Kelvar Silvermace's page

I also like using "toys" at the game table, and I agree that Dwarven Forge makes some nice terrain. I also think it would get really expensive if you wanted to be complete. I think it also suffers from some of the same problems as Dungeon Tiles--you have to carefully place everything together and *hope* it stays that way while it is in use. My preference is to use Flip Mats. I have almost all of them, and there is usually one that will work well for any scenario. I think having the right color and texture for the ground is what is most important. Then you can just draw in walls, cliffs, etc. I sometimes like to supplement that with 3-D props like crates, doorways, etc. Dragon Tiles by Fat Dragon Games have some pretty good props and they are fairly inexpensive.

I also have a few map packs, and I think those are good for simulating more specific environments for which there isn't a dedicated Flip Mat. They are bigger than Dungeon Tiles and therefore it is a bit easier to keep them from sliding around.

Kelvar Silvermace wrote:

This is a bit off topic, but I couldn't find the information anywhere else.

Has Paizo discontinued the practice of including a free (hard copy) players guide for subscribers? I was hoping to see one with the first volume of this AP, but I didn't get one.

So...new policy, or just a mistake?

New policy. We simply can't afford to give away free print products forever, alas.

We were giving away free player's guides at the start as much as to get folks interested in Golarion and what we were doing as much as we were trying to get them interested in the Adventure Paths. Now that the world of Golarion is established, there's less of a need to reprint all of that bolierplate material about deities and races and stuff.

This is a bit off topic, but I couldn't find the information anywhere else.

Has Paizo discontinued the practice of including a free (hard copy) players guide for subscribers? I was hoping to see one with the first volume of this AP, but I didn't get one.

So...new policy, or just a mistake?

Eileen- Dungeons(and)Dragons Miniatures -DDM

Kelvar- they will still be making miniatures, but the format of the packs is changing and they will be geared more towards the RPG. The skirmish game will no longer be supported.

Thanks again!

Sorry, I've been out of the loop for a couple of months--however, miniatures are the one thing I still buy from WOTC...are you guys saying they are going to stop making minis? Does anyone have a link they could share?

If so, this sucks!

I have this. It is 32 pages, full color, front and back. So I guess that means 64 actual map pages (or in that ballpark).

I'm pleased with my copy. It has mining passages, islands, a hamlet, dungeons, tombs and more. I think it is well worth the money.

Well, my wedding wasn't geek themed, but "my" cake (the groom's cake) was shaped and decorated like a red dragon. It had chocolate horns and everything. It was red velvet cake. It was quite tasty.

My groomsmen and I wore kilts, which isn't geeky, just bad-ass. And I wore a very sharp, foot long Scottish dirk on my belt (not to mention the sgian dubh in the sock). Some might consider that to be geeky, I guess.

Some friends of my wife had the musicians play the Darth Vader theme song as they walked back down the isle after they were married.

They were already starting to repeat themselves, but in this new season, they seem to be taking that one step further.

** spoiler omitted **

There's a heck of a lot of repetition, and they are nowhere near 'out of powers' that they could be using. We still haven't seen a shapeshifter, or someone who create a force field, or someone able to secrete acid, or whatever. They also seem to have chosen a lot of visually expensive powers, which may kind of bite them in the butt, expense wise. Hiro, Nikki, etc. were pretty cheap. She walks into a room, people scream, cut to bodies lying around. He squints, and he's now somewhere else. Cheap, cheap, cheap, but very effective. All these people shooting energy around is going add up quick.

** spoiler omitted **

So far I've only read "A Walk in the Woods" but I thought it was brilliant. The part where he describes his encounter with the security guard is priceless.

I was going to suggest "Undead Knight" or "Skeletal Knight" but "Grave Knight" sounds much cooler.

Darnit! I guess there's a reason I'm not employed by the gaming industry...

I think the queen and the rook need to be nerfed instead.

:-)

Well since I was vetoed on the no mushroom men thing, not that I had a vote. :)

With the right artwork mushroom men could look weird and alien and yet still seem appropriate for the fantasy genre generally and the Darklands in particular. And they don't have to look silly. A little great artwork goes a long way. I don't even care if they're called Myconids. I just want my mushroom men.

