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Wait a second, 20 years ago. . . (does the math) - this isn't Sean "Lefty" Walsh is it? Holy crap! Minos?! ZOG!?!?! How you been? How do I get in touch with you? I've put an email address in my profile (to avoid spam bots). If you see this email me man! -MiKe P.S. Slanky/VC Ryan - I think I owe you double for this thread now.
Aww shucks guys! Ryan - very glad the Mantis Prey went well for your group! I really enjoyed putting that one together and was nervous about it. Props to Mark and Paizo for their hard work on it - and to Christopher West for the insanely nice waterfall map. It turned out so well. P.S. Totally missed this thread - thanks for pick-me-up.
Best part: the characters are developing individual grudges against various members of the Expeditionary. @Jezza - One of the many marks of an excellent GM, in my book. I love it when the players want vengeance so bad they can taste it. It's harder and harder to do these days with most every battle to the death it seems. @Mr. Slanky - Thanks man! And definitely congrats on finishing! Love to see that post-up sometime.
Hey! Many thanks MisterSlanky. Those are some kind words indeed. There's nothing better than knowing people are reading your stuff from time to time. (May I say you have exquisite taste in mods.) With your kind support, I will simply have to find a way to dupe the Paizo gods into reviewing another Pathfinder Module manuscript - they do a top rate job of putting them together. As Neil describes, I recently had the pleasure of joining he and others in the land of Adventure Path arcs, which was an amazing collaborative experience. But I also love the beauty of the stand-alone module. For now though I need to get back to the "Michael Kortes Needs More Sleep" thread. -Mike P.S. Thanks GeraintElberion as well! KQ rocks! And thanks Adam - I hope "The Haunting of Harrowstone" will live up!
In the aquarium in Delvehaven, several coins are listed as coming from Ligar but I can't find another reference to this location. The closest I can find among the lost kingdoms is Lirgen. Is this a new place we haven't heard of yet, or is Ligar supposed to be Lirgen? My error Yoda. You are correct. It should read Lirgen. Drat! (It looks like an unconscious jumbling of Lirgen and Isgar two unrelated places I am quite interested in). P.S. Wonko: I do like the idea of working in Spring Attack with the dolls some how. It fits their hit and run style.
Cool issue. Here’s my two cents: Spoiler:
“Nepheret’s” infiltration isn’t actually required for the mod’s plot so if the player’s are ultra suspicious and she can’t find an angle to get in, so be it – good on the PCs. It’s a pretty open adventure so don’t worry if any given sub-plot takes a beating, there’s still plenty of mischief to be had. If she can’t join, she simply helps out Her Majestrix’s Expeditionary in other ways.
Though I will say that when I’ve ran it as a GM, it has never really been Nepheret’s value as a translator that has gotten her inside the party. Rather it has been the planted mystique which falsely hints that she is somehow connected to the Four Pharaohs of Ascension. For example, the halfling has re-shaped a bogus artefact so that it resembles her and planted it at the auction at the adventure's opening. PCs that connect her to the carving might pursue the lead. She also has a fake birthmark to further play up the destiny angle. If confronted about these clues, Neferet always denies it, deliberately fuelling the PCs' suspicions that there might be something there – she’s read her reverse-psyche 101 text. While fun, none of this solves Elora’s other concern about preserving the mystique of a dead language which is a good point. For that, I love Rob’s idea.
Hi Blackbird, Thanks for taking the time to comment. It's always great to hear people are playing through the mods. You are correct about the sai, there’s no reason a legionnaire cannot stab his opponent with his sai. I suspect the melee stats were edited out for space reasons; it was a tight adventure (my fault). Likely the thinking was as the legionnaires had Weapon Focus (unarmed) they were unlikely to resort to the sai in melee as it would be statistically inferior in both to hit and damage. (At one time the legionnaires had Weapon Focus (sai) but they got a slight tune-up.) In case anyone else encounters this and wants some sai melee action, the melee stats for the sai would simply be: sai +2/+2 (1d4+2) or sai +4 (1d4+2). Lastly, although the sai is a melee weapon, it has a range increment of 10 feet which indicates it may be thrown. I think it makes a cool visual. It's similar to a throwing axe which is also listed as a melee weapon. Anyways, I‘m bumbed the trap in Area 10 went stale on you - it's a favourite of mine. Hopefully you were able to take the adventure up another notch subsequently. Thanks for giving it a shot.
