a year or so because Paizo has big plans for the Runelords that would blow away anything a tired, time-strapped, and old DM could come up with by himself?
Sorry, I don't agree. It seems you're implying that someone who willingly becomes one of the undead is not doing an evil act? Are you saying that one's willingness to be involved in an evil act justifies the act?
Someone who willingly becomes one of the undead is committing an evil act.
Someone who takes a willing being and turns them into the undead is committing an evil act.
You were suggesting that the evilness of the undead creation process stemmed from the use of someone's corpse against their will. I was pointing out a situation where that idea wouldn't work, putting the evilness of the act back to being inherent in the act rather than it being a violation someone's will.
I think you misread me, and I obviously misread your previous post. My point has nothing to do with the willingness of the deceased. I'm stating that the act and the spell are evil because of what is created; a perversion of a once living creature.
The problem with that idea is that the spell is is evil, not evil unless the person agreed to have their body made into a skeleton.
Sorry, I don't agree. It seems you're implying that someone who willingly becomes one of the undead is not doing an evil act? Are you saying that one's willingness to be involved in an evil act justifies the act?
In my opinion, animate dead is evil because it desecrates the body of a living creature. It is not about animating what once was a piece of stone or iron as in a golem. It is about creating a thing that is a mockery of the living creature that the body once was. The energies or the rituals used to create undead are not as important as what the actual spell creates: a parody of the once living being.
Eating beef - not evil.
Tanning leather - not evil.
Making leather clothing - not evil.
Wearing leather boots until you wear holes in them - not evil
Boiling beef bones for stew - not evil
Cracking beef bones for marrow - not evil
Giving beef bones to dogs - not evil
Taxidermy - not evil
Animating an ox skeleton to pull a cart - evil
I'm not sure if you're agreeing with me or not. However, I agree with what you wrote. All of the "non-evil" acts listed have nothing to do with animating a corpse.
In the context I listed previously, a druid, paladin, or even a good cleric would take offense at someone animating a carcass to pull a cart; ie making a mockery of the once living creature that was the ox.
I wasn't going to get involved, but . . . . it seems like the wrong points are being argued.
In my opinion, animate dead is evil because it desecrates the body of a living creature. It is not about animating what once was a piece of stone or iron as in a golem. It is about creating a thing that is a mockery of the living creature that the body once was. The energies or the rituals used to create undead are not as important as what the actual spell creates: a parody of the once living being.
To me, a druid is an easy example. A druid would and should be offended by most of the examples given in this thread. An animated rat, horse, or whatever, was once a living creature and part of the cycle of life. A zombie or skeleton is the antithesis of a living creature.
A paladin serves the powers of good and law. In my view, gods of law and goodness are also creators or at least protectors of life. IF the paladin serves a god who protects the living, he would surely oppose any disrespectful if not outright blasphemous use of the once living, even if it were once a horse. IF the paladin serves a god who actually created life (a creator god), then he would view all living creatures as his god’s creations. I would expect this type of paladin to be truly offended at the use of corpses in any animated manner.
I wouldn't think that you're screwed. I DM'ing Second Darkness for 4 PCs that were all fighter types. (Fighter, Paladin, Barbarian, Rogue). Combat will go extremely fast if all PCs can bring their attacks in. From my experience, they rarely got into much big trouble as they typically killed things before getting much damage at all.
On the other hand, they were also very resourceful, made sure they had good NPC contacts to call for help when needed, and they bought plenty of potions.
Personally, I'd suggest a Worldwound crusade AP whereby the BBEG at the end is a demon-possessed ancient wyrm...preferably a red. The campaign would have undertones of "Dragon Age" to it (obviously)...but not a simple duplication, mind you. It would just play well for those already familiar with that game.
The AP would also avoid having dragons in every adventure. But I'd spend the "capital" provided by the BBEG by demonstrating the dragon's handiwork in every adventure. That way, the PCs know from the beginning what they're up against. In fact, I'd make it a "dragon hunt" on top of the crusade. And, the PCs would very likely have to set off on that adventure already assuming they'd give their lives to defeat such evil and protect their friends and family back home.
Pretty much most of what's listed here and hasn't been covered, along with Colossal+ rules.
I hope Paizo can do better than these. Many of these were not impressive or very imaginative. There are a few nice things in here, but yikes, I expect much more from Paizo.
I'd love to see epic rules and some very epic monsters, but please let's do better than reving up most of the monsters we have already. In other words, I'd love to see an epic bestiary, but not if it is just a bunch of mega - undead, golems, elementals, etc, that also lack any unique flavor.
Are there any options given for fighters (and other traditionally armored warriors like paladins or cavaliers) to be unarmored but use shields (like Celts or Zulus) in Ultimate Combat?
