Moonbeam's page

Hi,

As I mentioned in another thread, I created a rumor chart for my CotCT campaign. I choose and/or randomly roll from among the following list to inform my players of rumors they've heard recently. Note that the second columns (T/F) shows whether the rumor is true or false. A skill check (type and DC at the DM's discretion) can tell the player that a false rumor is indeed probably false.

Some of these rumors are just reference to entries in the Guide to Korvosa or some of the modules, but can serve to help the PC's discover Korvosa a little more piece by piece.

I hope it can be of help to those of you out there running this great campaign! :)

# T/F Rumor
1 T The region around Hook Mountain was attacked by ogres.
2 F The towns around Hook Mountain were all overrun by trolls. Everybody's dead.
3 T A fortress next to Turtleback Ferry near Hook Mountain to the Northwest was invaded by ogres, but some adventurers reclaimed it
4 T A cult of murderers worshipping Norgorber who had been rampaging in Magnimar for some time were destroyed by some heroes.
5 T There are wererats in the Vaults below Korvosa.
6 T There are wererats in the Vaults below Korvosa. They are only vulnerable to silver weapons.
7 T There are wererats in the Vaults below Korvosa. They are only vunerable to silver or mithral weapons.
8 T There are wererats in the Vaults below Korvosa. They are not all evil. Some are like normal people most of the time.
9 F Most members of the thieves guild are really wererats. That's why they're so hard to kill
10 F A Sea Dragon lives in Conqueror's Bay, west of Korvosa.
11 F A Sea Dragon lives in Conqueror's Bay, west of Korvosa. It's controlled by the mages of the Acadamae to help the city's defenses.
12 T An evil sea witch lives around the waters in Korvosa.
13 T An evil sea witch lives around the waters in Korvosa. She can use magic and control fish.
14 T There are big monsters called otyughs in the Vaults of the city. They have tentacles.
15 T There are big monsters called otyughs in the Vaults of the city. They have tentacles. The city keeps them there to clean the Vaults.
16 T Watch out for the chokers, don't stand too close to windows on upper floors
17 F Blackjack is the master of the thieves guild
18 F Blackjack was an evil assassin, redeemed by a priest of Iomedae and given a magical quest to help the downtrodden to atone for his evil ways
19 T Blackjack is either an elf or has been several humans over the past decades/centuries. See GTK p58.
20 T The Queen and her bodyguard Sabina are lovers
21 T The King had a harem, but god rid of it when he married his young wife
22 F The King has come back as a ghost and is the true ruler of Korvosa, Ileosa is only the public face
23 F The King was killed by the Curse of the Crimson Throne. It's only a matter of time before his pretty wife shares his fate.
24 F The King died while making love to his beautiful young wife
25 T Many people disappear in Korvosa… It's a dangerous city
26 T Many people disappear in Korvosa… there must be some hidden monsters lurking that nobody has found and killed yet.
27 F The recent riots were made worse by disruptive agents sent by the rival city of Magnimar to sow dissent in Korvosa
28 F The Undead in Gray District are all the restless spirits of the Shoanti warriors killed centuries ago
29 F There is something odd going on in the church of Pharasma: why are there so many undead in the Gray District? Are they building an undead army?
30 F The Church of Asmodeus has plans to overthrow the Church of Abadar and become the most powerful church in Korvosa
31 T Queen Domina had a bastard child; Eodred's half-brother
32 T Queen Domina had a bastard child; Eodred's half-brother; he is a tiefling
33 T Queen Domina had a bastard child; Eodred's half-brother; he is a tiefling who always remains in a secret place in the castle
34 F Queen Domina had a bastard child; Eodred's half-brother; he is a tiefling who always remains in a secret place in the castle; he is in fact the mastermind manipulating Eodred all along, and now manipulating Ileosa
35 F House Ornelos is trying to depose Ileosa to take control of Korvosa
36 F House Jeggare is trying working with Magnimar to undermine Korvosa authority to weaken it for an invasion
37 F Mister Pestico makes living dolls, but one went insane and killed people. She has never been found
38 F The wizards of the Acadamae often use Invisible Stalkers to get rid of people who are too nosy about their affairs
39 T There are strange little creatures with white eyes living below Korvosa; they are cruel and kidnap people; my cousin was kidnapped by them but doesn't remember what they did exactly
40 T Vencarlo Orisini is one of the finest blades in Korvosa - he often teaches young noblemen
41 T Vencarlo Orisini is one of the finest blades in Korvosa - he is often vocally opposed to the Korvosan rulers
42 T Vencarlo Orisini is one of the finest blades in Korvosa - he even taught Sabina Merrin, the queen's bodyguard
43 T House Arkona does a lot of trading with distant Vudra
44 T House Arkona does a lot of trading with distant Vudra - their mansion is decorated with themes from that country and there are wild and fantastic beast that roam in their gardens.
45 T Info on House Arkona (GTK p40)
46 T The enemies of House Arkona have a tendency to disappear under mysterious circumstances
47 T If you want to see some sick plays, go to Exemplary Execrables in Old Korvosa
48 T If you want to see some sick plays, go to Exemplary Execrables in Old Korvosa. Sometimes the bad actors there die for real
49 T Pilts Swastel is the demented owner of Exemplary Execrables. He keeps a crazy gnome as his pet.
50 F The high-ranking priests of Asmodeus are all vampires
51 T There are some red-clad assassins working around Korvosa
52 T Queen Ileosa is young and arrogant. She only married King Eodred for his power
53 T Queen Ileosa comes from Cheliax. She has made clear that she finds Korvosa to be a backwater place
54 F Queen Ileosa was married against her will to King Eodred. She is a sweet, innocent and misunderstood woman
55 F Queen Ileosa is being courted by lord Calerdo of house Jeggare and we can expect a marriage soon
56 F Queen Ileosa's beauty has something magical because she has some nymph blood
57 F Bogus rumors like Lady Marguerite of House Jeggare has a torid love affair with the hero Blackjack.