Sure, I’d love to! First off Brainiac, my compliments to your group. In my book, it’s one thing to slay your opponent, but you really take it to a higher level when you use your opponent as a resource. I’d also say that since you’ve no doubt put your own stamp on the game thus far, you alone will best know how to build the Expeditionary back in. Here are the thoughts I wrote on the subject back in the day: Spoiler:
HER MAJESTRIX’ EXPEDITIONARY If the PCs played J1: “Entombed with the Pharaohs” prior to this adventure, they likely tangled with Her Majestrix’s Expeditionary, a band of professional tomb raiders, lead by Paracount Julistar, a lower echelon member of House Thrune, the ruling house of Cheliax. As Julistar’s career was devoted to acquiring relics of the Four Pharaohs of Ascension, if he survived J1, the PCs may wonder where he and his outfit are in all of this. For simplicity’s sake, “The Pact Stone Pyramid” presumes that Julistar and his entire band died, either at the PCs’ hands or from one of the many perils within the Veinstone Pyramid. However, if this was not the case in your campaign, you may consider weaving Her Majestrix’s Expeditionary back into the story. Xavan and Rhokan, for example, remain enthusiastic raiders-for-hire and quickly find themselves under the retainer of Khymrasa, ready to enter Ahn’Selota as soon as her slave army unearths it. Lonicera on the other hand, has had enough of mummies and curses; unless she has joined with the PCs’ party she has relocated to Absalom to find safer ways to con people out of their hard-earned coin. Khymrasa is well aware of Julistar’s reputation as one of Cheliax’s leading Osiriontologists. She stops at nothing to ensure he falls under her employ, retaining him as a consultant alongside the Sand Sage and the Crook Bearer. Although Julistar is loathe to be reduced to a minor minion, he senses opportunity. Unlike Master Soan, Julistar secretly believes that Khymrasa’s plan to become the ‘fourth pharaoh’ is based upon a flawed understanding of pharaonic history; no pharaohs will actually return, regardless of what baubles she unearths. Her expedition will, however, still leave numerous opportunities for Julistar to slide in and acquire genuine relics for his Grand Athenaeum in Egorian. He might also make new contacts within the Shrine of Horns which will serve him well at home. As such, the Paracount keeps Khymrasa enthusiastically fed on a misleading diet of what she wants to hear while he keeps an eye out for items of true value. Better still, the Exemplar’s search for the Pact Stone could uncover more clues to the relationship between the Four Pharaohs of Ascension and Aucturn, the mysterious ringed planet discussed in the Aucturn Lexicon, the tomb penned by Julistar’s predecessor, Imivus, the curator of the Grand Athenaeum – a subject of interest that Julistar shares with the Sand Sage. Finally, If Scepter is alive, Julistar brings the wizard-ranger along, continuing his retainer as his personal evoker-assassin. Scepter’s true agenda, however, will be to choose his moment to eliminate any PCs who may have uncovered his identify in J1, ensuring that no one can report his survival or whereabouts to the Pathfinder Decemvirate. He will use his hat of disguise to assume a completely different appearance for this adventure, though the PCs are likely to identify him should they spot his distinctive wand rifle. If you have the time and inclination, I'd also consider leveling the survivors up a level or two.
I was very pleased when my copy of “Osirion: Land of the Pharaohs” came in the mail as I have been excited for this guy for a while. There is a lot of new cool stuff in here to get the juices flowing: Spoiler:
Good stuff guys – please keep it coming.
I really enjoyed reading through this module, and can't wait to run it for my group. I love the Egyptian flavor of Osirion - one of my favorite realms in PF. Hey Aberzombie! If you don’t mind, let me know how that game turns out! Especially if your players come up with a cool new way to slow down the dig in the opening chapter. My egomaniacal players claim that even though they ran it first their sabotage stunts were the bomb and cannot be topped. I told them I would keep an eye out to see if there were reports of different or even crazier ideas. Spoiler:
In the play test the PCs tried to scare off the slaves by masquerading as undead mummies at night. They used rolls of gauze bandages from a healer’s kit and threw in a few smoke sticks for some drama. Not bad for a low-tech solution, but it lacked poetry.