Book's out in like 2 weeks. I don't wanna spoil everything!
I received my PDF last night. I didn't see any options for a fighter who is unarmored except for a shield. Did I miss something?
I'd hate to remove the class, but I'm having a hard time making it fit. Any suggestions?
I have a similar homebrew. My short answer is to insert a few lawful good gods. While most of the gods will be petty and have human interests/weaknesses, a paladin needs a patron with a devotion to good and order for the class to work. (That's my opinion. I'm sure someone will argue why there can be a Paladin of Asmodeus).
The long answer: I agree that Roman/Greek myths typically don't support a paladin like character. My typical inspiration for Paladins are the romanticized versions of christian knights and crusaders devoted to ideals like charity, honor, etc. Since they really didn't exist in ancient myths, it's hard to find a replacement. The closest equivalent that came to mind were the judges of Israel from the Old Testament. They were not infallible, but were supposed to be protectors of the people of Israel. The Bible is a good start for further reading, or you can look up Testament: Roleplaying in the Biblical Era (which was available through Paizo).
So I have a paladin class, thought they are just as likely to call themselves judges or holy warriors. They are devoted to protecting people who worship the gods of good. They don't necessarily wear full plate, but fill the same niche.
It's not too hard to do this with most of the APs. My PCs tend to take a mercenary type view of things.
Possible Spoilers for Second Darkness, and Legacy of Fire.
spoiler:
For Second Darkness, the PCs were hired by the elves. We haven't finished that AP, but I imagine they will work for the elven government to the end. For Legacy of Fire, they are contracted to Almah.
When I eventually get to this section, I was thinking of substituting the King for a Champion in the fight. I'd rather leave the King as a mystery. So the King will give them an option of fighting one of his champions, they may or may not beat the champion. However, the king learns a bit more about the PCs, and still keeps his aura of power.
I wouldn't be too worried about it. I'm pretty sure that both of my groups encountered this creature at 2nd level. There are a few things in the PCs favor here.
Just in case, I'll use a Spoiler
Spoiler:
* It is only 2 CR higher than the party, so it should be a good fight but not epic.
* It is only one creature. If your group does decent damage, it may not last long.
* The encounter is in the middle of nowhere which means if they are hurting after the fight, they should be able to easily hightail it back to safety.
Character: Graben, Half-Orc, Fighter 10
Book: The End of Eternity
Catalyst: Obherak
He died well . . .
Spoiler:
The party descended into Obherak's lair. A fight ensured against the Spikestone Guardians, which attracted the attention of the shaitans. The combat lasted for several rounds with shaitans showing up sporadically. However, the party druid remained at the surface of the well, convinced that the enemy might attack from above. When Obherak and his 2 guards appeared, Graben confronted all three. Perhaps he was overconfident since few opponents have done more than a few scratches throughout the past several combats. Obherak and his guards took him down in two rounds.
That was an odd decision by the PCs, but it does look like it could be interesting turn of events too.
spoiler:
And by decision, I mean when they chose to go to the hidden shrine rather than protect the monastary from an attack they knew would be coming. However, as you wrote, it may work out. Maybe, not in a way that the PCs want. . . .
Thanks for sharing. I like reading about how other games turn out.
My world is inspired by Greek mythology and the Planet of the Apes. Except, take away the apes and replace them with a reptilian empire. Immortals walk the plane, indulging in their own selfish interests and interfering with the lives of mortals. Giant kingdoms and dragon clans also control vast sections of the world. Mankind itself struggles as a slave race, or strives to survive in remote tribal societies. Meanwhile, in one small region, humans have revolted against their masters in an attempt to gain their own freedom and power.
I don't know if this has already been talked about, but I'm getting a serious Black Company vibe off the last book in the AP, as described in the blurb. I mean, swap out Tar-Baphon for the Dominator and Gallowspire for the Barrowlands (neither one is a stretch) and you've got it. Is this just me? Have I been reading too much Glen Cook lately?
Please note that I don't think this is a bad thing. Far from it, in fact, as for my money fantasy doesn't get better than the Black Company books.
Can one read too much Glen Cook? It seems one would suffer from a lack of Glen Cook rather than the opposite.
But to your point, I hadn't thought of this AP in that way. I'll have to read through the blurbs again.
Sometimes our announcement schedule gets a little jumbled, thus giving careful readers sneak previews. You're both correct--stay tuned for official announcements sometime soon. :)
I noticed that in the announcement for PaizoCon 2011, Dave Gross is credited with "Master of Devls" along with "Prince of Wolves". I can't seem to locate information on the first book. Is this a new novel for Pathfinder?
The World Expert; he knows everything about your homebrew that you've ever let out, immerses his characters in the world and it's organizations, sometimes even seeking out world related plot twists that you had not considered.
