If you subscribe to the AP-line you get 15% off, but other than that I doubt there will be bulk discounts on those PDFs. If you combine the AP discount with the occasional holiday discount you'll get a nice cost reduction, though.
I grabbed the Scions of Evil a few days ago, thanks! Originally I planned to get the print/pdf during the previous sale here, but it was in backorder and didn't go through at the time.
I'm sorry it was out of stock when you tried to buy it. I've sent you a pm.
Thanks very much for the support!
You're most welcome! The products I have thus far have been great (and will hopefully be put to use in my upcoming campaign).
By the way, I did not receive a message if you sent one.
I grabbed the Scions of Evil a few days ago, thanks! Originally I planned to get the print/pdf during the previous sale here, but it was in backorder and didn't go through at the time.
I would assume there's a difference between showing a table with a map and you playing on it and showing just the map in detail, but if you read the CUP it says specifically what you can and cannot use.
I have two players (with the occasional third PC when he shows up) use gestalt characters through Carrion Crown (just one session left).
The only issue we've had is that it is much more dangerous should one member fall, and retreat is more often used during combat. Make sure they can carry each other! :)
There are several other threads about this with ideas if you search for "gestalt".
The wiki doesn't display the city traits (e.g. rumor mongering), that were introduced in the game mastery guide. I would assume that they are in the Carrion Hill module, if it was released after the GMG, but I don't have access to it so I can't help I'm afraid.
I'm playing CC with a Summoner (Synthesist) and a friend (Gunslinger), besides the GM.
We just started playing the HoH AP and managed to complete the first part, and are in the middle of part 2.
I'll try to convince my GM to give us a level ahead of the planned by the AP, but I think I will not be able to do that.
Anyway, can you give any tips for a 2 PC party, with said configuration?
Thanks
PS: I'm a Aasimar Summoner, increasing DR to my Eidolon, and planning to take the Heavenly Radiance feat route.
I'm GMing this, but based on my players' success I would recommend the following: Play tactically smart, conserve resources, avoid unnecessary confrontations and run away when necessary, making sure you can carry the other should one of you fall. ^^
Also use your surroundings and NPCs for what they're worth. (Assuming your GM will allow you to).
Oops, forgot about that one. They had a huge battle (15 + rounds) upstairs with Lucimar and the Cenobites (who scared the players the most with their multiple flame strikes) in the Rejuvenation Chamber, so I think this was a satisfying end to the second part of the adventure.
But reading the protection from good spell it says:
Quote:
This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by good creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.
Considering the party wizard/alchemist is NE this could probably be bypassed, depending on the GM.
One thing we note though, a "normal"* party would likely need multiple attempts at this dungeon, no? With all the spell casters casting hard hitting spells the need for healing seems huge.
*The 2 PCs in my group are gestalt, and they also have a whole bunch of paladins from Vigil with them. Still, Renchurch has been a challenge where they have expended most of their spells.
If anyone is worried about save or dies in the battle with the Gray Friar, my players completed that battle in one round with a nicely placed magic jar on the cleric by the party's wizard.
He never knew the party was there and his +18 will save was not enough against the of DC32. His body is now on the way to confront Adivion with the rest of the party. ^^;
Adivion, also being a solo encounter, might be equally susceptible to this tactic, especially with the lower will save he has.
This is the first adventure where I noticed the NPC Codex as a required resource. I haven't gone back and checked, but because I don't normally read an adventure thoroughly until I'm prepping to run it I may not have noticed before now. So, if I'm wrong, when did this start, and either way is this the plan going forward?
It is not required, but is used for two random encounter entries, should you want to use those specific ones. (They are available on the PRD though).
For the fringes you could just expand the canvas to make more room?
Re patches: You could replace the texture for the whole river, thereby removing the patches. Alternatively careful use of the clone tool combined with a blur afterwards should also be able to hide them too.
Hmm, looking at the map images again from the main PDFs. The grid is fixed to the image, whereas the interactive map versions allows them to be removed. Will make a post in the product thread about that.
Yea I understand what your saying but after paying 16 bucks for a PDF I really shouldn't have to. I am not saying that they aren't worth it I am just saying that I hope some of the money I am paying for the AP is going to an artist (cartographer) so that I don't have to pretend I am one.
Mac
Oh definitely, but until it's fixed that's a solution. :)
Looking at the image it seems they used a darken tool on those spots (since you can see the texture underneath) and might not have been done by the artist. If that's the case it should be simple for Paizo to fix.
I used to use Outlook for my RSS feeds, but jumped to Google Reader a year or so back, as it was much easier to use. Will also be looking for a replacement.
The maps in the AP include the grid when extracted from the main PDF. For VTT this makes the maps more difficult to use than previous APs. If the grid could be on a different layer in the main PDF that would be great!
(The interactive map is not ideal for VTT use, as the maps have to be extracted manually through screen shots).