Later they tried to make a fake plague by using summoned swarm spells. That sent a lot of slaves packing, but we all saw that one coming.
Lastly, for maximum cheese they tried to simulate a giant sandstorm with glowing eyes. They summoned air elementals and used a set everburning torches for the eyes. Lot’s of slaves briefly headed for the hills there until Master Soan shut the PCs down.
Awesome! Good gaming Montalve!!!
Definitely. The release date is tentatively scheduled for Spring 2010. Right now the biggest hurdle is I can’t find a volunteer to accept the multi-million dollar contract to co-star opposite Angela Jolie.
Tim's play test for "Pound of Flesh" is responsible for what just might be my favorite quote from Gen Con 08. As Nick Logues' famed barbarian-in-denial suddenly discovers his true self and enters his first and most gruesome of his blackout rages in an alley in the heart of the Great City. . . a voice could be heard to utter:
I'm still traumatized.
So, I'd like some more information on the Risen Guard. Are they guards who have actually been resurected (and taken a level penalty), or mummies or some other undead? I'd say your first guess is closest. The Risen Guard are a unit of elite human warrior-types, all of which have been brought back by the Forthbringer, Prince Khemet or at least by his money. The Ruby Prince is a powerful cleric and thaumaturgist. Of course, then again, the Risen Guard might also be bumbling babysitters as per Skyler and kessukoofah’s take! (I always cheered for that coyote - stupid bird.) Or perhaps the Risen Guard will be future victims of powerful necromantic magics ala Set’s riff, which I thought leads to some very interesting possibilities. . .
There’s some cool takes on Ojan and Jasilia (the Dune Runners) here! I was excited to see this thread as at one time Osirion’s wayward twin heirs had a cameo in J4 “The Pact Stone Pyramid”. The PCs had an opportunity to interact with them – though the PCs may not necessarily have known it right away. However, space restrictions inevitably demanded that it be removed to make room for some of the more directly focussed plot encounters. (That was my early cut, not the editor dieties.) Krome: I think you are quite right. While wanderlust is a big part of Ojan and Jasilia’s unauthorized extracurricular activities, I too believe there is a hidden pattern behind it. Hopefully somebody will further pick that thread up one day. There’s an awful lot at stake in Osirion right now and I am certain these two will have their role in how it unfolds.
Good eye! Spoiler:
56 was originally picked to be a 'sacred number' at random, but I confess that 11 was woven into the module because of that very feature, as well as a couple other properties it shares with 56, if I recall correctly.
Tracking the Numbers [Insert standard spoiler warning here] OK! Sometime back I had the pleasure of being involved in a module called “Entombed with the Pharaohs”. In the module there is a numerology shtick in which the numbers 11 and 56 appear an inordinate number of times, too many times to be a coincidence. Hopefully the ever present numbers contribute to the suspense aspect of the game’s atmosphere. It was brought to my attention that I promised to post my list of all the known spots where the numbers occur but I never actually did. This is to finally take care of that. Also, it may shed a bit of light on which occurrences are by design and which are just coincidences. Every time somebody shows me one I have missed I get the willies. If anyone knows of any more, please let me know. The Number 11 Spoiler:
The Number 56 Spoiler:
Thanks again guys. It was a very different kind of an adventure to write and so I was glad for the chance to do it. I should also acknowledge that the editors work on the script like crazy and much of the good stuff mentioned above is attributable to them. Spoiler:
If I can carve out the time, I'd love to post the play test of the cindermaw/swallowing scene. Valeros died _a lot_ and in a vast array of different ways while we tried to get it right.
Thanks a ton Lilith! I have sent this along. They have not been particularly comforted but they'll take all the guidance they can get. There's also a bit of a debate as to who is player four which should be fun. -Michael P.S. A Pre-Consult with "The Lilith" may become routine. Perhaps there should be a gp cost.