The Note Taker; he takes detailed campaign notes about pretty much everything that happens. Can provide NPC names and details, treasure lists. Is always there with campaign information for the players if things are forgotten (which can happen in 15 to 20 levels of play).
Let us know how it goes. My PCs were having an easy time with the gnolls in most encounters too. As I said before, it was a nice fight, but not close to a TPK.
I'm stoked to play in a CoT campaign this weekend and then DM a LoF campaign for an all Saturday extravaganza! (That is as long as I kick this cold, but heck we'll just reschedule for the next weekend).
I'm dying to hear about the next product releases and the AP that will be after Jade Regent.
I would go with your first option to give the PCs a bit more time to heal and prepare if needed. This will also give them a heads up that a big battle will be coming. In one of my games, the PCs did the exact same thing. They knew is was coming and there was quite a bit of excitement as they made plans for a stand. There was a good battle at the monastary, but not even close to a TPK.
Just in case a spoiler is needed:
Remember, Kardswann has rather limited resources. If the PCs killed off most of the gnolls and hyenas outside of the battlemarket he is even more limited. If they befriended Undrella, she may hold back or pull punches. And if he waits to gather more gnolls, that gives the PCs more time too.
I never got to finish the campaign, but it seems to me that after all of the struggles and trials of the PCs, saying "well, 1 down. You guys have 6 more to tackle." kind of takes the wind out of their sails.
I thought this might be the case when we finished this AP. However, when I presented some ideas for continuing the same PCs, they wanted to hunt down the remaining Runelords. I'm hoping to have an adventure ready by the time we're done with LoF.
I tend to have NPCs introduced that can create items or introduce the PCs to a high level market. There typically isn't a "magical store" that anyone can walk into, but as the PCs rise in power, they meet more powerful NPCs that can be of service.
Possible Legacy of Fire spoiler:
This may not be the best example, but my PCs just entered Katapesh. I told them Katapesh is probably the one place in the world where they can find anything. If they can afford it, they can buy it.
I believe all of the Runelords used or had access to runewells, so I'll be incorporating them in my game.
Here are some ideas on what the Runelords may have done or what I may use.
Alaznist: She fled to a planar refuge and died long ago. However, the reactivation of the runewells alerts her successors, Alaznist XXIV perhaps.
Belimarius: She went into stasis in a manner similar to Karzoug.
Krune: Upon learning about the doom coming to Golarion, he tried to flee but was betrayed by one of his more powerful planar allies. He has been magically imprisoned for countless ages. If the PCs, figure out where is is imprisoned (probably the Abyss) then they may have a chance to free him. However, I'm playing with the idea that his prison is sitting on display in a demonlord's treasury.
Sorshen: She hid in the crypts under Korvosa.
Xanderghul: He established an empire on another plane, he gained some sort of immortality. He also notices the activation of the runewells. However, I need to construct a reason he does not coming rushing back.
Zutha: As we know, he split his soul into the Gluttonous Tome.
For what it is worth, following are some of my notes on how I was going to set this up. My players did want to pursue the rest of the Runelords, and I was going to have events occur fairly quickly after the fall of Karzoug.
Runelord Status
Karzoug = Dead
Alaznist = She is awakened and trying to recover her power in secret from Hollow Mountain. She’s only been awake for a short period of time and is having a hard time reconciling the fact that most of her kingdom is gone. CR 21
Belimarius = She was awakening in the Ironbound Isles, however, Sorshen killed her. The PCs may discover clues and some surviving minions if they find her lair.
Krune = He is within Kaer Maga, and is being the most cautious. He is studying the new world and it’s powers. CR 23
Sorshen = She is the first to awaken after Karzoug and is in Korvosa. Rather than grow an army, she is actively seeking out other Runelords to kill them, or stop them. She may use the PCs toward this end. CR 22
Xanderghul = He is still in stasis somewhere within the Land of the Linnorm Kings. He will be the most powerful and the last to return to Golarion. CR 24
Zutha = Is trapped inside his tome. His minions are trying to collect the other books, one of which may be in the library at Jorgenfist. His main lair is within the Hold of Belkzen . CR 22
Possible Encounters
Slave of the Gluttonous Tome – The heroes encounter a powerful necromancer who is seeking the third volume.
Agent of Xanderghul – This powerful agent is seeking a way to free his master through several Thassilonian artifacts.
Rumors of War – Alaznist tries to reactivate a Hellflume as part of her attempt to regain power.
Powerful Passing – While exploring a Thassilonian ruin, the PCs run into Sorshen. This could be deadly or turn into a role-playing encounter.