And I want to finally understand why we have to have not one, but two races of evil, dark, deep-dwelling dwarves (Derro and Duergar). For a long time I thought they were one and the same. Can we blend them into one awesomely cool race of dark dwarves or is this blasphemy?

And I totally agree that an underground ocean would be badass. But I'm not sure I'd have an easy way to get to the surface from there. I think if it were more remote and difficult to access it would seem more mysterious.

I haven't signed up with the society yet, but I live in Lexington and I'm a huge Pathfinder fan. Somerset seems awfully far away, though. How long does it take to play through one of these modules? If I only had to commit for a day or two on three or four separate occasions I could probably swing it.

If you want to email me, my address is my full name (with no spaces or anything) at yahoo.

And I agree..."Kentucky Pathfinders" sounds cool.

Welcome! I understand many of the feelings you expressed. I was deeply saddened when Gary Gygax passed away and I will always have the greatest respect for him.

And I've tried 4th edition--it is an okay game, but to me--it is not D&D. But like others have said, some people like it and that's cool for them. Fortunately the good folks at Paizo are giving us a wonderful alternative...and we get the added bonus of being able to keep using all of our old 3.5 books. But there's room for us all here at Paizo! Which is pretty sweet, IMO.

So again welcome! And bask in the goodness of all that is Paizo. (Btw, check out the flip-mats and the Pathfinder Adventure Paths...they're breathtaking! Oh, and the modules and the Beta test of the Pathfinder RPG...and a bunch of other stuff, too!)

*Looks around suspiciously*

(I never got any cookies and I've been here for years!)

*Yoink!*

*Grabs cookie and runs away*

I'm not a fan of firearms in D&D, but I think the Iron Kingdoms setting has some pretty good rules for firearms. They weren't the obvious weapon of choice, but they weren't bad either. I'd like to see Pathfinder go a similar route.

[Edit] Btw, I haven't read the campaign setting yet, so I'm not sure what the current rules are for firearms.

I was also going to suggest the Reaper pre-painted minis. In my opinion, they are preferable unless you just enjoy painting miniatures. You can get the skeleton archers right here.

Using the search feature, you can seach for Reaper or "Legendary Encounters" and find more. They also have skeleton swordsmen, skeleton spearmen, orcs, a troll, an ogre, a minotaur, a Bathalian (Mindflayer), purple worm, ghost, and several PC or NPC types. I have at least one of each of these, and I think they're well worth the money.

Thanks to everyone for the congratulations!

Here's to an even better second year!

-Lisa

Now, time to kick back and have a cold one! (Or four).

You...you've earned it.

Kelvar Silvermace wrote:

Lisa, I may be imagining things, but I could have sworn there was a Karzoug miniature before, but now I can't seem to find him. Any word on this or am I just looking in the wrong place?

I don't remember ever seeing a Karzoug figure. I expect that if they ever get to the end of RotRL with their minis, that Karzoug is a natural, but to date, I don't think one has been planned, sculpted, or announced.

-Lisa

Lisa, I may be imagining things, but I could have sworn there was a Karzoug miniature before, but now I can't seem to find him. Any word on this or am I just looking in the wrong place?

You might also consider asking your DM if you can trade your Sorcerer/Rogue levels in for levels in Beguiler from the PHB2. I think that one class could be used to replicate most of the abilities and class features that you want. It might hurt your melee abilities, though.

You also might consider the "Unseen Seer" prestige class from "Complete Mage" (page 81). Admittedly, it is more of a divination based class, but the prereqs don't look that daunting.

Hmm...I think there was another thread like this a while back, but it has been a while, so...

I would like to see the part of the world that was inspired by North America. I believe they are planning to call it "Arcadia." I'd really like to see Turquoise Dragons (Blue Desert Dragons who look kinda faded), Native Arcadian Centaurs who are a proud, noble and nomadic people, Red Sand Deserts with Mesas, Dry and sandy Lizardfolk whose shamans practice a rare form of magic, folks who fight with bolas and sabres, giant rattlers and scorpions, gnolls...etc. Maybe throw in some prospectors and abandoned silver mines...

I think that would rock.

