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Legions of four-inch insectoids rapidly click-clack down the pit walls in an eerily coordinated formation. Armored in a razor-sharp, barbed carapace, each soldier brandishes a crab-like arm ending in a serrated stinger. The horde rasps in a humanlike voice “Die!”

Njaa’mende CR 7
XP 3,200
CE Fine magical beast (swarm)
Init +9; Senses dark vision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +10

----- Defense -----
AC 24, touch 23, flat-footed 19(+5 Dex, +1 natural, +8 size)
hp 76 (9d10+27)
Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +7
Immune paralysis, sleep, swarm traits, weapon damage; Resist fire 5, Weaknesses vulnerability to cold

----- Offense -----
Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee swarm (3d6 plus distraction and poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks distraction (DC 17), consume
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9; concentration +11)
At will—bleed (DC 12), dancing lights, mage hand, silent image (DC 13)
3/day—obscuring mist, rainbow pattern (DC 16), stone shape

----- Statistics -----
Str 3, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 14
Base Atk +9; CMB — ; CMD —
Feats Acrobatic Steps, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Nimble Moves
Skills Bluff +3, Climb +9, Craft (trapmaking) +5, Perception +10, Stealth +21; Racial Modifiers +8 Climb, +2 Craft (trapmaking), +2 Perception, +16 Stealth
Languages Common
SQ sound mimicry (animals, voices)

----- Ecology -----
Environment warm jungle
Organization solitary, legion(2-4 swarms), or colony (5-15 swarms)
Treasure incidental

----- Special Abilities -----
Consume (Ex) The njaa’mende can rapidly consume any creature they swarm over. Against helpless or nauseated targets, the njaa’mende’s swarm attack deals 6d6 points of damage.

Poison (Ex) Swarm—injury;save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 fire and 1d4 Con; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Njaa’mende revel in slaughter and are among the most efficient hunters in the Mwangi Expanse. Utilizing near-human intelligence, the njaa’mende employ cunning tactics and magical abilities to make up for their minuscule size. They combine elaborate pit traps with deception and illusions to lure prey into deadly ambushes. When a trap is triggered, the njaa’mende swarm in and quickly devour the hapless creature. Soldiers bite and sting, and their serrated stingers cut through tough hide easily to inject a boiling poison. The searing toxin softens tissue, making it easier to consume. Colonies have been known to bring down prey as large as a high girallon; however the njaa’mende prefer humanoids.

Colonies of njaa’mende divide labor among castes similar to ants, except that a njaa’mende hive submits completely to the telepathic will of a solitary queen. She rules over a territory of about a mile in any direction from the central hive, where she spends her life laying eggs, analyzing complex stimuli received from her soldiers, and directing the colony.

Njaa’mende queens are careful to ensure succession. As a queen nears the end of her lifespan, she births an heir. When the heir reaches maturity, she consumes the old queen, absorbing the racial memory of her predecessors and becoming the mind of the colony. Should a queen die with no heir, her colony becomes fatally complacent, neither eating nor working until it also perishes.

Only in cases where the hive is directly threatened does the queen join an attack swarm. In those rare circumstances, the queen is better able to focus her attention and that swarm gains a +2 racial bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. If the queen’s swarm is defeated, there is a 10% chance that the queen was killed.

Many njaa’mende colonies are religious, following either Lamashtu, their progenitor, or the destroyer Rovagug, whom their nature emulates.

Andoran Mercantile League
Alignment: LN
Headquarters: Almas
Leader: Tobias Stanton
Structure: Mercantile association
Scope: National
Resources: A half-dozen League Halls in cities across Andoran, a few sympathetic representatives on Andoran’s People’s Council, a network of investigators, privateers and guards, and several business investments which provide operating capital

At the heart of mercantilism are personal property rights. Few take these rights more seriously than the Andoran Mercantile League, also commonly referred to simply as the Mercantile League. Most Andorans think the Mercantile League is an association offering merchants discounted services including legal representation, armed protection, and asset recovery. Unbeknownst to most Andorans, the Mercantile League is now secretly plotting a darker course. In opposition to the nation’s militant abolitionism, the Mercantile League employs slave-finders to track down and return escaped Chelish slaves to their former masters.

Structure and Leadership
Tobias Stanton heads a directorate of seven notable bankers and barristers of noble birth. This shadowy directorate determines the Mercantile League’s agenda. Each member of the directorate oversees one of the League Halls, and each League Hall is comprised of a complicated bureaucracy responsible for managing the mundane day-to-day operations. There are other illicit operations that the directorate members handle more directly. For example, Tobias — along with his chief aide, a disgraced Pathfinder named Jarret Bode — oversees the slave-finders because he won’t allow such a delicate and lucrative operation entirely out of his own hands.