I've got a game going set in Osirion and for the last few weeks have been desperately searching around for as much information on the setting as possible. Until December though (can...not...wait) all I've got to riff off of is the paragraph in the Gazeteer and the stuff at the beginning of Entombed with the Pharaohs. I'd love any other inspiration anyone's got out there. I run it again on Thursday and am anxious to do it justice. Anyhow I'm really loving Golarion, and it's a blast being able to expand our campaigns away from Varisia--even if that makes it a little scary sometimes! Grim, given your research and interest thus far, I suspect that anything about Osirion that isn’t already known to you is probably stuff that can’t come out yet – you pretty much are one of the top experts on the subject. I’d just trust in your DM-Fu. One of the more exciting things about building in this game world right now is just how much of the details are still up for grabs. It’s a new frontier and in time we'll miss these days – as for now, I'd just be bold.
Hey all, I just wanted to say that the fact that people are concerned about overlap and J4’s direction this early on means a lot to me. For what it’s worth I’d also like to say I am in agreement with the views expressed above. So are the Paizo guys involved and they actually looked into this independently quite some time back. I’m not sure how much can be said this early in the schedule, but J4 will have a new shtick – no race against an NPC party this time. Hopefully it will prove to be something you will agree is relatively fresh. There will, however, still be similarities. You should count on that part of the adventure will involve another pyramid exploration. And curses – definitely more curses. Also, those who played through the original will likely be well familiar with the Four Pharaohs of Ascension. Right..what if you killed the other guys in the first one? J4 is set up so that J1 is not necessary to run it. The default assumption is that Her Majestrix’s Expeditionary was slain in J1 and has no role. However, if you are a lucky GM and some of the Expeditionary made it through J1 there will (possibly) be a sidebar with suggestions on how to weave them back in to J4. There’s no way, for example, that Xaven Neversword would want to miss out on the events in this module. And there's a certain Paracount who. . . Anyways, if the sidebar can’t make it due to space restrictions, I hope a few of you will join me in spamming the boards with our views on the subject. Anyways, thanks again to you all for your thoughts and impressions on this – always very valuable.
Hmm. I would agree with cthulhudarren – there was a disconnect with the demon box sub-plot. It was a different adventure for him and I think Eando’s that kind of guy - he’ll do the unexpected. I too am dying to know what’s inside the boxes. James’ post above is not the first hint I’ve received that there are plans afoot to reveal this secret so I will stay tuned. For me, the mystery component of the arc feels a bit like a season of Lost. What’s in the hatch? Where the heck is the compass taking Eando and why? Answers lead to more questions. I’m not sure I agree the character wasn’t Eando, but I’m admittedly way too biased. Instead, I’ll just say that if the readers were able to notice a variance, then that speaks volumes about how Eando has quickly established himself as a distinctive character and that’s a really good thing. In a way, he’s the first Pathfinder and I like that he’s making a mark.
Thanks TerraNova! It's encouraging to know the journal will get picked up even though it's tucked in behind an explosive adventure like "Edge of Anarchy". I am glad you said authors (plural) because "The Burn Run" was definitely one of those cases where there were a lot of guys involved in the text. James Sutter in particular works to give Eando Kline his voice and personality. Also the original kernel for the idea behind the story comes from one of his earlier article's treatment on the Cinderlands. James Jacobs was also involved in building the storyline for this episode. I look forward to learning what happens to Eando when he reaches the Hold of Belkzen.
"Edge of Anarchy" feels like an entire AP in one volume. There's just a ton going on. Congratulations Nick. There is a lot of awesome here. Spoiler:
in addition to the big scenes there's also a lot of great touches here: And it's a cliffhanger of an ending. -MiKe
Holy smokes guys! Thanks for this thread. You are too kind. Hearing that people are playing those adventures and putting their own stamp on them really makes this hobby worthwhile. Consider my day made. As always, we writing-types give credit to the editors who keep finding new ways to make our skuzzy manuscripts sing. P.S. Hazel Monday – I so owe you Gen Con (or virtual) booze for this thread.