Hi, Kate! I'm a long time D&D player who recently started DMing a Rise of the Runelords Campaign for some friends. I would recommend starting off with something like this (actually, I would recommend starting off with exactly this), because it makes it easier to ease yourself into the DM seat. After one campaign like that, you'd probably be ready for anything.

If that's not your style, then I have other suggestions. One thing that wasn't clear, though, was which set of rules are you actually planning to use? 1st Ed.? 2nd Ed.? MERP? 3.0? 3.5? Pathfinder (aka the New Home of D&D)? If you are using 3.0, 3.5 or Pathfinder, then I'd highly recommend a couple of Flip-Mats which are available here.

They make running a game much easier if you're trying to use miniatures and keep track of where everything is. If you're just starting out with them, I'd recommend the tavern and the city market. The tavern has a nice grassy field on the back which is great for most wilderness encounters and the market is just gray flagstones on the back, which is great for most dungeons.

Otherwise, I'd recommend the Pathfinder Beta Rules which are available as a Free Pdf (or will be shortly) here at Paizo.com and will also be available in hardcopy for a reasonable price.

That being said, welcome! I'm sure you will have a blast!

I'd probably recommend:

Hollow's Last Hope (probably my favorite, although only the Free pdf is available now),

Crown of the Kobold King,

and

Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale.

So those are my picks. I like when an older idea is given new life in a kick @ss way!

Hello! And welcome!

I haven't gotten my first volume of Second Darkness yet, but I've been very pleased so far. In particular, I would recommend the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path without hesitation. The work they did with RotRL shows that they *get* what it is that I like about D&D. And that's high praise.

I've been DMing RotRL, and so far my group has had a blast. We just started on The Skinsaw Murders last weekend. So, yeah, I'd highly recommend picking up Pathfinders 1-6 anyway. A lot of good stuff there.

Welcome to the party!

There is also Fat Dragon Games.

They make pdfs that you can download and print out on cardstock. Some of them fold up to make 3D props. Also, the tavern set might be good for actual floor plans for urban buildings. I haven't seen it myself yet, though.

I do have their first set of dungeon tiles and I'm pretty happy with it.

There is also Dwarven Forge.

But generally speaking, I think flip-mats from Paizo are the most versatile tool of this sort.

That's a good question, and I don't think I have a good answer for this. I will point out that there is certainly precedent for Paladins of Abadar. One of them lives in Sandpoint, after all, and generated a fairly interesting thread a while back.

I don't have my book in front of me, but doesn't the write-up on Abadar give some tips?

Basically, I would approach it like this: they tend to endorse Abadar's teachings, but they focus on the good things those teachings can bring. Instead just being about Law, they focus on the positive aspects of law--such as safety and organized protection for the downtrodden. They can focus on the benefits of civilization--comfort and an arguably better life for those who live in a civilized area. Wealth--it gives one the power to make many decisions about one's own destiny and can be used to take care of one's family.

That being said, Abadar is not exactly a paragon of benevolence, and I think his Paladins would have to work fairly hard to stay mindful of the "good" aspect of their alignments. I once played in a campaign with a paladin who seemed much more Lawful Neutral than Lawful Good, and I think Abadar's Paladins would tend to lean that way, too.

I do have some misgivings with regard to the concept of "illegal" mages, but I'll leave that for another time.

I hope some of this helps.

If Paizo doesn't win in every category for which they are eligible, I'm definitely going to want a re-count! (I voted)

I'm having trouble keeping up, but I'm not too concerned about it. I just recently started "Escape From Old Korvosa." I did a pretty good job of keeping up with Rise of the Runelords, but I'm having trouble getting into Curse of the Crimson Throne for some reason. I might put CotCT aside for a while when the first volume of Second Darkness arrives. I think it may be more to my liking.

And otherwise, yeah, I'm having trouble keeping up. I still haven't finished Classic Monsters Revisited, and I haven't started the guide to Korvosa, the Gazetteer, or Flight of the Red Raven yet. And I still need to pick up the first of the Last Baron modules and the guide to Darkmoon Vale. But the good thing is, I know it will be there when I find the time. Or if I happen to need certain information or ideas, I know where to look...

"King's Honor, Friend"

*ducks*

Ok pardon my ignorance, but i am a little confused. Can someone explain to me the benefits/differences of using flip mats vs dungeon tiles vs map packs?