58 F Bogus rumors like Lady Calaria of House Leroung has an affair with the Mieraeni Ambassador and gave birth to a half-elf bastard.
59 F There is an evil old Varisian Witch living in Thief Camp who puts curses on Chelaxians who go there
60 F FM Kroft is getting annoyed with those damn Varisian thieves. It's only a matter of town before the guard raids Thief Camp and arrests them all!
61 T Zenobia Zenderholm is tough as nails - merciless with criminals
62 F Zenobia Zenderholm is tough as nails - merciless, devout follower of Asmodeus
63 T Zenobia Zenderholm is tough as nails - merciless with criminals but with a kind heart
64 F The pseudodragons in Korvosa are all the offspring/servants of a huge gold dragon living in a secret cave near Korvosa
65 T The imps in Korvosa come from inept Acadamae students who summoned them as part of their studies
66 F There is a portal to Hell deep below the Acadamae. Students who fail to become wizards are sent there as gifts for devils who aid the master wizards.
67 T Sabina Merrin is as deadly as she is beautiful
68 ? Sabina Merrin is the most powerful warrior in Korvosa
69 F Sabina Merrin wields a magical sword that makes her invincible
70 F Commandant Endrin and FM Kroft rarely see eye to eye and often enter in conflict
71 T Command Endrin hates the Hellknights
72 F The Hellknights serve the church of Asmodeus
73 F The Hellknights are evil and are a danger to Korvosa
74 T Rumor describing the Hellknight leaders (Severs and Maydraine Vox)
75 T Rumor describing the relationship between the Hellknights and Queen Domina
76 T Rumor describing the other Hellknight orders (see Council of Thieves books 3 and 4)
77 F The Hellknights are here under orders from Cheliax to prepare for an invasion of all Varisia
78 F The Hellknights are far more powerful than those Shoanti barbarians
79 F Blackjack hasn't been seen in a while because he's been captured by the Hellknights. He probably met a very unpleasant end at their hands
80 T The power over Korvosa is actually split between the King/Queen and the Seneschal
81 F Some people suspect that the seneschal had a hand into Eodred's death. Ileosa is surely easier to manipulate than the wise old king.
82 T Some customers of the "Upslope House" inn in the Heights (H2, GtKp16) have disappeared during the night.
83 T Some customers of the "Upslope House" inn in the Heights (H2, GtKp16) have disappeared during the night. The inn stands atop an opening into a natural-cave Vault under the hill. Servants of some dark power use the Vault for some nefarious plots.
84 T Some customers of the "Upslope House" inn in the Heights (H2, GtKp16) have disappeared during the night. The inn stands atop an opening into a natural-cave Vault under the hill. Servants of some dark power use the Vault for some nefarious plots. There are nocturnal creatures called Derros who kidnap humans. At least, that's what I heard from a wizard. I don't know what a Derro actually is. Maybe some kind of demon?
85 T One of the noble houses is the true power behind the Cerullean Society, the thieves' guild.
86 F One of the noble houses is the true power behind the Cerullean Society, the thieves' guild. It is House Bromathan.
87 T One of the noble houses is the true power behind the Cerullean Society, the thieves' guild. It is House Arkona.
88 T I'm glad we have a strong queen in charge now! All those damned arbiters and magistrates just waste our time and our taxes. Who knows what the hell they're doing anyway!
89 T The Seneshal, Neolandus Kalepopolis, is a wise and reasonable man. He'd make a much better ruler than that young spoiled queen Ileosa! They should put him in charge, I say!
90 T When she was young, my aunt Lirbella was saved from a pack of stinking Varisian thugs and rapists by none other than Blackjack himself! He beat the crap out of them and walked her home safely. Now, that's a gentleman! Now, that's a hero! I wish he would return to Korvosa and help us out, we could sure use his help in these troubled times.
91 T One of the leaders of the Order of the Nail Hellknights, Paravicar Acillmar, wields incredibly powerful magic, being able to call upon the power of Asmodeus but also to cast spells as a Wizard (he's a MT)
92 T Discussion among workers, some bitter because they can’t form unions (except thieves!), others saying they’re fine, have plenty of laws protecting them, then start calling the other a Solly, and a bar brawl starts.
93 T Some people look down on adventurers, citing that all groups hired in 4661 by King Chadris to kill the red dragon Glarataxus who was terrorizing the villages of Palin’s Cove and Baslwief failed. The last time the dragon attacked was in 4674.
94 T Info about Kaer Maga (guide to Korvosa p7)
95 T Info about Abken (guide to Korvosa p7)
96 T Info about Biston (guide to Korvosa p7)
97 T Info about Baslwief (guide to Korvosa p7)
98 T Info about Harse (guide to Korvosa p7)
99 T Info about Melfesh (guide to Korvosa p7)
100 T Info about Palin's Cove (guide to Korvosa p7)
101 T Info about Sirathu (guide to Korvosa p7)
102 T Info about Veldraine (guide to Korvosa p7)
103 F Few people are allowed inside the Acadamae besides teachers and students of the arcane. They focus on conjuration. Students who fail are recycled as fodder for necromantic studies…
104 F Few people are allowed inside the Acadamae besides teachers and students of the arcane. The necromancers are building an army of undead to overthrow the dominant conjurers and take control of the Acadamae.
105 T There is some rivalry between the schools of conjuration and neceromancy at the Acadamae. The young students from those departments sometimes duel each other.
106 T Information about the building of the Great Tower (H1, GtK p16)
107 T Description of the construction and consecration of the Temple of Asmodeus (H4, GtK p17) It was a priestess of Shelyn, now dead, who performed the resurrections of the virgins.
108 T The temple of Asmodeus promotes slave trade (H4, GtK p17) even though the guard found nothing.
109 T Strange noises can be heard from the top floor of the university after sunset, as if people were walking on the rooftop. But the Korvosan Guard didn't find anything strange when they investigated. They think maybe it's a rumor started by someone trying to cause problems for the university. (H8b, GTK p18)