Thanks Curaigh! Hopefully I am not too late with this: The extra Oquon weapons are found in this thread here. -MiKe
Thanks for the feedback guys! You guys are the best. (Here’s to the bloodsucking brotherhood.) Though I gotta say I was a fan of Gallery of Evil myself. I do enjoy a good city adventure. Oh, and just to weigh in on P.H. Dungeon’s Question on the Challenge level and Jeremy’s response: [very spoilish!] Spoiler:
Tukanem Hanam is a serious risk. (I can’t take credit for the true strike + Power Attack combo – that’s so awesome!) Without a full-buff ambush or other game plan such as recruiting the Expeditionary for the double-team, Tukanem Hanam is really tough to bring down without losses. The good news is you don’t actually have to kill him to get at the Cerulean Pharaohs’ island - just keep him distracted long enough to get in and get out. Also, though the players have to be lucky to learn this before they can exploit it: one of Tukanem Hanam’s key weaknesses (besides his cold vulnerability) is that he won’t leave area 7. . .
The Sirius Mystery by Robert Temple. It is a very dense book. I caution you though; it will cause your friends to think you are a weirdo as you attempt to describe scientific evidence of alien contact 5,000+ years ago. Much of it is conjecture and not persuasive, but it got my eyebrows raised many times. At various points the author makes a compelling case (assuming his facts are as verified as he claims). I didn’t myself check the ruins and measure the planetary distances involved. If you’re into mythology, physics, astronomy, anthropology or just whether we are alone out here it’s a good read.
Thank Nick! It means a lot coming from the guy at the top of the heap. And my thanks to Radavel, Firedancer, Sabastian, Snappa, Soulkeeper and Hojas as well. And as always, huge thanks to the editors – the guys who really make the adventures come together. I’m biased, but I also think it would be great if Osirion got revisited one day (regardless if I am involved or not). As for Chelliax, I predict that, by its nature, Chelliax is going to permeate into many many adventures. Even if its past expansionist history hadn’t influenced such a large part of the world to begin with, you just can’t ignore its present-period, devil-infused aristocracy, no matter how far away you try to run. I’m looking forward to its treatment in the Gazetteer (and now the campaign setting book as well!) Lastly, I gotta say to Chris West – just wow on the maps. They look fantastic – especially the Veinstone Pyramid graphic on the last page. -MiKe P.S. Once I get a chance, I hope to post some of my old notes on the adventure’s numerology to flesh out where it occured. There were a couple spots where it happened on its own and started creeping me out.
Isn't this the title of one of H.P.Lovecraft's short stories or was that "Imprisoned with the Pharoahs". Was this adventure inspired by that short story in any way (name of otherwise)? Good call Phil! "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" was the orginal inspiration source of the title chosen by Paizo - check this link here. As Erik notes, the two diverge pretty quickly after that.
I saw this thread and I see I owe some serious thanks! Hojas – You’re still the best man! Thanks for your support. No Terlins this time around, but hopefully something will meet the grade. Nick – I will continue to vie for your favorite Canadian spot. Rambling Scribe is a tough competitor, I know. (For one thing he certainly has a much higher survival rate in Lou’s adventures than I do.) Datdude – I am not sure what the rules are with posting crunch from Mods on the Boards, so I apologize in advance for not being responsive to the request. Jeremy – thanks for the smoking blog post. Love the artwork, Hrokon especially. Prime – I like the term pulp-creep. Definitely noted. Hazel, Daigle (and anyone else I might have missed) – thanks guys! I hope “Pharaohs” measures up. Love to hear people’s take on it once it’s out.