For me, the Dungeon Tiles are too limited, due to their pre-set sizes and shapes, and the fact that they tend to slide around a lot. If you were going to use them to try to duplicate a dungeon from a pre-written module, you would have to spend a lot of time planning ahead and selecting all the different pieces you need. And if you're doing a decent sized dungeon, you're going to need a lot of them.

Dungeon Tiles are smaller, cut out pieces of cardboard that (theoretically) you piece together as needed. Flip-Mats are larger, single piece mats that you can draw on with dry erase or even "permanent" markers (and the permanent marker will come off). So, take, say, the flip side of the city market. It looks like grey flagstones...like say...you might find in a dungeon. As the characters explore the dungeon you can draw in rooms and doors, and it looks cool because of the grey flagstones. If your group of players has to leave before they finish the dungeon, no problem--just carefully fold up the mat and it will be there next time. When you are done, it all wipes off, no mess.

Map Packs are good, but I find them less useful because you can't draw on them. (Well, you can, but they don't wipe off). Map packs tend to be more useful to me than Dungeon Tiles, but I still generally prefer the Flip-Mats, because they are much easier to use.

All of these products can be used together if you want. And if you want ultimate flexibility, you might want to get some of each.

If you are just starting out with this sort of product, though, and if you want your dollar to stretch as far as possible, I'd recommend you purchase exactly *two* Flip-Mats: City Market and Tavern. Here's why:
The City Market is nice, and can be good for some encounters in town, but the best part is the flip side that you can use for virtually any dungeon encounter or any encounter on a "paved" or stone surface. The Tavern is great, because adventurers spend a lot of time in taverns, but mainly because the flip side is basically a grassy area--which is perfect for almost any sort of outside encounter. So with two Flip-Mats, you can cover 80% of the encounters you need, whether dungeon crawling or in the wilderness. I would certainly recommend adding some others later for even more flexibility, but those two can serve well in many scenarios.

You might also take a look at the Flip-Mat Basic, which I don't have (yet), but which looks pretty versatile.

I hope this was helpful. If not, I'd be happy to clarify if you have any other questions.

First of all, let me say that I *love* the GameMastery Flip-Mats. I recently received the Flip-Mat Keep and Cathedral that I ordered, bringing my total up to six. I hope to get them all, because when I DM they are one the few accessories I use *every* game. I do find that I use the generic fields (like the reverse of the Tavern or the reverse of the Dungeon and City Market) more than the specific maps, but when you do need that map--WOW!!!.

Anyway, I was thinking earlier of some other Flip-Mats I'd like to see made. Here are some I thought might be useful:

“Dwarven Mine” with tracks for carts; flip side has a large area with…piles of ore or refuse, maybe indicating different elevations?

“Warehouse”: a large room with boxes, barrels and crates, an office and a room for valuables; maybe a room where a guard sleeps. The flip side either depicts catwalks over the warehouse (with the area below kind of blurry or dim) *or* it could feature a large section of just wooden flooring so the DM can depict the inside of virtually any urban building. (I definitely think a Flip-Mat with wooden floors to represent a generic urban indoor map would be useful).

“Dwellings”: one side has an affluent house with the upstairs and downstairs. Flip side has two or three common houses, with two to three rooms each; this side might have a dirt or cobblestone path between the houses, maybe a well, a haystack, etc.

“Farmstead”: one side has a farmhouse and a barn/stable. The flip side is one half cornfield and one half is a field with haystacks.

“Orc Fort”: a fort with wooden palisades and crude tents inside, with a fire pit and a stockade; the flip side has a scraggy “badlands” area.

“Arctic Caves”: a network of icy caves and tunnels. The flip side has a large, icy cavern.

“Volcanic Caves”: a network of caves and tunnels with bridges over streams of molten lava. The flip side has a large cavern with a stone bridge over a river of molten lava.

“Thieves Guild": Foyer, training room, armory, bedrooms, treasure room, guildmaster’s suite. The flip side could feature…?