For the fringes you could just expand the canvas to make more room?
Re patches: You could replace the texture for the whole river, thereby removing the patches. Alternatively careful use of the clone tool combined with a blur afterwards should also be able to hide them too.
Hmm, looking at the map images again from the main PDFs. The grid is fixed to the image, whereas the interactive map versions allows them to be removed. Will make a post in the product thread about that.
Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed response, Mr. Spicer! Not only was the post interesting by it's own merit, but it also gave me what I feel is a measure of insight into the kind of process that happens when an adventure is being designed and developed, and that's a whole other level of interesting.
About the actual content of what you said, I see two main arguments:
1) the mechanical one, about how it's impossible to believe that a bunch of powerless 2nd level characters would even consider hopping through a magic portal into an alien land on an epic quest where they'll come across some of the most infamous evils in Golarion. Frankly that's not even a little bit of a concern to me, since this kind of suspense of disbelief is just part of the game and how it's built - it's the idea of a "level system" where there's such an absurd power disperancy between high level chracters and low level characters.
just looking at the first two APs that come to my mind, let's see how the problem you mentioned is being hand waved away in other APs:
a) Shattered Star -
b) In Curse of the Crimson Throne,
Please use spoiler tags when discussing other APs! Thanks :)
Regarding the Iconic preview:
First, the PDF design looks great! The parchement background adds a nice touch, and the use of red fits well.
But as I will not GM or play in Jade Regent this won't be of use there. That particular character could make a good NPC as a far away traveler, though. That said, if I did want to play a typical samurai this could be good inspiration.
It's been half a decade since I studied kanji/hanja, but they don't appear to make much coherent sense. Is it from an old saying?
I cleared out a lot of the encounters at Rencurch because every single room does not need one. Look at which ones you think are fun and keep those (including haunts).
If you play with XP, be sure to add bonus story xp. :)
My players teleported to Vigil in Lastwall*, before riding to Renchurch with about a 100 knights as support.
The battles have a bit more participants now than as written. ^^;
*Vigil is close and houses many of the knights who are supposed to be on guard preventing the Whispering Tyrant from returning. My players and I wonder why this was not even mentioned in AP. With Lastwall being so close it was rather illogical to not go there for help.
edit: I know they have one small patrol currently in Virlych, but if the threat of the Tyrant returning was real, then they would likely do what they could to prevent it from happening.
Would it make it less fun for the other players? For you?
The mechanical changes for the werewolf template aren't that big of a change and would hardly make him outshine the other players (alternatively they could get some more gear to make up for it).
As an afflicted lycanthrope he would also have to deal with constitution checks to change shape.
If he wants to play it I would bring up the topic in the group and decide from there.
In my campaign one of the PCs suggested that everyone should become vampires, but one PC didn't like the idea so they didn't follow up on it.
You're welcome. I have played the module and it took about one or two 5 hour sessions if I remember correctly, but our GM teaked it a bit, and we did not do all encounters.
My character died twice due to stupidity (violet fungi and a shady store owner). ^^;
Are you asking the duration of a single module or the whole AP? Considering it stretches from lvl 1 to 15+ those sessions would have to be very long if you want less than ten sessions. ^^
Having GMed this almost through to the end (with no rogue or bard in the party) I would assume a bard to be much more useful and fun than rogue. Both for knowledge and for bardy skills.
I am running Carrion Crown with mostly two gestalt PCs (third one joined recently), where the only changes from the gestalt rules were that they could roll both hitdice and take the highest, and they received the base skillpoints from both classes. Stats rolled, but adjusted up or down to be between 75 and 80 points in total (not point buy points).
Few to no problems, but my players are also very cautious and making use of terrain and NPCs to their benefit, giving them an extra edge.
Actually I am in the other end of the scale. I am getting ready to run this AP with only 3 players - is that doable. Should I boost these poor folks.
Any advice?
I am running this for 2-3 people using a variant of the gestalt rules (see d20srd.org or Unearthed Arcana), which works wonders. The only limitation, at least with 2 characters, is that they are usually in more trouble if one goes down.
My players have questioned why so much of what they do have apparently little effect on the Whispering Way's success. (just started part 6, skipping the majority of 5 for later).
*Stopping, or failing to stop the werewolf "war" did not give any signs that the werewolves would (not) be an asset against the WW further down the line.
*The players' interruption in Feldgrau has no apparent impact on the Carrion Crown ritual.
*The retrieval of the Raven's Head in part four made my players assume they disrupted the ritual based on the poem and the listed ingredients.
When encountering the vampires in part five the reaction was: "Vampire killer on the loose? This is probably a good thing for the people of Caliphas, but we're short on time hunting the Whispering Way so we will have to deal with the vampires later." Thus we have switched the order of part 5 and 6, should they still be interested in the Vampires after taking care of WW.