110 T The Marbledome (H11, GTK p19) isn't profitable, and badly managed by Touran Palastus. The artists are treated like crap. Some defect to Magnimar as a result.
111 T Story of how Kendall amphitheater was created (H12, GTK p19)
112 T Basha (M4 GtK p22, 2nd one) sells fake treasure maps he draws himself.
113 T Gemshare Jewelers (M4.5, GTK p22) is a good place to buy and sell gems.
114 T Phaeton Skoda, the owner of Hedge Wizardry (M4.6, GTK p22) stole magical items from Theumanexus College before she left it, and now she's in trouble with the other wizards.
115 T Kep, the owner of Kep's fishery, sells all kinds of exotic fish caught by his brother's wide nets. (M4.8, GTK p22).
116 T Kep, the owner of Kep's fishery, sells all kinds of exotic fish caught by his brother's wide nets. (M4.8, GTK p22). He has a stuffed sahuagin in his shop, that draws a lot of people. Some have claimed to see it move.
117 F Kep, the owner of Kep's fishery, sells all kinds of exotic fish. (M4.8, GTK p22). Rumors say that he keeps some undead animated sea creatures to protect his shop; perhaps he and his brother found an underwater treasure and they're trying to keep it secure?
118 T Rumors about "Tracey", the owner of Fair-Fished Baitshop (M4.9, GTK p23)
119 T (Coming from a very well-groomed person): the best barber in town is Hooktooth, the half-orc owner of Pinking Shears (M4.10, GTK p23). He can introduce the PC to him.
120 T Slicing Dicers (M4.11, GTK p23) is a great place to sell previously owned weapons.
121 T The food shop Smoked Foods (M4.12, GTK p23) just received a Bulette killed by Shoanti hunters in the Cinderlands! The owner is going to cut it in the street in front of everyone! You gotta see this!
122 T The owner of the clock shop "Time Stop" is also the one who made and adjusts the clock on the high tower of Castle Korvosa. He's a crazy gnome who named his daughters Min and Sec.
123 T Info about Trapper's Hole (M4.14, GTK p23).
124 T Info about Citadel Volshyenek (M5, GTK p23).
125 T Info about Pestico's Dolls and Figurines (M8, GTK p24).
126 T The ghost of a Shoanti princess appears three nights each year at the Laughing Wave Inn (N1, GTKp24)
127 T The old inn "Whitecaps" in North Point used to be very secure, but burglars have broken into it twice in recent months (N3, GTK p25)
128 T Info about Longacre building (N4, GTK p25): how prisoners are executed + mysterious disappearances.
129 T Info about City Hall (N5, GTK p25): nicer old style architecture + most famous painting.
130 T Info about Montlarion Jeggare (GTK p 12)
131 T Info about Saint Allika the Martyr (GTK p19)
132 T Info about Keyra Palin (GTK p23)
133 T Info about FM Korvosa (GTK p27)
134 T Info about the temple of Abadar (N6, GTK p26)
135 T Info about the Three Rings Tavern (N7, GTK p26)
136 T Description of the avenue of arms (N9, GTK p26)
137 T Info about Posh and Turtle (N10, GTK p26), its appearance and how it's the nicest restaurant in town.
138 T Info about Posh and Turtle (N10, GTK p26), about the Druids causing trouble and being hired by a Magnimar competitor.
139 T Info about Palace Arkona (black marbe, trade with Vudra, exotic animals and statues) (O1, GTK p28)
140 T Info about Old City Hall (O2, GTK p28).
141 T Info about Vencarlo Orisini's academy (O3, GTK p28). Vencarlo is getting old and will soon retire.
142 T Info about Endrin Military Academy (O4, GTK p28)
143 T Info about Reefclaw Run Market (O5, GTK p29)
144 T Info about the Sticky Mermaid (O6, GTK p29)
145 T Info about the Jeggare's Jug (O7, GTK p29)
146 T Info about Eel's End/Devargo Barvasi (O9, GTK p29)
147 T Info about Exemplary Execrables/Pilts Swastel (O10, GTK p29)
148 T Info about the temple of Aroden (O11, GTK p30)
149 T Info about the Travelling Man Tavern (O12, GTK p30) with the otyugh feeding every oathday.
150 T Info about Hessim, Newby and Sage (O13, GTK p30) the paint makers.
151 T Info about the Ironworks (O14, GTK p30)
152 T Info about Orkatto's Feathers and Fur (S1, GTK p30)
153 T Info about the Green Market (S2, GTK p30).
154 T Info about Bard's End (S3, GTK p31)
155 T Info on the Shingles (GTK p32)
156 T Info on Twitcher's (GTK p33) the tavern up in the Shingles of North Point, with suspiciously strong drink.
157 T Info on the Vaults (GTK p33)
158 T Info on "The Commandant of the Sable Company" (GTK p35)
159 T Info on "Field Marshal of the Korvosan Guard" (GTK p35)
160 T B~$@$ing about how FM Kroft hires adventurers to do guards' jobs.
161 T Chatting about the next upcoming holiday and its meaning (GTK p36).
162 T Chatting about the other holidays
163 T Info about the Magistrates (GTK p35-36)
164 T Info about the Monarch (GTK p36)
165 T Info about the Seneschal (GTK p37)
166 T Info about Peerage review (GTK p37)
167 T Info on the Korvosan Guard (GTK p37)
168 T Info on the Order of the Nail Hellknights (GTK p37)
169 T Info about The Sable Company (GTK p38)
170 T Info about King Eodred 2 (GTK p38)
171 T Info about Zenobia Zenderholm (GTK p39)
172 T General info about nobles (GTK p39)
173 T Info about House Arabasti (GTK p39)
174 T Info on House Arkona (GTK p40)
175 T Info on House Bromathan (GTK p41)
176 T Info on House Endrin (GTK p41)
177 T Info on House Jeggare (GTK p41)
178 T Info on House Leroung (GTK p42)
179 T Info on House Ornelos (GTK p42)
180 T Info on House Porphyria (GTK p42)
181 T Info on House Zenderholm (GTK p43)
182 T Info on the "Dock Families" (GTK p44 sidebar)
183 T Info on Queen Ileosa (GTK p45)
184 T Rumors wondering why King Eodred didn't father any heir with the many harem girls or Ileosa
185 T Info about Waydon Endrin (GTK p47)
186 T Info about the Cerulean Society (GTK p46)
187 T Info about the Catsdew Lofties (GTK p47)
188 T Info about the Dusters (GTK p47)
189 T Info about the Sczarni (GTK p47)
190 T Info about Toff Ornelos (GTK p52). He hoards his power as a Headmaster. To become a headmaster, one had to bind a powerful devil. It is rumored that Toff summoned a Pit Fiend: he is very powerful.
191 T Info about Volshyenek Ornelos (GTK p57)
192 T The grandson of a priest of Asmodeus has mysteriously disappeared a few months ago (see temple of Sarenrae)
193 F Devargo Barvasi, the master of Eel's End, has some fiendish blood and can control spiders.
194 F "Facts" about devilfish (A1 p81)
195 T The legend of "Meatclaw" the giant reefclaw (A1 p89)
196 T History of Varisians (A1 p63-64)