“Wizard School”: Inspired by the Academae in Korvosa, though smaller by necessity. It could feature a library, a laboratory (complete with summoning circle), student rooms, dining hall & kitchen. The flip side could be maybe a large library room or a walled, grassy courtyard (where else should they practice the new "fly" skill?).

Does anyone like any of these? Anyone have any other ideas for Flip-Mats? Anyone think these ideas are terrible? Anyone think of better ways these ideas could be executed?

To me, Paizo generally, and Pathfinder in particular, is the new home of Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, they can't put those words on their products due to licensing and intellectual property reasons, but I've played D&D for over 20 years, and what I like about D&D has *never* been about licensing or intellectual property. And I'm a lawyer. You could put the words "Dungeons and Dragons" on a Monopoly game, but that doesn't make it Dungeons and Dragons--not to me, and not to a great many people who have enjoyed the game for many years.

What Paizo is doing with Pathfinder is D&D. Rise of the Runelords is D&D. Curse of the Crimson Throne is D&D. The Pathfinder Modules are D&D. The Pathfinder Chronicles Sourcebooks are D&D. And the new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is D&D. It is the evolution of 3.5 that the players of this great game deserve.

The folks at Paizo have really delivered the goods with great writing, excellent artwork and evocative ideas. They've given us stories that feel familiar without rehashing the same old things we've seen before. And the production values are through the roof!

At Paizo, Dungeons and Dragons has a new home. And as a result, so do I.

Hey guys,

I'm in as long as Paizo stays with 3.5ish and does not make the 'upgrade' to 4e. I've taken a long hard look at 4e and decided it is not for me. This is really the first time we have a dedicated company willing to produce quality products to support an out-of-print game.

Hat off to you Mr Mona. You have my support (through my FLGS) for as long as you help us 3.5ers. Admittedly my game of choice if 2e, so if you want to actively start publishing there, I'm in too. :)

So they aren't supporting an "out-of-print" game so much as picking up the torch where 3.5 left off. Which is even better, in my opinion!

Morrowind.
Baldur's Gate. (Also one of the best game soundtracks ever).
Icewind Dale.
Diablo (the original).
Asheron's Call. (I believe there are things that Asheron's Call got right that no other MMORPG has yet to emulate)
The Original Gauntlet arcade game. (The game that gave us, "Blue Wizard is about to die. Needs food, bad.")
Civilization.
And Zork definitely gets an honorable mention.

First Edition Fiend Folio Drow turn me on.

I liked how Drow had certain types of equipment associated with them. I did *not* care for the way it was ruined by sunlight. I'd like to see Golarion's Drow have certain iconic equipment...maybe black or bluish chainmail...really fine and lightweight chainmail. Or maybe lightweight lamellar armor with blue or black enamel. Maybe certain types of knives or swords. Magic rings or amulets. Not over-the-top powerful stuff, just...interesting stuff.

I have always liked the idea that Drow were once normal Elves who were corrupted by...something. Maybe a Demon Lord. *shrug* And they fled the surface world...to avoid the sun...or were they searching for something down below? Some lost, ancient source of power, perhaps?

I even liked the drawing of the Drow in the First Edition Fiend Folio. I like the idea that they almost look like a photographic negative. Very cool. And I do like my Drow to have some affinity for spiders.

And I think they should have some connection to Shadow Magic. I always liked the idea of a Drow Shadowcaster. I know that Shadowcasters as written in the Tome of Magic aren't OGL, but the general concept of "Shadow Magic" should be fair game. Seems like a perfect fit.

As for what do they eat, I'd say: fungi (including myconids?), rothe, cave fish, insects, roots and tubers, and the occasional Gnome...

Kelvar Silvermace wrote:

I think fractional BAB's should be the standard. It just makes sense. I think the way it should work is this: Poor BAB classes get +.34 per level, and medium BAB classes get +.75 per level. I have used this in the past and it worked great. I'd love to see it made official.

Why would poor BAB get 0.34 per level instead of 0.5? 0.5 per level would keep the current pattern for a single class poor BAB class (0, 1, 1, 2, 2, etc.).

(Although even a +.34 per level would be better than giving them no bonus as some are proposing and as the rules currently stand. This way the Cleric 1/Rogue 1/Druid 1/Sorcerer 1 would at least have +1 BAB).

