Hiding DM's page

I've an NPC Necromancer that will be cursing someone to be a vampire under his thrall -- a lieutenant for the PCs to work their way towards before they get to the Necromancer BBEG.

Of course I'll arbitrarily do it how I want to if necessary but I am hoping that somewhere in Pathfinder there is some RAW I could look at (and probably follow).

The spell Create Gr. Undead doesn't have an entry for the Vampire. Bestow Curse seems too low a level for that (when compared to Create Gr Undead. There's nothing in Classic Horrors Revisited or the Bestiary.

Any ideas?

Or, I could just use 3E RAW (but I don't remember -- anybody remember 3E RAW?).

Why not make your artifact a meteor that detonated in the atmosphere above Varisia.

This is a really good idea. It shouldn't take much to have had the "Burnt Offerings" goblins organize and attack Sandpoint because they felt the shooting star was a prophetic message or something (since prophesies can't come from writings for them, why not astrology?).

Having a fragment land near Jorgenfist and Celwinvian will work, too -- and people from Korvosa, Ilsurian and Magnimar could have preceded the PCs to other fragments, forcing them to go to those cities for retrieval.

Then I'd just have to find the reason that the PCs have to be the ones to get them -- and a Wayfinder (found at some point in Skinsaw Murders) may be a good option.

. . . . I wonder, can I still begin with "Burnt Offerings."

I'll certainly go back to Dungeon 105(?) and "The Black Egg" for some inspiration.

And I'd have to find a way to include The Skinsaw Murders -- or maybe not, if nothing comes to mind (Can't force it, right?).

....One of the newbies has some experience playing the Star Wars RPG -- maybe having a Black Egg / Starfall plot-line would be cool for her.

I spent about an hour last night going over the published material and more and more, I see how much I need help with the Campaign MacGuffin.

Maybe if I try to articulate my need for ideas another way it will be more clear.

I need some suggestions for a MacGuffin that will send the PCs to various points of Varisia: Sandpoint, Riddleport, Celwynvian, Jorgenfist, Ilsurian and Korvosa. (I'd love to include Kaer Maga, too; I'll have to see what ideas come forth once I nail down the plot.) I'm using a number of pieces from RotRL and even some SD as encounters, locations and NPCs.

Considering my options last night I think I'd like the "Artifact X" (or whatever, that the PCs will spend the Campaign hunting down) to be a set of Ioun Stones for a Wayfinder, finding a new stone at each location (But that seems wrong because a Wayfinder only holds one stone.). I'd also like to include the Sihedron Rune (I love Skinsaw Murders, what can I say?) -- maybe these Ioun Stones each have a rune and together they are special?? I dunno.

Once I get a solid, working idea for the MacGuffin I can better connect the goblin raid in "Burnt Offerings" and Shalela Andosana with Belios at "St. Caspieran's Salvation" -- and then to Jorgenfist and Mokmurian, Celwynvian and a trip to the Shadow Plane, etc., etc.

I NEED YOUR GLUE!

A couple new Pathfinders at my LGS have asked me to teach them the rules and start a campaign.

I've got three weeks to prepare the campaign; I generically know what I want to do but really want to hear some "gluey" ideas to help me connect the published stuff I'm using.

I'm taking most encounters from Burnt Offerings, The Skinsaw Murders, Fortress of the Stone Giants and maybe some bits of Hook Mountain Massacre from RotRL and adding Armageddon Echo and the Set Piece from Shadow in the Sky in SD to create a Campaign that really shows off Varisia.

I'm cutting out the "Runelord Rising" and "Drow Starfall" plots and instead using a "Find the Pieces of Artifact X" plot.

Here's my early thinking so far -- I'd love any ideas, especially regarding the "Artifact X" I need to create and thus how the various adventures I'm "borrowing" from can be tied together.

NOTE: *Please do not include any info from CotCT -- I'm avoiding Spoilers!

A} I'll start in Sandpoint with Burnt Offerings: after the goblin menace the PCs will find the Campaign MacGuffin.

B} That will lead them to Riddleport where they will find something in that dilapidated House of Sarenrae that's really the hideout for some bad guys (see AP# 13, Set Piece). Fom there they will gain "some knowledge" -- this is a KEY, critical part of the Campaign -- and they can choose where to go next, from the following:

C} Celwynvian and many of the encounters in The Armageddon Echo. They'll get an Artifact piece here.

D} The Devil's Platter and farmlands presented in The Skinsaw Murders, I'll likey put a greater distance between this geographic feature and Sandpoint. Another piece is here.

E} The Storval Plateau to deal with Mokmurian and such in Fortress of the Stone Giants. Let's kill Mokmorian to get another piece.

F} Maybe some ogrish parts of Hook Mountain Massacre -- I'm not sure if that level of disturbing material will be acceptable for this group, yet.

G} And also I'd like something In Ilsurian and Korvosa. Anything not from CotCT here??? Society Scenarios maybe?

Thanks for any ideas and suggestions.

We're getting together this weekend to learn the basics, run some Orc-N-Pie and make their first PCs. The following week I'm taking those PCs to Absalom where I'm running a one-shot adventure for them, just to get them ready. The following week (most likely) we'll start this campaign.

LOL

All Mariliths in my campaigns are named "Mary."

It's fun to ask my Players, speaking with the voice one uses to talk to two-year-olds and puppies, if they know where Mary is or tell them that Mary wants to play with them,
.... Then break out the picture of a Marilith.

(I make copies of illustrations I like and keep them in a DM folder for later use -- so I know exactly what the pic is, just not which mag.)

