Richard Pett's page

Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

What's this - talk of mutiny? Time for a taste of the cat.

Wormwood Mutiny is one of the most challenging and unusual adventures I've ever written for Paizo, and indicative of a real trend in this AP to go with something different without loosing the essential spirit of a Paizo AP. It feels to me a little like Kingmaker at sea, and for a group of players like mine that freeform AP is ideal.

I can remember writing an adventure called the Sea Wyvern's Wake and scratching my head for a long time trying to bring elements into an adventure that is essentially a long journey. At that time I didn't like seaborn adventures myself. When I thought about it however I had the chance to draw characters into close proximity to the PCs that they wouldn't necessarily like, but unlike normal adventures the NPCs are part of the furniture. Claustrophobia can be a wonderful tool in role playing. Wormwood is a little like that and for groups who love ropleplaying it will I hope provide a very memorable experience. Of course it's pirating so there's plenty of fighting too, not to mention the kraken. Curses, you tricked it out of me.

After that it's straight into Vaughn's little travesty which as usual will be annoyingly good, in fact I've already seen it as he always sends me his adventures to gloat, curse him the bilge rat. This AP is the one I'm thinking of taking through with my players next as I know they'll love being able to badly overact, has plenty of combat and a strong theme binding the whole AP tightly together. Having said that with the quality of art, fiction and support articles in each edition these days is incredible. I know money is tight but as fans you and I know Paizo always aim for top quality in everything they do and it looks like even though the AP isn't your cup of tea it has plenty in it that could be.

Dudemeister makes a very interesting point that whatever the setting there is always something to be taken away andf I think you may be surprised by the AP. It also of course gives you an option to dip into little sections of it and bind it into your own AP if you wish.

Thanks for the ongoing support of my stuff everyone, it goes both ways as every time I get useful feedback it gets noted and acted on so that the next thing is better than the last.

I hope you'll all get those eyepatches out, unsheath your cutlasses and begin practicing the longest ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaars! your breath can manage.

Rich

The artwork does just keep getting better and better, fantastic!

Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

This is chocked full of Leati goodness, love it.

I'm ALWAYS in your town:)

That is a fun cover! Which one is Rich?

I can see I'm going to have to start issuing the punishments again. Memories are so, so short.

Swish swish

What is the San loss in C of C rules for reading this?

I'd test it on myself, but I have 3 points of sanity, so I wouldn't be a very good test subject.

You'll be fine, you have a 10% chance of surviving the d20 roll Spanky, good luck.

Mnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnar

What is it?

What is it as in what's the product? A compilation of all the your whispering humunuculus articles and new ones, as well as one or two surprises.

If you've not seen any of the articles before go here and have a butchers.

Huzzah!

I love that cover too, huzzah!

Can't wait!

Hoorah and Huzzah!

Paizocon UK is teeming with fine fellows and ladies from the UK, as well as a liberal spicing of friends from Europe and the US.

If you've not been, please accept this shameless plug as a suggestion that you check it out if you can, its flippin marvellous.

This years is on 21-22 July at Aston University.

Pett

Blimmey you work fast Heine, that's good, that's very good:)

Mnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnaar!

The rumor's entirely baseless...

TheLoneCleric wrote:

Hmmmm. I'll have to play this one carefully. My PC's tend to be a bit...agressive. The whole pressgang thing could easily turn into TPKs in the first session as they go bezerk trying to kill the crew.

It's important to manage your players' expectations right at the beginning of the adventure. This adventure starts in a very "non-standard" way from most of our APs, and if your players are not expecting it, it might very well turn bad.

Played right, this can be a really fun way to start an adventuring career, but your players need to be on board with the assumptions at the beginning of the adventure right from the start.

Rob makes a great point, great pirates have to earn the respect (or is that fear) of their shipmates. But soon, there'll pirating to be done:)

Ahaaaaaaaaar!

No, sorry, I had that the wrong way round:)

If enough of you preorder it, Wolfgang has promised me he'll stop feeding me slugs and start giving me food.

Glad you enjoyed Forest, it was great fun to work and a splendid change of pace from those asignments I'm lucky enough to get from time to time.

Now, interesting point, the spawn are detailed on page 44 although her ability to create spawn in a quite unpleasant way didn't make the final cut, which is a shame but totally understandable as it was truly horrid:)

Rich

Huzzah!