Maybe his parents worked for the Aspis Consortium? I get the impression that they get around. That might also pave the way for some nice plot hooks...

I think fractional BAB's should be the standard. It just makes sense. I think the way it should work is this: Poor BAB classes get +.34 per level, and medium BAB classes get +.75 per level. I have used this in the past and it worked great. I'd love to see it made official.

Plus, we employ some great writers!

So basically, I'm looking forward to more work by those guys...

I always thought Tommy Lee Jones' character in "The Fugitive" was a good example of Lawful Neutral. Especially the part where he catches up to Harrison Ford and Ford says, "I didn't kill my wife," and Jones says, "I don't care." To me, that's the epitome of LN. He enforces the law, but he doesn't really care about the greater good.

Kelvar Silvermace wrote:

(I tried to post this earlier, but I guess my post was eaten...)

Two questions: 1) Is this artwork just a mock up/placeholder? 2) What's on the flip side?

The art is just a placeholder art piece. The final art won't be done until probably December, maybe November at the earliest.

-Lisa

(I tried to post this earlier, but I guess my post was eaten...)

Two questions: 1) Is this artwork just a mock up/placeholder? 2) What's on the flip side?

I'm looking forward to the article on Sarenrae...I think she's probably my favorite god in the pantheon.

I just hope she doesn't seem too Osirion-based. I mean, I hope it is written in such a way that one can easily envision Andoran followers, Varisian followers, etc. So far all we've seen is Kyra, and she seems pretty much like she's from Osirion...

I may actually be faced with this next time my group meets. They killed everything in Thistletop except for Lyrie Akenja (who they captured alive) and Malfeshnekor. They intend to return for Malfeshnekor, but in the meanwhile, they went down to Magnimar to spend a couple of weeks buying and selling loot and generally living the good life. I'm toying with having the goblin hero "Big Gugmut" from page 19 show up. When my group fought the goblins in the little maze of thistles leading to Thistletop, four warriors escaped. Not much is written about Big Gugmut other than an unflattering description and the fact that he's from Mosswood...which isn't far away. Maybe word gets back to him that the place has been cleaned out. If memory serves, all the goblins in the region view Thistletop as prime real estate.

But I do agree about not making Malfeshnekor harder. If the PCs return when they are more powerful, having an easy fight might be viewed as a well-earned reward for their decision...

For those who have suggested it: I don't think ruling that a reach weapon can't be sheathed means you have "gimped" the reach weapon. I think it is a logical ruling. They are still really useful weapons under most circumstances--they merely have some believable limitations.

I'm currently DMing a Rise of the Runelords campaign, and we have a fighter PC who uses a reach weapon (longspear). So far he hasn't had any complaints--although there have been a couple of times when he had to drop the weapon and draw a longsword.

On at least one occasion it was the player himself who realized the situational limitation of his preferred weapon and made the decision to switch weapons. Those isolated incidents have in no way deterred this character from continuing to use his longspear...or to select feats with the longspear in mind.

One can point at a lot of things in D&D and say that "if *this* is in D&D, and this thing could never really exist, then you should allow me to do what I want because this isn't real life." But I personally don't find that approach to be very satisfying. (And seemingly, neither do my players). Therefore, I try to make reasonable rulings, I try to make fair rulings, and I try to err on fun over slavish adherence to either the letter of the rules or to realism. But I try to strike a healthy balance somewhere in the middle. For me, that means no using reach weapons in cramped quarters, and--if it came up--no "sheathing" of reach weapons on one's back without the use of some magical assistance.

I do think it is hard to deny that it would be awkward at best to try to "sheath" an 8 or 10 foot weapon on one's back.

The good thing is, my players are all (with the exception of my wife) like me: they've been playing D&D since First Edition (at least). We tend to have similar opinions on such things.

I don't think that makes anyone else wrong if they prefer a bit less realism when it comes to stowing long weapons, but it does reflect a difference in our play styles and personal preference. And the wonderful thing about this great game is that there's room for all of us.

I think you were correct. There's no way to "sheath" a weapon of that size. Heck, even a greatsword requires a special scabbard that only covers half of the blade.

It sounds like your players want the game to feel more like a videogame than a roleplaying game. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but I do prefer a little more realism and it sounds like you do too.