After the end of our Savage Tide campaign, my friends and I started play Curse of the Crimson Throne. You will find here the tale of our brand new group of heroes.

If you are playing Curse of the Crimson Throne or intend on playing it in the future, please be aware that this thread will contain many spoilers! Also, since my players might be reading this, if you want to post spoiler-y comments or questions, please be sure to put them in spoiler tags.

I am the GM this time around. I’ve stayed pretty faithful to the campaign in general, but you will surely find here and there some things that I changed to make it run (in my opinion) more smoothly, to foreshadow events and people from later adventures earlier on, and also to better fit my player’s way of playing and their characters’ identities.

I will begin with a brief description of the newest group of Korvosan heroes (more detailed descriptions will follow later):

Manius Alazario, Male Chelaxian Fighter, Lawful Neutral.
Played by Ulfgar’s player from our Savage Tide campaign.
Manius is an extremely strong man who was born in the slums of Bridgefront. He spent several painful years of his childhood serving Gaedren Lamm. After escaping such torment, he joined the Hellknights and is now one of their most skilled and promising armigers in Korvosa.

Kindrasius Edelbark, Male Shoanti Bard/Ranger, Chaotic Neutral.
Played by our Savage Tide DM (also the player of Navan and Ruh from my Rise of the Runelords campaign).
Kindrasius is a strange and sinister man who lost all memories of his childhood. He now lives in Old Korvosa, where he works as a performer at the theater called Exemplary Execrables. He hears voices in his head and possesses strange powers that even he doesn’t fully understand. Perhaps they are linked to his forgotten past, or an unusual ancestry?

Hipazia Vipsania Leroung, Female Chelaxian Wizard, Lawful Good.
Played by Lagaan’s player from our Savage Tide campaign.
Born in one of the city’s wealthiest families, Hipazia led a sheltered life. Gifted with a brilliant mind, she studied at Theumanexus College for several years. Recently, she was framed for a murder she did not commit, which caused her to be expelled from that wizard school.

Kaeso, Male Human (Chelaxian/Varisian mix) Rogue, Chaotic Good.
Also played by Lagaan’s player from our Savage Tide campaign.
Kaeso is a servant of the Leroung family; more specifically, he acts as a personal servant and bodyguard to lady Hipazia. Kaeso is a clever and fun-loving young man whose heart beats with a forbidden love for a young woman belonging to a noble family considered the rivals of house Leroung.

Zeeva Foxglove, Female Chelaxian Cleric of Pharasma, Neutral Good.
DM-PC played by me (yes, I’m playing a female human cleric again :) ).
This quiet woman is haunted by a sinister past of death and ill fortune. As the last living member of her family in Korvosa, she’s worked hard to maintain her uncle’s business after his death at Gaedren Lamm’s hands a few years ago.

In the case when an animal companion or wildshaped druid attacks a creature that has Damage Reduction that can be overcome by slashing, blunt or piercing weapons (like a skeleton or zombie), I'm wondering how the animal's attacks should be classified.

For example, for a bear, I guess the bite would do piercing damage?
But would the claws do blunt damage? Slashing? Or piercing? I could see it doing a combination of all 3.

Does anyone know of a place where that information is available?

Ah, how fickle the winds of fate can be, especially when they are guided by little multi-sided pieces of colorful plastic.

Things were going so well for the brave heroes of Westcrown, the Midnight Roses, as they boldly made their way through the Nessian Spiral. They had defeated every enemy so far (although some, like the succubus Joriavah, had been quite challenging).

This group was composed of:
- Level 8 ranger
- Level 8 rogue
- Level 8 druid
- Level 8 monk
- Level 8 sorceress (bearer of Morrowfall and the Talisman of the Twin)

They had shut down all of the cooling chambers... They had managed to diplomatically get past Signatory Vaccha... They began a peaceful discussion with Zovarue the librarian... They were so close to their goal, so close to preventing Liebdaga from escaping...

So close, yet so far.

They angered the mentally deranged medusa, and she refused to let them pass, preparing to attack.
The first person to act was the Rogue, who had earlier become CURSED to fight with a silly mining pick -2... Yet against all odds, she struck the medusa mightily, scoring 40 points of damage on her sneak attack.
The second person to act was Zovarue. She dropped her veil and revealed her dangerous gaze.
And then the s**t hit the fan.
Fortitude saves were attempted, and... failed.
The Druid rolled a 3.
The Monk rolled a natural 1.
The Sorceress also rolled a natural 1.

....

Ouch.

Only the cursed rogue, and her sister the deadly ranger remained able to fight while their comrades were turned to stone.

Averting her eyes, the ranger shot at the now Displaced medusa, but she missed with all of her arrows not even due to concealment, but simply to some really pathetic attack rolls.

Closing her eyes to avoid being petrified, the brave Rogue once again managed, against all odds, to hit the medusa with her cursed pick.

It was Zovarue's turn again, and the Ranger caught her gaze by accident (50% chance)... and failed her saving throw against petrification by rolling a 4.

Only one heroine remained: the cursed Rogue...

Zovarue smiled at her, and cast a Suggestion spell.

"Look me in the eyes." she purred.

The Rogue opened her eyes and looked straight into the medusa's eyes.

... and rolled a natural 20 for her Fortitude Save.

It was now her turn.

She ran the HELL out of the room, knowing there was no way she could beat the medusa on her own, especially not with her cursed weapon.

========================

Sounds almost like a TPK, huh?

But now I'm wondering what to do to try and salvage my campaign.

I think what will happen is that the Rogue will manage to convince Signatory Vaccha (with her +19 in diplomacy) to attack the medusa since she's hindering the agents of the Mayor. If I read his stats correctly, he's immune to the petrification gaze, so he should be able to defeat her.

Then, the rogue will try and restore her petrified companions. She still has 4 charges on her wand of Break Enchantment... Will she have time to bring them all back before Liebdaga bursts out of his restraints and destroys a large chunk of Westcrown?

We shall see...

If you have other suggestions on how to recover from this difficult situation, I would love to read them.

Anyway... I hope you all enjoyed this tale of woe.