Now, we're having a great time and the players are having loads of fun, but plot wise it seems that the Whispering Way should have had a stronger connection the individual parts, and that the players would feel their actions meant something. If they had clear hints that what they did throughout the AP, then the Whispering Way's plan would weaken, then I believe they would be more interested in dealing with what has seemed like a series of side-quests.
Consider that (ignoring the aspect of levels and power level) had the players left Ravengro and went south to Caliphas or Renchurch, the other events concerning the Whispering Way would have been largely the same, except that Auren Vrood would also be alive, if it played out as written.
To repeat: Despite of the above we are having loads of fun and this AP has been a blast so far.
For my group it is more about seeing results of what they do, and less about recurring NPCs (although not having a surprise BBEG in part 6 would be good).
Cohesion for us would mean that what they did or did not do (for major events) should have an impact on later adventures. Of course one cannot account for all the what-ifs, but it would be good seeing more results of past actions, or at least knowing that those actions did something to the overarching plot.
You're welcome. I don't have that Map Folio, but in most of the newer APs and other PDFs you can just export the maps or select them in Adobe Reader for copying. (This does not work with the interactive maps however.)
Due to the PRD showing the footnote at the bottom of the two linked tables, instead of in between them I was slightly confused by the word "below." The rulebook displays it correctly however.
My players debated selling it to WW for 120k gp (phylactery cost), sell it to someone who wanted to become a lich, or throw it in a Golarion equivalent of Mount Doom.
After much discussin of what was possible we ended up with the following solution: Use a scroll of polymorph any object to change it to a sledgehammer (similar size and materials), but not letting the duration be permanent. I did allow multiple castings to extend the 1 week duration however, so they spent about 12k gp on four scrolls (teleport to Absalom: Magic shop #1^^) so it would last about a month. Then they bought about a dozen similar sledges and hid them around Absalom and one of my players hid about half on various ships heading to far away places.
It should make it nigh impossible for the WW to find it in due time, and my players had a lot of fun hiding the sledges taking care to not know which was the real mace.
Probably not RAW, but definitely fun and a solution my players and I were happy with.
Did anyone else's players set out to destroy the Raven's Head? How did you deal with that? (Other than the as written destroyed if used to create a lich) The obvious attempt would be to try to find something incredibly hot like an active volcano or similar and try to melt it.
My players wouldn't even think of bringing it closer to WW given that from what they know, it is a part of the Carrion Crown formula. If they can't destroy it they are likely to try and take it as far away from WW as possible, or hand it over to a group that are strong and very much against the WW.
I pronounce it as Undeeohmehdeh, but it could also be like unDiomede(s) from Greek mythology.
A few notes on realism:
When using the submersible it should be stopped every 3-5 feet on the way down to pump more air in, if both cannot be done simultaneously. If it is lowered to 400 feet in one go the air should be about 1/15th the size or so (not taking into account getting the correct mix of oxygen and nitrogen).
The deep water should probably take cold instead of pressure damage, but that's an easy switch of damage type while there. Perhaps changing to allow endure elements prevent such damage instead of freedom of movement.
Re plot:
Besides solving the disappearances, is there any reason for the PCs to continue exploring the caves after they get a hold of the Raven's Head? Should they not witness the Dark Young appear, then they might be well on their way back when it happens, which should make an interesting cause of events.
Also, given that the Illmarsh citizens are a generally despicable lot my players suggested burning down the town to drive the citizens away from their current fostering practice. Which might be for the better. :)
My players and I are having a great time though, but they are struggling a bit with finding a reason to stay further now that they've found the mace.
I had the slugs be the size of normal slugs (with too many teeth) while lurking, and then extend their full length while lunging for people. Think hideous, slimy springs that bore into people. They're weird little monsters; it's fine to have them casually break physics.
Ah, good idea. Will use that should they encounter more. Thanks!
I didn't treat them as the size they were on the images in the AP as then they should be big enough to have relevant stats and probably wouldn't require a perception check to see them as abnormal.
Ran the battle vs Albor last night and it was great! Players also loved it. When Albor's head exploded, which the players first and almost rightfully thought were only due to the 65pt critical revolver bullet from the gestalt gunslinger/cleric, they got really surprised when the tentacles burst out! :)
Question regarding the slugspawns: I've seen in McCreary's post they should be treated as a hazard, but when the players have four visible ones in front of them, do they need to do more than just say "I step on the crawling leeches" when they've made their reflex saves?
Leonal, LG Paladin (Warrior of the Holy Light archetype)/Oracle (Heavens mystery) gestalt. Native of Sandpoint and eager to get Varisia back to normal.
Spoiler for RotRL:
We play where the assumption is that several APs happened (Rise of the Rune Lords, Council of Thieves, Kingmaker), but with a negative outcome. The result is that e.g. Karzoug has ruled Varisia for the past five years and the Pathfinders are a resistance group.