Goals
The Andoran Mercantile League’s public goal is protecting all Andorans from the sort of losses the nobility incurred during the People’s Revolt, but that is not its true agenda. Tobias Stanton leads the Mercantile League’s directorate passionately towards his vision of ascendant nobility; not following the old ways of bloodlines and houses, but within this new democracy. The directorate believes power flows not from birthright, but from gold and political influence. It pursues its goals of reparations incrementally. It subtly manipulates the support of a few key representatives on the People’s Council while skirting the nation’s strict corruption laws to achieve these ends.

Public Perception
Few Andorans, even among the merchants who have joined the Andoran Mercantile League, are aware of the full scope of the organization’s goals and activities. Most Andorans see Tobias Stanton and the Mercantile League as defenders of the people’s rights and the embodiment of the philosophy and principles the nation was founded on.

It is late evening in Sandpoint a warm summer rain shower has driven most folks indoors.

Inside the Rusty Dragon there are few grumbles about the weather as a small cheery fire crackles in the hearth and the delicious scents of food both exotic and familiar waft from the kitchen. The clink of cutlery on pottery and a low contented murmur of people enjoying the food and company fills the bar, while a small band plays a lilting familiar tune from their place near the hearth.

The door opens and a cool damp breeze wafts inside as a young man in unseasonably long sleeves steps inside with a nod to the Shoanti man perched watchfully near the door.

At a table near the kitchen two of Gorvi's boys exchange a bit of gossip. "You know how red faced ol' Grump gets, he was shaking angry today" the young story teller squeezes his face into a paunchy angry parody of the old farmer as he shakes his jowls in mock rage before dropping into a barking laugh. "The sheriff still wouldn't organize a hunt for Grump's devil. Seems when Hemlock went out to Grumps farm last week he found the hog pen unlatched and a mess of goblin tracks. But still old Grump insists it was the devil and keeps pestering everyone about it."

"Those goblins are becoming a menace. I was down dumping a load at the junktoss talking to Gorvi when down below we see three or four of the little buggers out in the broad daylight." Roost, shakes his head before taking a drink and continuing, "Gorvi got his tusks all in a knot over that an he was into the little shack of his and back out in a flash. That battered crossbow of his was all cranked and ready but them goblins had already skittered off like rats. I swear they'll be in the town soon enough."

Nearby Niska's distantly related niece finishes a Harrow reading for gangling youth with a mop of bristly blond hair. As the band finishes it's tune she returns to her seat at the bar where Ameiko smiles and makes polite conversation with her patrons then suddenly laughing as a particular account reaches its unexpected comic twist. Camaraderie flows from the tap faster than the Two Knights beer. It's a good night.

There's a short quiet commotion as the lead musician attempts to get the attention of the cleric of Sheylin who sometimes sings.

It is late evening in Sandpoint a warm summer rain shower has driven folks indoors. Inside the Rusty Dragon there are few grumbles about the weather as a cheery fire crackles in the hearth and the delicious scents of food both exotic and familiar waft from the kitchen. The low contented murmur of people enjoying their food and each other's company fills the bar. Ameiko smiles and makes polite conversation patrons at her bar suddenly laughing as a particular account reaches its unexpected comic twist. Camaraderie flows from the tap faster than the Two Knights beer. It's a good night.

The current year is 4711 it has been 9 years since the Chopper’s (Jervis Stoot) murder spree that claimed the lives of 25 men, women, and children. Four years ago the new Sandpoint Cathedral was consecrated during the annual Swallowtail Festival and for a time it seemed the Late Unpleasantness was finally laid to rest.

I am looking to start a Pathfinder PBP set in the village of Sandpoint. This somewhat alternate Sandpoint has not seen the events of Rise of the Runelords , in fact none of the AP’s set in Varisia have occurred. Certain events such as the Late Unpleasantness, and the Licktoad goblin’s grand discovery (We Be Goblins) have occurred but the repercussions of those events will likely play out differently than they would have in the original adventure paths.

Players interested should submit a short character concept / background. I don’t need a novel or a complete character sheet just a few lines to give me a feel for your character, his or her goals, and an idea of how your PC ties into the local community. If you are familiar with Sandpoint and Varisia and there is a particular region or story you would like to see explored let me know that as well.

I have no idea what sort of response I’ll get from this invitation but I may not be able to take on every player who applies I will look at the concepts and make my choices from those concepts if I have more players than slots.

Wow. I know the Celiax Player's Companion book is currently unavailable but ... Just wow.

Price at a Glance

New: from $1,386.41
Used: from $1,386.43

+3.99 shipping!