I'm new to playing a Druid and there are a few things that are unclear to me about what the Druid can and cannot do when taking the shape of an elemental.

1) Communication: is the Druid still able to speak in elemental form?

2) Equipment: as I understand it, the Druid's equipment melds into the new form and becomes unusable. But can the following be done: the Druid in human form gives her backpack containing wands, scrolls, etc to another party member, then shifts to elemental shape, then the other party member hands them their backpack back. Would the elemental be able to wear it?
I would tend to think...
Fire elemental, no, the items would burn.
Earth elemental, yes, but if you use earth glide, can you take the items with you through the stone?
Air and Water elemental, I am not sure, I would say the elemental can at least hold one wand...
Although I guess a Water elemental would ruin a scroll when handling it, by smudging the ink...?

I'm curious to see how other people handle this in their own games.

THE HANGMAN’S NOOSE

From the twisted mind of Nicolas Logue and the twisted fingers of Moonbeam, here is a tale of horror and madness, the story of a long night during which several guilty people, and a few innocent ones, suffered tragic fates in the old courthouse of Beldrin’s Bluff, prisoners of a vengeful spirit and pawns in his mad game.

To give you a taste of things to come, here are the chapters of this story:

INTRODUCTION: MORNING
CHAPTER 1: THE CAPTIVE JURY
CHAPTER 2: THE ABANDONED COURTHOUSE
CHAPTER 3: THE FIRST VICTIM
CHAPTER 4: THE SECOND VICTIM
CHAPTER 5: THE THIRD VICTIM
CHAPTER 6: THE FOURTH VICTIM
CHAPTER 7: MALENE’S LAST DANCE
CHAPTER 8: THE FIFTH VICTIM
CHAPTER 9: HOPELESS
CHAPTER 10: THE SIXTH, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH VICTIMS
CHAPTER 11: FEAR OF THE DARK
CHAPTER 12: PUNISH THE GUILTY
CHAPTER 13: THE HANGMAN’S NOOSE

Hello everyone,

Two friends and I have just started Legacy of Fire. I'd like to share the journal of that campaign with you.

I named this thread "Howl of the Carrion King", because unfortunately, I don't think we'll run the entire LoF campaign. One of my friends can only play until mid-september, and the other one doesn't like to play at high levels, so I think the most I'll be able to convince him to play is up until the end of the 3rd adventure. Anyway, I hope the tales of the first part of the campaign will entertain you!

We're using the Pathfinder RPG beta rules for now.

Here are the five characters present as our tale begins...

= = = =

Toba (NN Female Dwarf Rogue, Level 1) – Worships Sarenrae
Str: 16 Dex: 14 Con: 20 Int: 7 Wis: 8 Cha: 9
AC: 15 HP: 26 Fortitude: +5 Reflex: +4 Will: -1
Initiative: +2 Speed: 20’
Melee attacks: greataxe +3 (1d12+4, x3)
Ranged attacks: heavy crossbow +2 (1d10, 19-20)

Feats: Martial Weapon Proficiency: Greataxe.
Traits: Missionary, Pesh Addict.

Skills: Acrobatics 5, Intimidate 3, Knowledge: local 2, Perception 3, Sense Motive 3, Stealth 5.

Languages: Kelish, Dwarf.

Toba’s ancestors used to be miners in the platinum mines of Tar Urkatka (called Zolurket by the Keleshites). Unfortunately, eventually, most of the ore ran out, and some undead creatures starting plaguing the mines, so the dwarves had to leave the place. It was not easy for many of the dwarves to find employment elsewhere in this part of the world. When Toba was just a young girl, her father, Tib, and two of his friends, Gravlet and Kipp, returned to Zolurket to try and find new veins of platinum. Alas, their expedition was ill-fated. Gravlet and Kipp returned to Katapesh city after a few weeks, but they had to announce to poor little Toba that her father had perished in the mines of their ancestors.

The two dwarves tried to take care of Toba as best they could, but they were far from being gifted tutors. Toba was mostly left to herself, and as she grew out of her childhood years, she started hanging out with the wrong people, and became a member in a thieves’ guild in Katapesh city. She got in serious trouble with the law and had to leave town, eventually joining a band of cruel desert raiders.

One day, they attacked a group of pilgrims of Sarenrae. After the dirty deed was done, she became wracked with guilt and decided to convert to Sarenrae to atone for her sins. Since then, she’s received some teaching from the priests of the Lambent Citadel in Solku.

Every now and then, she gives in to her dark side, and acts in anger or greed, but she bitterly regrets it afterward, and is constantly trying to improve her behavior.

= = = =

Houshiar (CG Male Gnome Wizard, Level 1) – Worships Cayden Cailean
Str: 11 Dex: 14 Con: 15 Int: 14 Wis: 13 Cha: 14
AC: 13 HP: 18 Fortitude: +2 Reflex: +2 Will: +3
Initiative: +2 Speed: 20’

Specialized School: Illusion
Forbidden Schools: Evocation, Enchantment.

Feats: Spell Focus: Illusion
Traits: Finding Haleen, Fast-Talker.

Skills: Bluff 6, Diplomacy 3, Knowledge: Arcana 6, Profession: Cook 7, Spellcraft 6.

Languages: Kelish, Gnome, Draconic, Osiriani.

This aged gnome began studying magic a few decades ago. But alas, he abandoned them when a couple of his friends died, leaving behind their infant daughter: a beautiful young human girl named Haleen. Houshiar raised her, and worked as a cook (at the Breakstride inn in Solku) to be able to provide for her: he did not have enough time and money to pursue his magical studies as well.

In recent years, Haleen blossomed into a beautiful and resourceful young woman, but alas, an impulsive one as well. Skilled at swordplay and possessing a quick mind, she ran afoul of a band of miscreants in Solku, and had to flee the town. She left a letter thanking Houshiar for all of his help, but begging him not to follow her, nor to get involved in the mess she’d made with her life.

Nevertheless, Houshiar was too heartbroken to heed the warning. He dusted off his old magical grimoire and decided to follow Haleen’s trail: according to the rumors, she’d gone north toward the frontier town of Kelmarane, in the gnoll-infested badlands.

