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So I'm going to be running the Strike on the Rabid Dawn from Dungeon 111, and in it, a disciple of Asmodeus releases an aspect of Asmodeus from an Iron Flask.

Given that the specific selling point of Malcanthet's Iron Flask minor artefact is that it can hold an aspect, how do these interact?

As I am planning on making Malcanthet an antagonist rather than an ally, should I make this Iron Flask the one required for the Aspect of Obox-ob?

Here is my version of Vanthus Vanderboren for the end of Tides of Dread for your perusal.

Name: Vanthus Vanderboren (raging, hasted, unholy aura)
Build: Unique Augmented Male Lemorian Human Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian II/Swashbuckler I/Ranger VI/Fighter II/Tempest IV/
Size & Type: Medium outsider (chaotic, evil, augmented humanoid)
Hit Dice: 2d12+1d10+6d8+2d10+4d10+78
Initiative: +12
Speed: 50’ walk or fly
AC: 33 (8 dex, 1 dodge 1 natural, 2 armour, 2 shield, 3 deflection, 1 monk, 2 tempest, 4 unholy aura, 1 haste, -2 raging)
Touch: 27
Flat-footed: 33
BAB/Grapple: +15/+20
Attack: Fang of the abyss +24/+19 melee (18-20 x2)
Sickle +24/+19 melee (x2)
Tail +15 melee (19-20 x2)
2 Wings +23/+23 melee (19-20 x2)
Damage: Fang of the abyss 5d6+8
Sickle 1d6+8
Tail 1d6+3 (poison)
Wings 1d4+7
Space/Reach: 5*5/5
Special Attacks: Smite good +15, poison (DC 21, 1d6/1d6 wis), pounce, rage 1/day, favoured enemy (gnome +4, elf +2)
Special Qualities: Uncanny dodge; darkvision 60’; immunity to poison; resistance to acid, cold, electricity and fire 10; DR 10/magic, SR 25, wild empathy, animal companion, fast movement, mettle
Saves: Fort: +24, Ref: +22, Will: +7
Abilities: Str: 20, Dex: 26, Con: 22, Int: 14, Wis: 8, Cha: 22
Skills:
Feats: Dodge, mobility, spring attack, multiattack, shock trooper, leap attack, power attack
Bonus Feats: Weapon finesse, two-weapon fighting, improved two-weapon fighting, track, endurance, martial weapon proficiency, armour proficiency (all), shield proficiency, tower shield proficiency
Environment: Lemoriax, the Abyss, the Ocean, Scuttlecove
Affiliation: Crimson Fleet
Challenge Rating: 18
Treasure: Monk’s belt, +1 acid, frost, flaming, shocking rapier (fang of the abyss), +1 spellstoring (haste) light sickle, shadow pearl, boots of speed, capsule retainer of a potion of cure critical wounds (4d8+20), Bracers of moderately fortified armour +2, shield ring, ring of protection +3, hand of glory, ring of mettle
Alignment: CE
Spell-like abilities: CL 16th
Command 3/day DC 17
Suggestion DC 18
Fear DC 17
Charm Monster DC 20
Dominate Person DC 21
Mass Suggestion DC 22
Unhallow
Unholy aura 3/day
Mass Charm Monster DC 24

Suddenly, in the midst of combat, a dark shape comes soaring down through the air. It rapidly approaches and lands atop a nearby pillar. With spined wings, a barbed tail, scaly patches and a pair of evil looking blades in his hands, a demented smile plays across the twisted countenance of the fiend. The past year hasn't been kind to Vanthus Vanderboren.

A character in my campaign died in HTBM, and they have been reincarnated by a druid. Two issues face me though.

1) The party is now level 9, when he died this character was level 8, so he will come back at the start of level 7. He is already in a party with a druid and a warlock/binder/beguiler/incarnate/something else, and as a single-class barbarian specialising in Dex, Int and Con he is already quite weak.

2) What's actually on the list: bugbear, dwarf, elf, gnoll, gnome, goblin, half-elf, half-orc, halfling, human, kobold, lizardfolk, orc, troglodyte. Ot those, Only humans, lizardfolk, kobolds and troglodytes are thematically appropriate.