I'd say good call. And yeah, if he wants some kind of magic scabbard that stores most or all of the weapon in some kind of extra-dimensional space, I'd say that sounds reasonable.

Last time, my group cleared out all of the goblins on the first level of Thistletop, including Ripnugget and his commandos.

They were out of spells and badly, badly wounded...so they returned to Sandpoint to heal up and sell their loot. By the time they return, I'm thinking at least one day will have passed. Now, I want to be as "realistic" as possible, but I also don't want a TPK. Here is how I think the bad guys might prepare:

I start with the assumption that the bad guys will notice that something is amiss and will learn of the massive slaughter that occurred above.
They cut the rope bridge, making access much more difficult.
Bruthazmus (the Bugbear Ranger) and the four goblin wives (from D2), Orik Vancaskerkin (human fighter) (from D4b), and Lyrie Akenja (human wizard) (from D15) will all move to the top floor.
Orik and Lyrie will take up watch in one of the towers, Bruthazmus will take up watch in another tower and the remaining four goblins will stand guard just inside the gate. The gate will be barred and nailed shut. Bruthazmus and Orik will fire upon any enemies with their bows and Lyrie will cast magic missiles from her wand. Once the PCs break through, the bugbear and the Orik will rush to the entrance to engage in melee with Lyrie as backup. This is the part that worries me. Bruthazmus and Orik are not what I'd call overpowered, but they're no slouches either. I'm afraid that all of this combined might be too much. On the other hand, I want the NPCs to react with some semblance of logic. And seeing how the PCs completely destroyed a more sizeable force, it seems like an appropriate response.

The PCs consist of:
A human fighter who favors the longspear (but also carries a shield and the sword he took from Koruvus, the mutated goblin)
A Dwarven Cleric of Sarenrae
An Elven Wizard
A Half-Elven Scout (with a masterwork composite longbow)

We're using the Pathfinder RPG rules, and I started them with double maximum hitpoints (which has really helped on more than one occasion).
They are currently only second level (which is probably my fault for not leveling them fast enough). My friend who plays the fighter has remarked several times that he has never had so many hitpoints...but he has also been brought down to exactly 1 hitpoint on two occasions now.

So...any advice on whether my plan is too deadly? I want it to be a challenging fight, but I don't want to kill any PCs if I can help it. I have considered having Father Zantus donate a few potions to help them--like Shield of Faith and Bull's Strength.

If it is too deadly, any alternate suggestions for a realistic, though less deadly, reaction by the remaining denizens of Thistletop?

Any advice is appreciated!

Kelvar Silvermace wrote:

Any thoughts on my suggestion to include something like I mentioned above? (In which the AP mentions leveling at certain points or has a symbol or something--while acknowledging that there is no way to predict how every group will proceed through a given adventure, but more of a guideline based on a hypothetical party of 4 who play through in the order in which it is written).

I actually had a similar thought and have not gotten around to mentioning it to James yet. Hopefully, I can remember when I get into work later today.

-Lisa

And it wouldn't be backwards compatable with 3rd Edition if it didn't allow the obligatory ninja/pirate multiclass!

Kelvar Silvermace wrote:

But anyway, now I'm wondering when to level them. The last session was their first session as second level characters so...now would seem a bit soon, wouldn't it?

I am doing a similar thing in my RotRL campaign. I had my characters level to 2nd after the Glassworks and plan to have them level to 3rd after he battle with Rippnugget. I actually went through the adventure and the actual XPs work out pretty closely to those points in the campaign. Since you missed the earlier 2nd level point, you are in a bit of a bind. Your characters are most likely going to have to be 3rd level before they hit the next level below Thistletop. One thing you might do is have them fight some of the NPCs in the next level and then become third level. However, you might have to add a little sidetrek to the end of Burnt Offerings in order to allow the characters to spread their 3rd level wings a bit before hitting 4th level in time for Skinsaw.

-Lisa

Any thoughts on my suggestion to include something like I mentioned above? (In which the AP mentions leveling at certain points or has a symbol or something--while acknowledging that there is no way to predict how every group will proceed through a given adventure, but more of a guideline based on a hypothetical party of 4 who play through in the order in which it is written).