= = = =

Fawzy (LG Male Human Monk, Level 1) – Worships Iomedae
Str: 16 Dex: 15 Con: 14 Int: 10 Wis: 15 Cha: 13
AC: 15 HP: 22 Fortitude: +4 Reflex: +4 Will: +4
Initiative: +2 Speed: 30’
Melee attacks: unarmed +3 (1d6+3)
Ranged attacks: javelin +2 (1d6+3)

Height: 5’11”. Weight: 200 lbs. Age: 24.

Feats: Improved Grapple, Dodge, Scorpion Style, Improved Unarmed Strike
Traits: Reclaiming Your Roots, Courageous.

Skills: Acrobatics 6, Climb 7, Escape Artist 6, Perception 6, Stealth 6.

Languages: Kelish.

This gentle soul was born and spent the few years of his life in Kelmarane, before it was attacked. On a fateful night, Fawzy still has some vague memories of dark shapes roaring through the streets and putting people to the sword. One of those unfortunate victims was Fawzy’s father. Thankfully, his mother was able to flee the town, taking Fawzy with her. However, for reasons unknown, she did not take care of him much longer, and left him as an orphan at the doorstep of the temple of Iomedae in Solku.

Fawzy was well treated by the followers of the goddess of justice, and was trained as a warrior-monk. Even though he excels at physical tasks, his masters have also foreseen that he has the potential and wisdom to become one day a true master of their order. However, Fawzy is still quite young and impetuous, and doesn’t consider himself as wise as they say.

Fawzy was still but a young apprentice during the battle of Red Hail, 8 years ago, when the heroic paladins of Iomedae gave their lives to turn back the tide of gnoll raiders. He did not contribute much to the battle, but now, he feels ready to become a defender of Katapesh in his own right.

He recently traveled to the city of Katapesh to try and find news of his mother, but he found none. Upon his return in Solku, he decided to now visit the place where is father died, and enrolled in Garavel’s band of mercenaries. It is time for Fawzy to return to Kelmarane, at long last. Despite his skill at hand-to-hand combat, he brought with him the only heirloom he still has from his father: a beautifully crafted scimitar.

= = = =

Abdelmotaleb (NN Male Human Ranger, Level 1) – Worships Gozreh
Str: 16 Dex: 15 Con: 12 Int: 8 Wis: 11 Cha: 9
AC: 16 HP: 24 Fortitude: +3 Reflex: +4 Will: 0
Initiative: +4 Speed: 30’
Melee attacks: Scimitar +3 (1d6+3, 18-20)
Ranged attacks: Longbow +3 (1d8)

Favored enemies: Gnolls.
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot.
Traits: Gnoll Killer, Reactionary.

Skills: Climb 7, Perception 4, Ride 6, Sleight of Hand 6, Stealth 6, Survival 5.

Languages: Kelish.

This young man’s village was attacked by vicious gnoll raiders when he was but a young teenager, and his entire family was slain, along with most of the villagers. For a long time, Abdelmotaleb was kept as a slave by the gnolls, who inflicted terrible punishments upon him. He still has the scars to prove it. One night, he was able to kill one of the gnoll watchmen and to flee the lair, although he was unable to take any of the other human slaves with him.

Abdelmotaleb (who hates being called “Abdel”) was eventually taken in by the rangers of Fort Longjaw. His natural strength and agility, not to mention his hatred of gnolls, gave him the potential to be a good ranger one day. He was trained in part by the mistress of the fort, Gianna Secondstride, a strong and short-tempered woman whose hatred for gnolls is at least as great as Abdelmotaleb’s. It was Gianna who suggested to Abdelmotaleb to leave the fort and get a taste of adventure for a while. She hinted that if he returned in one piece, and more experienced, she might allow him to enter the Severed Paw, the group of elite rangers garrisoned at Fort Longjaw.

= = = =

Kelonis (LN Male Elf Cleric, Level 1) – Worships Abadar
Str: 13 Dex: 14 Con: 12 Int: 16 Wis: 16 Cha: 16
AC: 14 HP: 18 Fortitude: +4 Reflex: +2 Will: +5
Initiative: +2 Speed: 30’
Melee attacks: Longsword +1 (1d8+1, 19-20)
Ranged attacks: Light crossbow +2 (1d8, 19-20)
Cleric Domains: Nobility, Travel.

Height: 6’5”. Weight: 180 lbs, Age: 138, Date of birth: Erastil 29th, 4570.
A tall, handsome elf with dark hair and golden eyes. His demeanor is haughty and superior. He wears clothes that were once fine and elegant, but are now ragged and travel-worn.

Feats: Selective Channeling.
Traits: Seeking Adventure, Forlorn.

Skills: Appraise 7, Knowledge: History 7, Knowledge: Religion 7, Linguistics 7, Spellcraft 7.

Languages: Common, Elven, Kelish, Draconic, Gnoll.

This handsome, dark-haired elf is one of the Forlorn. He grew up in Absalom, where he eventually joined the church of Abadar. Kelonis is a gifted young elf, possessed of a keen mind and a strong personality, however, he is too haughty and rigid to make friends easily, especially among the “rough crowd” of mercenaries and adventurers.

Although he spent several decades working as a minor priest and aiding merchants, he finally decided it was time to see the rest of the world. He enrolled among the Pathfinder Society, and was assigned to be the assistant of a more experienced member of the guild, a bard named Felliped. Unfortunately, the two did not get along at all, and once they reached Katapesh, the canny bard gave the slip to his too-lawful and too-austere sidekick. Kelonis found himself alone in the foreign city, and he was very angry at first, but he ended up staying at the Pathfinder Lodge in Katapesh, working for Aurora Steelbloom for a few weeks. He later traveled to Solku and joined Garavel’s mercenaries, eager to finally get a taste of adventure in the shadow of the Brazen Peaks.

Hello everyone,

It’s my great pleasure to announce that a group of bold adventurers has defeated Runelord Karzoug and saved Varisia!

My friend and I recently finished the Rise of the Runelords campaign. I just want to share that achievement with you, and give to fellow players and to the good folk at Paizo our feedback about the campaign.

I wrote a complete log of the campaign, which I invite you to read at this link if you have the time.

A few facts about our campaign:

- It started in December 2007 and finished in March 2009. It took us about the same time in real life to play it as happened in “game time”. :)

- I was the DM, my friend played two PC’s, and I played two DM-PC’s. We played core class characters, with almost nothing from splat books. It was the first time we played above level 10 with the D&D 3.5 edition rules, so that was an enlightening (and at times, frustrating) experience for both of us. Up until then, we had mostly been playing home-brewed campaigns light on rules, focusing more on exploration, excitement and role-play, where we mostly stayed at the level 5-9 “sweet spot”.