So I want to create a new list of Isle appropriate races, preferrably with an ECL mod of +1 to +4

I've already looked at the saurials in the serpent kingdoms web enhancement, can any of you give me extra suggestions?

The party, originally consisting of a warlock, a druid, a barbarian, a spellthief and a wizard, has been severely battered by HTBM, and now only the warlock and druid are left alive. The combat capable NPCs have been abducted by Olangru, and only those two remain able to enter the Temple of Demogorgon and do anything. Should I make any changes?

Although the STAP has no use for Rowyn Kellani (other than Chaeron's proxy) after her battle in SWW, I was wondering if the following would be a good idea.

The party has, by crook and by hook, managed to get two extra ships for the expedition, both captained by ex-pirates and one crewed mostly by pirates. On one of these ships is a powerful priest of Hextor (the party doesn't actually know HOW powerful, but between us, he's level 13).

Due to making him flee in BG and royally ticking off Harliss Javell, the party was attacked by Drevoraz while in port. They killed him and threw his corpse overboard, but the priest of Hextor gathered up his corpse. They have now just killed Rowyn and will probably dump her overboard too. If they do, then the priest of Hextor will probably gather up her corpse too.

What should I have the priest do with the bodies of these two powerful NPCs? By RAW he can make them into corpse creatures, bone creatures, skeletons, zombies, ghouls or ghasts. Which should I have him do? Should I even have him do any of them? If he does, will he keep it a secret from the party? Will he use his servitors for evil? Will he openly have them and just use them as extra help to him?

In BG, it describes many horribly deformed corpses of savage pirates. But they blow up when they die, how do I explain this to my players?

In the Vanderboren Vault, there is an Iron Cobra construct guardian. Is such a thing thematically appropriate for such brave and experienced adventurers as the Vanderborens? It strikes me as not impressive enough for them, but still too powerful for level 1 adventurers.

So my question is this, should I replace it with a Dreadguard from the MM2?

If I recall correctly, the Kopru are a nod to an earlier module. I have a few problems with them though.

1. They are very hard to represent with miniatures. I have warhammer models coming out of my eyeballs, but barring one snakeman I have nothing to represent a Kopru.
2. They don't seem to really fit. Sure they're intimidating, but there doesn't seem to be any particular reason why they are Kopru and not one of a myriad of other races more suited to the underdark.

So with that in mind, should I replace the Koprus? If I do, what should I replace them with? If I don't, what should I use for miniatures? Should I just keep the stats but apply them to different looking monsters?

All throughout the STAP there are illustrations of a party of adventurers. Were their names, stats, fluff ever posted?

Well, after a year of waiting, delaying procrastinating and preparing, I'm finally going to be running the Savage Tide Adventure Path. Over this time I have accumulated a large set of changes that I intend to incorporate, so I'm going to post them here for scrutiny, ridicule, scorn and hopefully praise.

N.B. despite the time I have had to prepare, much of this may yet change, and some adventures (Lightless Depths onwards) have not been prepared at all.

Character Creation -
Change Level 1 HP to Max HD + CON score
Ability Generation to use Pathfinder Pointbuy (30) or 2d6+6