It very well could be "Rana Mor" -- "The Harrowing," while taking place in the Abyss, doesn't spark my memory for a marilith. But it could be in one of the other adventures in #84.

See, you have an advantage -- you made a spread sheet or something that you can just use your search and copy/paste what you have on the Boards, here.

I do everything for memory.

If I get to the West Coast we'll go to a restaurant and I'll take the check -- IF I get a hold of your spread sheet on a USB or something.

I don't use this alias often -- only when I'm discussing secret DM stuff and I don't want my Players to find it. It's not foolproof and it certainly depends on Player honesty, but it's worked for the last couple years, at least.

. . . . .

Dragon 67:
That's awesome news, not so much for this adventure, but for me. I've got most of the Dragon Mags with adventures but I do not yet have this one -- I'll ebay it soon enough. Thanks.

Usually, when I think of Githyanki I think of the spectacular "Interlopers of Ruun Khazai" by Dave Noonan and the banal, much disappointing "Lich Queen's Beloved" by the best adventure writer ever, Chris Perkins. Lashimir and Seeekers also come to mind. Now I can add, when I buy it, "Fedifensor" to the list.

. . . .

I can't give any specific praise for what's helped -- the OP has my real question surrounded by red herrings to throw off my two Players who enjoy the Boards.

But thanks Rez (and others).
This has been a great help!

Except, ;) Shame on y'all for not mentioning

L2 "Assassin's Knot" by Len Lakofka (TSR 1983) -1st mystery adventure ever

"Life's Bazaar" by Chris Perkins (Dungeon 97) -Urban mystery WITH Dark Creepers

There's also a marilith in an adventure in, I think, Dungeon 84 or thereabouts. It's the BEST illustration of a Marilith I've got and I use it as a handout pretty much every time I throw Mari at my PCs.

Okay, I'm looking for a few things for inclusion into a one-shot adventure session in a couple weeks.

Looking for adventures in old TSR mods, Dungeon, Pathfinder or heck, just about anything else with:

Black Dragon
Mind Flayer
Dark Creeper, Dark Stalker (or mooks I can easily change into these, maybe kenku or shadar-kai)
Githyanki
Marilith

And, more importantly,

Urban adventures where PCs have to follow clues, roleplay gather-info scenes and figure out a mystery.

So, one of my Player's favorite character concepts is for a Sorcerer: Air, and he loves to bring in this PC no matter what the campaign or starting level.

We were talking a few days ago and I brought up the fact that whatever the PC build, a DM is suppose to come up with an appropriately challenging CR. I also asked him where he saw his Air Sorcerer at its best.

After thinking a bit he said 21st level and said he'd start making his perfect PC and take it up against my favorite monster (non-dragon) in the book. It just so happens that my favorite BBEG for any campaign is a Balor from the 26th Layer of the Abyss named CHAOS.

.... So, I have my Balor and my mouthy, upstart PC has his 21st level Sorcerer with the Air Bloodline.

Help me kick his Prime Material Butt!

OHhhhh, consider this stolen.

Thanks guys,

I think the problem I'm having with the hook is that I have so little time in-game to develop Smenk and this "hook."

This is the opening session of the campaign -- we're starting with new PCs (6th level) and with an agreement that the PCs have been adventuring together already, or at least know each other.

So, really, it's the hook in the opening session. I could tell 'em that Smenk stole something of theirs but that will have no weight unless the Players actually have it first -- so I'd have to spend most of the first session getting "it" to them only to have Smenk steal it. ick.

Here's the ideas I've been kicking around, please help with advice,

1) In Saltmarsh the PCs learn of Smenk: Smenk is up to "no good" and the PCs are asked to investigate. The PCs learn what Smenk is up to as he puts together his latest piece of the puzzle and chases his next clue to the next place. PCs follow. (End session 1)

2) The PCs are in Saltmarsh when they hear about a site in the Hool Marshes -- some divine agent or dream or something indicates it's dire import -- the PCs investigate. As they return to Saltmarsh, Smenk has convinced the local authorities that the PCs are doing something illegal and Smenk is able to "confiscate" one of the items (a scroll or book or map). The PCs have to go through the Bureaucracy before they can get to Smenk (the vision or whatever reminds them of the importance) and when they are finally released they discover Smenk has just left. The PCs follow (End session 1)

-W. E. Ray

W. E. Ray here, looking for advice while trying to hide from my Players (who can be sneaky little Board lurkers).

I'm getting ready to start a campaign and I have the framework I need but am going nearly blank on an adventure hook with which to begin.

I need it to be a memorable hook, beginning.

The framework of the campaign revolves around Balabar Smenk following clues to a rich tomb he can plunder. The PCs, somehow! get on his trail in Saltmarsh, where the campaign begins, and follow on his trail to Sandpoint, Riddleport, Sasserine, Korvosa and finally Cauldron.

The PCs are benevolent, not mercenary.
The Players know that there will be lots of cross-country travelling; they know the campaign has something to do with a quest or search or bounty, etc.
They begin at 6th level and know each other.

I need the hook in Saltmarsh to intrigue them and really get them to want to follow Smenk. I've considered having Smenk steal something they "just recovered" from the Hool Marshes that he is certain provides him with another clue to the treasure he seeks. But I don't know that I have time to design a brief sortie into a dungeon in the Hool Marshes for the PCs to get some loot (that they'll care enough about) to follow Smenk after he steals a piece of it.

Any thoughts?
"Cold" ideas are very welcome; suggestions from Dungeon or Pathfinder even moreso.