- Mostly, we played one 4-hour game per week. It took us 53 games to go through the entire AP. So that’s a bit over 200 hours of gaming.

- Even though the log is in English and most of the “in-character” dialogues were in English, the rest of the game was played mostly in French. :)

The four PC’s were:
- Navan Attaway: Human (Varisian) Cleric of Desna (with 2 levels of Rogue).
- Ruh: Gnome Wizard (conjuror).
- Kerista Vigandir: Human Paladin of Sarenrae. [DM PC]
- Drithnar: Half-Orc Ranger (reincarnated as a Human at the end of Burnt Offerings). [DM PC]

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

General comments on the campaign

Overall, we had a great time playing this campaign. It’s the first time I’ve DM’ed using Paizo products and I found them to be very well-done. I really want to thank everyone from Paizo who poured their heart and soul into this AP. It’s of very good quality. I am sorry if sometimes in the following review I sound harsh, it’s really meant as constructive criticism to help you make even better products. Also, as is human nature, I tend to be more verbose about the nitpicking little negative details than the great and very important things I liked. :)

I would say there’s nothing really major we didn’t like about the campaign itself, but where we hit a kind of brick wall was more with the high level D&D 3.5 rules. You’ll read about it below.

As a general comment, the player’s guide was well done and gave a good introduction to Golarion and Varisia. The maps of Varisia and Sandpoint are very well done. They sparked my player’s imagination and his character’s wanderlust.

One slight negative aspect was that we would’ve preferred a campaign where it takes longer for the characters to level up from 1 to 15. It would make it seem more believable. My campaign, even by forcing longer stretches between adventures, took less than a year and a half of “game time” to complete. It’s a bit unrealistic that the PC’s increase so much in power over such a short time. Also, between one adventure to the next, as written, there’s always a sense of urgency, they don’t have much time to stop and smell the roses (or at least, sell loot and buy/craft items), as written.

I see that there are five main languages spoken in Katapesh. I'm wondering if that's going to have any effect on the Legacy of Fire campaign, for groups with characters from diverse racial backgrounds.

Is it assumed that the Legacy of Fire adventure path will take place mostly in Common, i.e., that every group member speaks at least Common, and that most NPC's will also speak Common?

For example, if a player makes a Keleshite character with no intelligence bonus, does the character only speak Kellish? That would make his life a bit difficult if nobody else in the group speaks that tongue. :)

Or does everyone get Common as a bonus language in addition to their race's main language (if it's not Common)?

I'm struggling with the geography in this adventure. Two rivers are mentioned: the Pashman River, which is close to Lopul, and the Shat-al-Qadr River, which the PC's approach at the end of the adventure.

Looking at the world map in the PF Chronicles, I see three rivers going through Qadira: a forking one to the north, near Zimar; a middle one that passes near Katheer; and one to the south that starts near Sedeq.

Which of these is the Pashman River, and which is the Shat-al-Qadr River? And where is Lopul, roughly? Does anyone know?

---------

Another question is about the Taldor faction objectives, it states that they get a PA if they can cover up Gaspar's involvement. I just have trouble imagining how on earth they would be able to do that. It's really out in the open, everyone's aware of it. They might bribe Jamila into keeping quiet, but if there are members of rival factions within the group, they would surely spread the word.

How lenient should I be in considering that the player(s) have "covered it up"?

In Rise of the Runelords, many of the enemies the PCs defeat are larger than medium size. I'm wondering how to handle the magical loot that the PC's get from those creatures. Which of those items can the PC's use?

In the d20 SRD, I see it says:
"Size And Magic Items

When an article of magic clothing or jewelry is discovered, most of the time size shouldn’t be an issue. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they adjust themselves magically to the wearer. Size should not keep characters of various kinds from using magic items.

There may be rare exceptions, especially with racial specific items.

Armor and Weapon Sizes

Armor and weapons that are found at random have a 30% chance of being Small (01-30), a 60% chance of being Medium (31-90), and a 10% chance of being any other size (91-100)."

This is somewhat contradictory: why do we care what size the armors and weapons are if all items magically resize to fit the new wearer?

Unless of course, this last part implies that all magical items _except weapons and armor_ resize. Which is also a bit confusing, because even within a given size, there's quite a large variance. For example, a 6'6", 300 lbs man and a 5'0", 90 lbs woman are both Medium size and theoretically should be able to wear the same armor... Which doesn't really make sense unless there is some magical resizing involved.

If there's absolutely zero magical resizing for armor, it also somewhat forces the DM to keep track of the dimensions of every NPC that the PC's loot in the campaign. Also, it means that magical items of Large and larger size would most likely not be worth much at all if one tried to sell them to human merchants: what are the odds that the merchant would be able to sell that weapon or armor to anyone afterwards?

Of course a simple answer is: "you're the DM, just do as you want", but I'm curious to see how this is handled by other DM's, and if by design, it's expected that the loot that PC's obtain from Larger-than-Medium foes throughout RotRL is assumed to be stuff that they can actually use, or at least sell at a decent price.

I'm going over the map of Magnimar and the description of the various districts and I am a bit puzzled by a few things:

#11, Dockway: the text description mentions "... the seaside district of Dockway", but on the map, #11 is in the middle of the city, nowhere near the coast.

#14, The Marches: "The entrance to Magnimar for many traders and travelers...", this seems to me more like a district that should be next to a city gate.

#15, Beacon's Point: the name and description of the district seem to be describing what is listed as #14 on the map (which even has a big circle that looks like a lighthouse), but again, this district is in the middle of the city.

I wonder if a few of the numbers on the map are wrong. It seems to me that maybe it should be more like:
#9, the Arvensoar: from my understanding of the picture on p65, it should be further to the south (i.e., to the right of the map). Actually, it looks like it's the big gray thing close to what's marked as #12 on the map.
#10, The Bazaar of Sails might be in #9's place on the map.
#11, Dockway should be in #9 or #10's place on the map.
#14, The Marches should be in #16's place on the map.
#15, Beacon's Point should be in #14's place on the map.
#16, Rag's End should be in #15's place on the map since we put #14 in its place.