Background in Sasserine
The situation in Sasserine is a lot more complex than the Players’ Guide makes out, showing that it is more of a tourist guide. However, anybody from Sasserine who even goes to the pub once a week should be able to pick up what is happening in the City.
After the fall of the Sea Princes, several powerful figures rose within the city’s underworld and have been running their own Thieves’ Guilds. While the names of these guilds should be known to the PC’s, the names of their leaders should not be. Knowledge (Local) checks reveal the following facts: -
• Lotus Dragons: DC 15: The Lotus Dragons are a thieves’ guild in Sasserine known for organised acts of burglary. DC 20: Wild animal smuggling too. They are ruled by a mysterious figure known only as Lady Lotus. DC: 25 The Lotus Dragons must be being bank rolled by a rich patron, otherwise they wouldn’t be winning the Guild War.
• Black Harpies: DC 15: The Black Harpies are Sasserine’s ‘mob’. They engage in protection rackets, murder and blackmail. DC 20: It is rumoured that some recent acts of Piracy were linked to this guild. DC 25: If the Black Harpies are engaging in piracy, then they must be backed by a rich patron to afford the ships. They’re leader is known as the watcher.
• Emerald Claws: DC 15: The Emerald Claws are a group of petty thieves operating in the Azure District. DC 20: The claws were recently dealt a blow when a member talked to the watch. Their guildhall was raided (an import/export warehouse). DC 25: They were not hit too hard by this though, indicating that they must have another guildhouse somewhere.
• Dread Eels: DC 15: The Dread Eels are a small band of extortionists and conmen working the waterfront of the Azure District. DC 20: They are also believed to smuggle animals and to run a protection racket. DC 25: It is rumoured that many of Keltar Islaran’s dock workers have links to the Dread Eels.
• Yelloweyes: DC 10: The city watch recently swooped down and arrested most of this guild after a failed assassination attempt on a member of the Dawn Council. They now rot in prison for their burglaries and smuggling. DC 15: The Dawn Council unsuccessfully tried to hush up the fact that the guildmaster was none other than Roth Taskerhill, youngest son of Dawn Councilmember Kalmadar Taskerhill. DC: 20 Roth fled the city with his few surviving lieutenants, and he hasn’t been seen since.
• Cabanites and House of Oquon: Knowledge History DC 18: There was a war long ago between these two guilds, both faded into obscurity with the rise of the artful parrots.
• Artful Parrots: DC 20: Though most believe that they were obliterated under the rule of the Sea Princes, a few members of the Artful Parrots continued their actions but on a smaller scale and more legally. In the decade since Sasserine’s independence, the Artful Parrots have continued their semi-legitimate activities under a variety of different aliases.

Facts the PC’s won’t know about these Guilds
The Lotus Dragons are led by Rowyn Kellani, who used her considerable trust fund from her mother to set up the guild. She has cannily organised and run the guild so it now makes a hefty profit.
The Black Harpies are run by Karne Deskoth, a noble from the Shadowshore district with friends and family in the Crimson Fleet. In a recent move by the Lotus Dragons, Erqua Ashilim and seven other Black Harpies were framed for a massive burglary, and they were forced to leave town. This has weakened Deskoth, but he has put his exiled employees in charge of a scheme to set up a false lighthouse and loot the resulting shipwrecks.
Rowyn Kellani managed to persuade an Emerald Claw to talk to the watch, but he knew less than she thought and so only a handful of thieves were arrested and an unprofitable business confiscated. The guildmaster (Herrin Crawford) continues to operate his guild out of a slurry factory in the Shadowshore. His ship, the Rage, is docked outside.
The Dread Eels were formerly in alliance with the Yelloweyes, but have now begun business with the Lotus Dragons (Kellani doesn’t trust them though). Their leader is a man named Soller Vark, and having commandeered the ship of an apparently helpless young noblewoman, he is using this ship as his offshore base of operations. Neither the Yelloweyes nor the Lotus Dragons like Vark as he managed to effectively monopolise the wild animal black market, making both guilds have to go through him.
The Yelloweyes were run on the same grounds as the Lotus Dragons and with a similarly wealthy leader. Canny as she is, Rowyn Kellani narrowed the possible backers down to a mere half a dozen men, and dated each of them, using her charm and magical power to find out which one was backing the Yelloweyes. She tricked the naïve Roth Taskerhill into attempting to murder Keltar Islan. Though the attempt failed, it was still partially successful in that the watch now had to act as a member of the council was nearly killed. The notoriously zealous Cudgel District watch swooped in and arrested Taskerhill and most of his guild. A few managed to go into hiding. Taskerhill himself was bailed by his father and he fled the city to Seawell with his accomplices, hoping to lose his pursuers during Demonsend, and in this way his guilt has been proven to the courts. Rowyn Kellani pursued Taskerhill to Seawell and assassinated him and his few remaining followers.
The Cabanites and House Oquon lived on in their intelligent magic weapons, and the recent rediscovery of these weapons has led to small scale fighting between the two guilds that threatens to develop into a larger conflict.
The Artful Parrots are run by a council of powerful individuals including an outsider, a cleric of Loki, and an influential nobleman from Sasserine. Their existence is not common knowledge, and their move to semi-legitimate activities means that they are not in open conflict with the other guilds.