I'm thinking even though we use that particular companion pretty regularly around here It's still in good condition. I might have to under cut those guys and charge about half that with free shipping. Just saying, 'cause wow.

Not that I would expect to get an offer for even my reduced price.

Cayden’s Cup
Aura faint transmutation and enchantment; CL 1st
Slot --; Price 2,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
Many of these lidded pewter tankards are gilded in silver and bear the engravings of heroes locked in legendary conflicts, while others are less elaborate featuring only silver scrollwork. Cayden’s cups regardless of ornamentation are suitable as holy symbols for the clerics of Cayden Cailean, and other mead hall gods, but many non-clerics desire one of these treasures as well.

When alcohol, regardless of quality, is poured into and consumed from one of these tankards the draught is fresh and ideally served: crisp and cold or warm and hearty, even a wine that has soured to vinegar becomes drinkable with a Cayden’s cup. Sometimes a beverage even tastes as though spiced such as with a mulled wine or a hard cider. The cup has no effect on food or non alcoholic beverages.

The tankards are resistant to spillage. The lid creates a tight seal and unless a tankard is deliberately opened the lid will remain closed no matter how forcibly jostled. Because of this feature and their sturdy construction Cayden’s cups have on occasion been employed as impromptu bludgeons in barroom brawls. If employed as an improvised weapon a Cayden’s cup has the same statistics as a light mace.

Finally, three times a day as a standard action the bearer of a Cayden’s cup may take a deep draught emptying the tankard to fortify his courage and gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, skill checks and saves vs. fear effects for the next 5 rounds.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, bless, purify food and drink; Cost 1,000 gp

I just received my download of Dark Markets and ran across the entry for The Gilded Shell.

All of Malthus’s suits of armor are of masterwork quality. He is also interested in working new materials into serviceable armor.

There is also a chart of new exotic armors which lists each exotic armor with a GP cost and the equivalent masterwork armor. But the costs listed in the chart don't necessarily reflect masterwork prices (3 come in under the +150 gp cost).

So my dumb question of the day is could a person buy for example Masterwork Blink Dog Hide for 175gp or is that just redundant?

I started to convert a barbarian character I had made for a regular 3.5 game to the Pathfinder and discovered I'm not fond of the way the rage powers are listed. I went through the list and find a power that seemed to fit my concept read the description only to find out on the last line that I can't take it until a later level. Moving the level requirement to the top of the power would be a helpful change.

Go to Ordinary People Save the World. The video says it better than I can.

My wife and I seldom get to play D&D together because usually I'm the one running the game. So this year at Origins we were excited to play in the Pathfinder preview game together.

I've been meaning to post a thank you to Paizo for running the Pathfinder demos at Origins and to Greg in particular, for running a terrific game and giving us a chance to kill a few goblins together.

Now that I have some new ideas regarding goblin tactics I'm really looking forward to singing the goblin song and telling my players to roll for initiative for the first time in Burnt Offerings.

Again it was a great game Greg, and I'm looking forward to reading Pathfinder 6.

I just recieved issue 142 and it has a fairly serious printing flaw . . . page 35(36)folds over at an angle so that a large section of the page goes through the spine of the magazine to stick out at the end of the magazine. Normally when I've seen magazine erros I've been able to trim an uncut page or the like, but unfortunately doing anything like that in this case is not an option. Any hope of a replacement issue?

Oh and as requested I performed some thread necromancy over at Failed Wil Save.

Okay I'm setting up my SCAP campaign and mid-prep I've decided to actually move the SCAP from a generic setting into Greyhawk.

I'm not looking to build a strictly cannon campaign but I am wondering what the veteran Greyhawk DMs may have done to insert the Cauldron Region into the world.

I know that the Cauldron Region is in the border of the Hellfurnaces near Jeklea Bay and the Amedio Jungle. What I'm particularly curious about is the governmental, political, and historical territories. The Hold of the Sea Princes seems to be the closest nation.

I'm thinking about casting Cauldron, Sasserine etc. as allied Free Cities but have not yet worked out all of the details.

Suggestions?

I'm ready to begin running the Shackled City this Friday. While I opted for a generic setting I am using the Greyhawk Calendar and lunar cycles. So I am curious when other groups playing in Greyhawk started their campaigns and when they set the Flood Festival to occur.

I'm deep in the planning stages of a Shackled City campaign and have been reading some of the posts about how hard the campaign is and the numbers of PC deaths are rather daunting.

I'm currently running an Eberron game and I'm very pleased with the Action Points rules from the ECS and Unearthed Arcana books and I plan to keep using them as we begin the Shackled City.

I'm wondering if anyone else has been using these rules an if they seem to have any impact on survivability in the campaign.