If you're looking for dragons as villains, maybe look toward the AP that's coming AFTER Jade Regent. And yes, that's the first AP #10 hint I believe I've given out. And since it's still months early to be properly hinting about AP #10... it's still subject to being proven inaccurate in 5 months or so...
Oof. AP #10 would launch in early 2012, correct? It seems like such a way off.
I'm a fan of how the current APs work out, and I probably lean more toward an AP that stretches to 20 levels.
However, I did try to run the LoF AP on a slow XP rate to have a slower progression and add more encounters.
Legacy of Fire spoilers:
I added a bunch of additional encounters with pugwampis, gnolls and genies for example. .
However, even this became a bit tedious for someone who doesn't have time to write up their own stuff anymore. Doesn't it seem like there may be a niche for a 3rd party publisher to create supplemental material for APs? The Slow Path, perhaps? Just a thought.
In my groups we use graph paper. As the DM, I typically have the battlefield drawn out, but it's easy enough to sketch a quick battlefield as well. The PCs and villains are written in pencil and represented by a letter. When someone moves, we just erase the letter and place the PC where he needs to be for his movement.
I don't think I've ever seen a game with an actual battle grid and miniatures.
I run this type of game quite a bit. I've run Runelords with one player (3 characters), and I'm running Legacy of Fire with one player (4 characters). I was the sole player for Shackled City (until the 4th TPK), and I just started Council of Thieves (I'm running 4 PCs).
Side Track Topic:
In fact, I was stranded in the recent snowstorm in the midwest coming back from a game this weekend. It sucked, but the game was great.
Yes, quite a bit of roleplaying goes out the window, but the player(s) are usually pretty good about creating interesting characters and reacting for each PC individually.
I'm not trying to convince you one way or another. My point would be that running 1 on 1 can be fun, and that either Kingmaker or Serpent's Skull could work fine.
I'm not sure I'd agree with the Cavalier sentiment.
[spoiler=Some Minor Spoilers, Maybe] Much of the AP is outdoors so far. If I were DMing this, I'd allow the horse to make it to Smuggler's Shiv, and be rescued if it survived. The first three APs could be really good for a Cavalier. Yes, there are part where the horse would be left behind for certain dungeons. And yes, it sounds like Vaults of Madness and beyond may be near impossible to bring along a horse. However, I'd do my best to not gimp this facet of the PC if I could. And I would suspect that by that level, he/she would figure out a way to bring along her animal companion via magic. /spoiler]
Hey everyone. We're currently searching for a new member of the Paizo editorial team. Having already talked to numerous gaming professionals, we wanted to broaden our search to include talented gamers whom we perhaps don't know about.
The position is for a new developer to work with us on Paizo's varied Pathfinder lines, with a focus on ordering new content, working with freelancers, managing continuity, sculpting freelance handovers into material adhering to our high standards, and various related tasks. This is an entry-level position that requires mastery of the English language, daily attendance in Redmond Washington, and an unbridled passion for RPGs, storytelling, and the varied arts that make a great Game Master.
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Has this position been filled yet? I don't see the job posted in the link.
This is exactly how two of my groups operate. We're all college/high school friends. We all live too far apart for a regular game, so we settle for 3 to 5 games a year. The game usually starts at 8 or 9am and ends when everyone is too tired to go on. Sometimes that is midnight. Sometimes it is 3am.
In my experience, we can easily go through a whole book (1 out of 6) in that time. For example, we went through the Shadow in the Sky and and half of Children of the Void in one marathon session. For a Legacy of Fire campaign, Howl of the Carrion King took 1 session, and we almost completed House of the Beast in one session.
To prep for these games, I write an outline of the adventure with important notes to remind me of events and special encounters. I also print out stats for most of the major combats helps me focus on the action rather than flipping through various books.
This is pretty close to the exact build I have for my PC in a Shackled City campaign. And I'm getting my butt handed to me on a regular basis. Granted, I've heard that Shackled City is a meat grinder, and maybe we're lucky that we're only on our 2nd TPK.
Whirlwind Attack was fun at lower levels when you could drop a mook with one hit, but at higher levels you need to drop opponents fast. You can't afford to chip away at them with one hit each. Combat Expertise is also nice in theory, but I'm often finding that I'm missing too much if I use this feat. Then again, it may be just the campaign.
As for additional feats for this build, I'd go with Improved Critical and some of it's supporting feats.
I'm not the best optimizer either. However, I was building one for a campaingn that should have a fair amount of outdoor fighting. I was going to use a build similar to some suggested paladin builds to take advantage of the challenge ability. By this I mean, maximizing my chances of crits with an appropriate weapon, and take the critical chain feats. I was also considering going with a TWF sword and shield build. However, I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to run a PC with such a focus on a mounts so I'm settling on the following.
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