The Azure Cathedral
The Azure Cathedral is actually home to worship of different deities to those outlined in the PG. The temple is divided between the worship of Poseidon, Njord and Aegir.

Campaign World
The AP will be set in my own custom campaign world, the group already has an ongoing game set in Greyhawk, and I don't want any potential for confusion or contradiction to arise between DMs.

[u]Prologue[/u]

To give the adventurers a way to be well-known for a recent deed of heroism, the AP will start off with the wreck ashore free WotC adventure.

The Town of Seawell lies to the northwest of Sasserine, and the PC’s are there for the celebration of Demonsend, the 50th anniversary of the slaying of the Demonic Lords of Terror by Offa, a heroic Minotaur from the far north. The PC’s will be celebrating in this town rather than Sasserine (along with a great many other people), as the now venerable Offa has stopped in Seawell on his way home from another adventure. For a variety of reasons (poor planning, good planning, drunkenness, price etc…) the PC’s are all on the Salt Wind, a caravel that leaves during the second week after the festival.

The only important passengers on the ship other than the PC’s themselves are the ship’s captain, a retired human pirate named Valram, his first mate, an enthusiastic Hadozee named Kurgar Saltwind, and a beautiful young noblewoman from Sasserine named Rowyn Kellani, who had been seeing to some business in Seawell (purchasing a custom-made collar of armour for her pet felldrake and killing the last of the Yelloweyes).

1. The Voyage
The PC’s could just about afford a space in one of the small rooms on the ship, a few other strapped-for-cash NPC’s share the other small room. If the PC’s meet Rowyn, then she tries to befriend them (especially if there is a noble in the group), and invites them to her own private (larger) room for their evening meal. She generally makes sure that they have an enjoyable time together.

2. The Wreck
Sometime during the night, towards the end of the meal, there is an almighty crash as the ship hits a reef. Everybody on board must take a DC 12 reflex save or take 2d4 points of subdual damage. This is enough to knock most of the other passengers out, then some survivors fall out through the hole inside and most likely drown or are murdered by the wreckers. Valram, Kurgar, Rowyn and the PC’s should be unaffected by this. Valram calls everybody up onto deck and gets the strongest PC and Kurgar to drag the lifeboat out.

3. Wrecking Crew (EL 4)
As two scrabble for the lifeboat, Valram goes to the side and checks on the damage. A DC 20 spot check by the PC’s notices a rowboat (with no light on it suspiciously) heading out from the lighthouse. If the PC beats DC 25, then he notices one man standing up in the boat with a crossbow pointed at the ship. Unless the players pull Valram back he says “She’s gonna hold, but she ain’t…” he is cut off as the crossbow bolt hits him.

Svingal Stonefist and 5 Pirate Wreckers sail their Pinnace (the Pale Pilgrim) out to the foundering Salt Wind. However, two sahuagin have disabled the ship’s rudder and so it swiftly crashes too.

CREATURES: Svingal Stonefist and 5 Pirate Wreckers.
Tactics: Svingal and the wreckers attempt to flank whenever possible. Retreat is impossible, and so the pirates fight to the death.

After this encounter, approaching storm clouds should be enough to convince the PC’s to get off the ship and into the lifeboat with whatever passengers are still alive.