Humble, I can’t tell you how great it is to get feedback like that. I gotta say I pretty much agree with all of it. 1. If the combats are too “tippy” (all or nothing) that’s never a good thing—particularly for a low-level adventure. I find it a hard problem to avoid at high levels where ‘save or die’ crops up everywhere, but at this level it should be something that can be controlled with solid design. 2. The ego scores are admittedly too low. For what its worth, what I struggled with is I wanted to remain faithful to the existing mechanics. The only way to crank the ego scores is to power-up the weapons. This, of course, brings its own bag of problems, both further unbalancing encounters on both sides as well as making it harder to get the PCs to part with their acquired weapons. One solution, though its perhaps less than ideal, is to keep pouring on the sheer number of saves a PC has to make if the PC elects to keep an intelligent weapon around. Sooner or later a PC will fail. If the PC wisely junks the weapon before a failed save, good on them. (Though with the themes you were developing above, I agree it would be a lost roleplaying opportunity.) 3. I definitely wouldn’t want the Cabanights overpowering the Oquon in the final encounter. Larcos invitation should specify the number of delegates each side is permitted to bring to his mediation which should help (in theory - though as you have demonstrated, no plan ever quite survives contact with the PCs. . .) 4. Expanding the adventure into an arc sounds awesome to me. I have been reading Ukos take on this idea in this and in other threads with particular interest. The original idea for “War of the Wielded” was born out of a much longer running campaign which featured two rival factions of intelligent weapons. Maybe someday for me or another! Thanks again! (especially for typing it twice) -MiKe
Totally! If Sabrehawk, Triage or the remaining Duchessa get wind of the plan I could see them looking to either foil it or at least get a warning out to their brethren as soon as it becomes possible. Given that they are having an relatively easy time of the adventure so far, I imagine that the remaining PCs, (the cleric and the wizard?) could sneak off and attempt caging the Kogoloxen by their lonesome and then try to fool their own comrades. But I can see how that could fall apart quite quickly. Regardless, this is way cool chaos. I love how you wove in Lavinia and made the opening death scene more personally motivating. Humble, you’ll have to let us know how it turns out!
I’ll take a shot at that. . . The temptation to keep at least a few weapons will be great, and admittedly the consequence of an imbalanced game can be damaging. This is particularly so where some party members have souped-up magic weapons and become more powerful than their wealth-by-level guideline while other PCs do not have that advantage. There are a couple of major reasons though, why keeping the weapons is a seriously bad idea: 1. The weapons can (almost) dominate a PC and force their actions (DMG p. 271). Players hate this. Sooner or later they will fail a saving throw and be looking for a vat of acid to toss the weapon. 2. Some of those weapons just don’t shut-up (particularly Hoardcutter or Princessa Cathandra, the Unseen Edge). If the PCs don’t conform to their agenda, ultimately there will be words. Few players willing take abuse when they have alternatives. 3. If the weapons are not in control and their agenda is not being advanced, they simply withhold their powers. The counterpoint to the above is that inexperienced players may not appreciate this at the key point in the adventure where there is an opportunity to destroy all the weapons with the Kogoloxen. The DM might consider imparting some of these either through Larcos Dengrim, or by demonstrating how fickle some of these weapons can be early on. If all else fails, it’s a fun lesson to teach a player as they clean-up their mistake. -MiKe [P.S. Total Tangent to sorta return to the original thread topic:] I once ran a short-lived sub-plot where the PC was desperately trying to get rid of a psychotic magical blade which claimed to be in love with him. It was like a loadstone though, it kept popping back up on his person. Yikes!
Thanks guys! That means a ton. I am sure going to miss Dungeon. Anyways, I hope that game went/is going well Orcmonk! -MiKe P.S. Just to make an attempt at substance in my post, below is my favorite quote from the play test. Though bear with me, these things rarely translate: “I’m not talking to a sword. That’s impossible,” said Vaz. “Hmmm, maybe you should try something easier. Like, start with a dagger and work your way up?” suggested Kia. “Oh shut up Kia.”
Hi Michael, was Sosias a homage to Piers Anthony's Sos the Rope by any chance? It's a book that's been languishing unread on my bookshelves for many a year. Miph-not-melf, Coincident I think. I hadn’t heard of it, but I just googled it and I think I’ll have to read it now! There was also a Dungeon issue which included an intelligent magic mirror that created clones of people. That’s gotta be the mage-hating mirror Glimmerpane, Hal’s awesome Critical Threat article in Dungeon #127. I’m with the Mad Arab on this, I loved it’s subtle, gradual take-over agenda. -MiKe P.S. Thanks DMFTodd! Hopefully “War of the Wielded” can find a home in your awesome index.
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