Does that seem reasonable to everyone? I hate to be a pain. I'm just trying to understand if I'm completely missing something or what... :)

By the way, I only have access to the hardcopy version of the adventure. I don't know if this is also the case in the pdf version.

It’s me again… We’re actually playing two campaigns in parallel. The first one is the Savage Tide campaign posted under “Belessa’s Journal”. And this past weekend, we also started Rise of the Runelords! Woohoo!

I am DM’ing this one, so I can be more thorough in my log than in the Savage Tide one. :)

Again, this tale will contain a huge amount of SPOILERS, so if you intend to play Rise of the Runelords as a player at some point, please do not read this thread.

Here are the characters:

Navan Attaway (CG Male Varisian Rogue) – Worships Calistria
S 8 D 16 C 12 I 14 W 14 Ch 14
5’10”, Thin, Age 28, Long brown hair, brown eyes, always looks like he needs a shave, wears a poncho and a cool hat.

Ruh (NG Female Gnome Wizard (Conjuror)) – Worships Sarenrae and Nethys
S 8 D 16 C 16 I 16 W 10 Ch 10
3’3”, Age 66, Brown hair, blue eyes, dresses like a gipsy.

Drithnar (NG Male Half-Orc Ranger) – Worships Desna
S 18 D 14 C 14 I 10 W 14 Ch 6
6’3”, 280lbs, Age 22, Short black hair, dark gray skin, yellow eyes, tusks protruding from lower jaw. Dressed in brown studded leather with a leather helm.

Kerista Vigandir (LG Female Human Paladin) – Worships Sarenrae
S 16 D 12 C 14 I 8 W 14 Ch 14
5’10”, 170lbs, Age 18, Long dark hair, brown eyes, attractive but a bit on the heavy side, wears black studded leather armor.

Note: Navan is planning on leveling as a Cleric starting at level 2 (or else we’d have no healer and this would be a very short campaign :) ).

Here is the log of our savage tide campaign. It’s from my character Belessa’s perspective. All opinions expressed in this journal are those of the fictional character and not those of her much-less-chaotic-neutral player. :) Also, I am not the DM of this campaign, so be aware that some of the information presented here might be erroneous or incomplete.

*** Also, if you’re playing that campaign or think you might do so in the future, read this thread at your own risk, as it will contain some SPOILERS. ***

The campaign takes place in the Forgotten Realms, in the Chult Peninsula, in the year 1375. The DM told us that our characters had met shortly before the adventure at a festival in a small town which had gotten attacked by enraged wild animals. Our characters had saved the day, and learned to fight together there, and earned some respect for each other (well… as much respect as CN characters can have for one another :) ).

Here is a short description the characters that make up the adventuring party simply known as "TROUBLE":

Belessa Darkwave (CN Female Human Cleric of Umberlee)
This stunningly beautiful, but cold-hearted woman was born far to the north, in a city called Westgate. She grew up in poverty, and started her adult years working as a prostitute. She later became the lover of a powerful pirate lord and cleric of Umberlee named Stalman Klim. Over the next few years, she was introduced to the worship of Umberlee and lived the good life as a feared pirate. Eventually, though, Stalman Klim and the other Slave Lords were overthrown by adventurers, and Belessa herself was slain. She was later resurrected by one of her other lovers (she is not a faithful woman…), a powerful warrior named Dolmord, and fled far to the south with him. By that time, though, she had fallen in disgrace in the eyes of Umberlee, due to her defeat. She became pregnant with Dolmord’s child. Dolmord later disappeared during a pirate raid, and is believed to be dead. The priests of Umberlee in Calimshan, where Belessa was staying at the time, assisted her when she delivered her son, but sacrificed him to their evil goddess. Belessa was later reinstated as a (novice) priestess, but was left emotionally scarred that Umberlee had required such a horrible sacrifice from her. She recently arrived in Sasserine, where, thanks to her high charisma, she’s been appointed as her church’s representative in the Dawn Council.

Raguhl (CG Male Lizardfolk Barbarian)
Raguhl was born on the Isle of Dread. As a young teenager, he was saved from certain death by Larissa Vanderboren, Lavinia’s mother. She brought him back to Sasserine, and he’s been acting as a servant and bodyguard to her family from that point, until recently. Despite his fearsome appearance (a 6’10”, 420 lbs scaled monster with long claws and fangs), Raguhl is actually a rather gentle soul, only resorting to violence when those he cares about are threatened. He is very loyal to Lavinia, and takes part in the adventures more to keep an eye on the rest of the not-so-honest group, than out of real appreciation for them. He craves the taste of human flesh, and has been known to devour some humanoid enemies after defeating them. Raguhl is a member of the Church of the Whirling Fury.

Lagaan (CN Male Human Rogue)
Operating mostly in Shadowshore, this small, cunning man is a skilled burglar and archer. Lagaan is a member of the thieves guild, and of another, even more secretive organization.

Sparkilo “Don’t Call Me Sparkie” Rashi (CN Male Elven Wizard)
Spoiled son of a family of elven nobles from Sasserine, Sparkie is an arrogant and selfish person, but also a brilliant one. Always dressed in flashy clothing (embroidered with runes representing his own name in draconic), he also wears expensive-looking, but very cheap jewelry. As a child, he was outcast and bullied by the other children due to his low charisma, and now bears a strong desire for revenge against anything that annoys him. He loves to be the center of attention and making stuff go boom. Sparkie belongs to both the Witchwardens and the Dawn Council.

Tyria Bramblefoot (CN Female Halfling Bard)
This charismatic and clever little woman comes from a family of merchants living in Sasserine. Her parents and numerous siblings can often be relied on by the group to sell, rent, buy or smuggle all kinds of goods. Tyria is a member of the Seekers.

Kanyakumari (Human Ranger)
This character was only present for the first game of the campaign, and later left the group.

Ulfgar (CN Male Dwarf Fighter) [Not present in the first few game sessions]
This dwarf mercenary was initially hired by Sparkie’s parents as a bodyguard. Since the past few weeks, though, he’s become a full-fledged member of “Trouble”. Ulfgar’s favorite hobbies include drinking, fighting, murdering unconscious prisoners and opening dungeon doors when the rest of the group is busy with something. Strangely enough, he seems claustrophobic, and becomes pale and starts to sweat when he goes underground. Ulfgar is a member of Zelkarune’s Horns.