4. Sahuagin Ambush (EL 4)
Two mean, spiteful Sahuagin have come from a nearby village to investigate a new light seen on the shore (the pirates’ light tower). They have encamped on the beach behind a sand dune and were responsible for disabling the Pale Pilgrim’s rudder, causing the crash.
CREATURES: Sahuagin (2)
Tactics: The Sahuagin hide behind a sand bank and engage the PC’s at range. They defend the Sandbank to the death, not wishing to earn the wrath of the tribe’s priest of Dagon (who sent them on the mission in the first place).
Treasure: The Pirates have buried their treasure beneath the sand bank in a small, wooden chest to prevent it being found if their camp is raided. A DC 20 search check catches sight of this treasure chest under the sand (a corner poking out). It contains 800 GP, a 50 GP ivory statuette of a harpy, a set of masterwork thieves’ tools, a vial containing oil of bless weapon, a divine scroll of purify food and drink, and remove paralysis, and a wand of ray of enfeeblement with 10 charges remaining. The chest itself is worth 10 GP. Additionally, a few letters are addressed to Erqua Ashilim of the Black Harpies telling her to ‘keep low as the watch are onto us.’ and to ‘use that ship for some piracy, you can still be an asset to the guild even outside of Sasserine’. These letters are signed by one Karne Deskoth (DC 15 Knowledge (nobility & royalty) check reveals that he is a rich noble from Shadowshore and personal friend of Emil Dracktus). Rowyn Kellani recognises the name even if the PC’s don’t.

5. The Pirate Camp (EL 5)
The remaining pirates are in and around the camp site. The daylight guards are asleep, but the rest are awake in preparation for the returning Pale Pilgrim. One pirate stands on the light tower, tending to the flame, and Erqua Ashilim (along with the rest) is gambling around the pirates’ dining table.
CREATURES: Pirates (5), Erqua Ashilim.
Tactics: As soon as they realise something isn’t right, Erqua Ashilim wakes the day guards and the pirates gather their money from the gambling table. They then turn the table over and launch their missiles at anybody they see. When they run out of missiles, they draw their cutlasses and charge.
Treasure: Nothing of value remains in the camp (a Black Harpy ship arrived yesterday to pay the wreckers and take the cargo) beyond what is on the pirates themselves.
(Action Point Award): If the PC's drop the watch tower onto unsuspecting pirates, the one who comes up with the idea gets an action point.

1. Lizardfolk Raiding Party (EL 3)
Three Lizardfolk raiders returning from Sasserine attack the PC’s as both groups reach a wooden bridge across a deep, fast river.
Creatures: Lizardfolk (3)
Tactics: The Lizardfolk take cover and try to win the battle from range. If this doesn’t work, then they dive into the river to escape.
Treasure: In addition to their combat gear, the leader of the lizardfolk is carrying a bag of sapphires worth 23 gp.

2. Alligator Attack (EL 2)
The PC’s must cross a narrow walkway over a stagnant pool. An alligator (stats for a crocodile) has other plans though.

E6 Constrictor Snake (EL 2)
A constrictor attacks the players from the tree above.

E7 Viper Attack (EL 2)
A fallen tree blocks the path, and it contains a nest of 4 small vipers that are unhappy to be disturbed.

E8 Jaguars at Rest (EL 4)
A pair of jaguars rest in the jungle. They may be encountered if the PC’s stray from the path, perhaps searching for food.

E9 Jaguar Attack (EL 2)
One night, two hours after the party camps, a jaguar attacks the party, going for the character on watch. Make opposed checks to see if the characters on watch see and hear the beast.
Creature: Jaguar
Tactics: The Jaguar goes for the larger of the two characters on watch as they are probably the meatiest.

Concluding the Adventure
With what the PC’s have managed to accomplish, Rowyn Kellani is able to prove the Black Harpy involvement in the crimes and the watch takes action against them. This leaves the Lotus Dragons in a position of power, and the PC’s hailed as local heroes for exposing their evil predations. They are rewarded 50 gp each as a thankyou from the Dawn Council. (At this point, make Arwyn Aribani seem to be quite sinister).

Valram Taskel is a venerable elven rogue 3 (his age counteracting any class levels)
Kurgar Saltwind is a Hadozee Warrior 1
Roqyn Kellani is Rowyn Kellani, but is unlikely to help the PCs directly in combat, instead guarding and trying to help Valram and the other passengers.

I think that the Savage Tide really needs more naval battles in it, and I plan on having the biggest of these as a precursor to Serpents of Scuttlecove.

Now it's all very well having several sets of rules to work with, but what I really need is a source of small, cheap model ships. Does anybody know where I can get such things?

Before you asked, yes I have tried Google, but all I can find are the massive models that cost at least £50 each...

I've been going through the stats of NPC's and villains in STAP to make them more interesting/less wussy (I'm looking at YOU deathknight Vanthus!), and I've come across two interesting villains.

Diamondback (as I have already seen from others' ideas) can have a future in the STAP as a pain or a boon, and so that throws up the question of advancement. BUT she is a battledancer, the rules for which I don't have, and so I need your advice... what class combination would be best for the dancing danger? I'm going to make her into an elf (as it fits with the model I have, the GW wood elf wardancer noble).

And Vanthus Vanderboren. If my memory serves me right (which it does as I just looked it up), then death knight gives +3 CR. I was thinking of perhaps giving him the Vampire Lord template. Is this a bad idea? WHat better sorts of undead could I make Vanthus instead so he as at least survivable? Perhaps make him lose Lemorian when he dies?

So I've just rewatched the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy to get some ideas for running the campaign, and I Can't help noticing the similarity between This and This .

Should I use these as examples of savage pirates? Perhaps when my PC's come across a boat full of them in the Sargasso?

It is highly likely that in the future I will run this AP. I want to ask for some tips on how to run it to make it compelling and interesting for those involved. I have read a lot about the campaign so far on the message boards here and have fleshed out how I might run the campaign differently: -

- Before the AP proper starts, I'll run the PC's through the "Wreck Ashore" Wizards adventure. The players will start on a ship that gets wrecked due to the false lighthouse. Amongst the survivors of the wreck will be Rowyn Kellani, who will actively attempt to befriend the PC's. The pirates wrecking the ships will be members of a Sasserine Thieves' guild called the Black Harpies. The PC's will gain acclaim for defeating the Pirates, and will also gain the friendship of Rowyn Kellani. She however will gain enough evidence to have the Black Harpies rounded up and dealt with by the watch, eliminating a rival.

- Rowyn will offer Lavinia condolences and chat to the party when they visit Castle Teraknian (thanks to the donor of that idea)

- If the party ask her about Vanthus, then she will point them in the direction of the rogue that Vanthus stabs in the back.

- After the Parrot Island escapade, the party will be ambushed by Lotus Dragons. Rowyn Kellani will 'happen' to be passing and will aid the PC's to kill their attackers (thanks to the person on this forum who gave me this idea). She will then join them for drinks and play the part of a concerned friend trying to warn the PC's of the perils of tackling the Lotus Dragons. Whether or not she persuades them to leave the guild alone, she will tell them about the guild hall of a bunch of thieves called the Emerald Claw in the Azure District, telling them that they are either a safer target than the Lotus Dragons, or linked to them in some way. The PC's should destroy the Emerald Claws (the guild house might be 'borrowed' from the food factory at the start of the curse of the crimson throne), and the remainder will flee on their ship, the 'Rage', which already turns up in the Sargasso.

- All of this should help make the PC's have a really tough decision between Rowyn and Lavinia, and I'll have to make Lavinia very likeable to help balance the choice.

- In SWW, the PC's should hopefully make friends with one of the otherwise nameless colonists. Rowyn will maroon this colonist on a shore break, and disguise herself as that person, but the colonist will make it back to the ship with the help of locals by the time the party reaches the ruins of Tamoachan.

- To help mitigate any anger about the wreck at the end of SWW, Avner will offer to 'help' make a good dinner by fishing or hunting. He'll shoot an albatross and cook it for dinner. Additionally, if the players do well and manage to pass the checks or cast the spells that keep the Sea Wyvern afloat, I'll reward them by letting them beach the damaged ship and saving all of the NPC's aboard, as well as all of the loot.

Are these ideas good? Does it make the players too likely to join Rowyn? How should I handle a change of heart by her and pity for her by the players? Do the measures I have indicated for mitigating annoyance at the end of SWW have any chance of working? And how far should I deviate from the path and add new things and take out superfluous things?

In fact... what would you have done differently if you ran the STAP again?