Having had such a splendid time with Moonscar, I hope we can get this product green lighted and set the weird train of madness and alien misery rolling.

The stars are begining to look right, or is that wrong, oh, so wrong:)

Mnarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I'm going to apologise now to save me the trouble later.

I'm very sorry, it was Mark.

...it was James:)

A kobold companion would be very cool however:)

Toodle-pip everyone, good luck, good xmas.

Richard Pett wrote:

I think it might be a bit soft for you and your players Heathy:)

I keep forgetting that the fine Mister Pett keeps up with this thread sometimes. I have to watch what I say about his modules.

Just checked, all good, I said Sound of a Thousand Screams was 'great' - phew! Just reading another one of yours at the moment Richard, really liking Forest of Spirits - I think it has turned me around on Jade Regent.

Huzzah! Glad you like it, I like the whole AP apart from Part two, but I can't recall who wrote that bit...

You know that wardrobe you have Mothman?

I sometimes wait in there too.

Waiting for you to say something bad.

Knock, knock, knock.

Yet:)

Richard Pett wrote:

I think it might be a bit soft for you and your players Heathy:)

It can always be fortified. With adamantium clad warhoons with vorpal radium pistols if need be.

No need:)

I think it might be a bit soft for you and your players Heathy:)

Richard Pett wrote:

Richard Pett wrote:

Honestly, it won't be that dangerous:)

Rich

Although, having said that, I have woken up in an evil mood this morning

And this is a change from every other day of the year how?

Ah yes, good point Paul:)

Honestly, it won't be that dangerous:)

Rich

Although, having said that, I have woken up in an evil mood this morning

I really hope the funding is reached on Zombie Sky Press's Kickstarter project, "It Came from the Stars," which you are slated to be a contributor on. I think this module and that project would work really great together!

Absolutely, that would be splendid.

Honestly, it won't be that dangerous:)

Rich

Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

Ahaaaar!

This adventure is awesome.

Not that there will be any accidents of course, and I might not be invited too, one can't count ones' chickens too soon.

Mnaaaaaaaaaaar

Richard Pett wrote:

Why it's nothing but coincidence that every other special guest at every single Paizocon UK has mysteriously been beset by bad luck, was killed in a bizarre badminton accident or suddenly caught fire.

Anyway, I might not be invited this year, although that might be dangerous for Dave to consider:)

Pett

I have a rabbits foot and a four leaf clover, I don't play badminton, and I'm fire proof. Is that all you've got?

Well, that was last year. I have a demonically possessed cheesegrater, a crushed velvet settee and a lonely roper called Kevin for this years accident.

Why it's nothing but coincidence that every other special guest at every single Paizocon UK has mysteriously been beset by bad luck, was killed in a bizarre badminton accident or suddenly caught fire.

Anyway, I might not be invited this year, although that might be dangerous for Dave to consider:)

Pett

P.S. Mr. Pett, that's second time I've run We Be Goblins now, and it was even more fun the second time. Special thanks for that one! :-)

Ah Joseph, I thank you very much, and can see you're a man of very fine and discerning tastes.

Huzzah!
Rich

I don't like the second part, but the writer's name escapes me...

The pagoda sat in the low centre of a bowl of terraces.
Rich

Not proof read, so apologies for any errors. It may not make too much sense as some encounters have been lifted, but initially the garden was to be an intergal part of the pagoda area. As often happens space restrictions mean it had to be shelved alas, but I hope it is useful to some GMs:

The Garden of Vivid Decay Features
The angry spirit of Munasukaru, a fury that frequently manifests itself in storms and earthquakes that have ripped this area apart, has broken the garden, like the whole region around the House of Withered Blossoms. Furthermore, the presence of the nearby kami has had a curiously beneficial effect upon the living things within the garden and has caused them to thrive. Orchids and trees are huge in comparison to their more earthy cousins, and the whole area teems with a profusion of growth which can make movement difficult.

Steep terracing surrounds the House of Withered Blossoms, sections of this terracing are paddy fields, whilst other sections are garden. The gardens cower beneath dozens of enormous keteleeria trees (ketelereeria’s are evergreen pines that usually grow to around 60 feet high) all of which are wreathed in thick webs. Dark shapes hang in these trees, and along with several enormous (but harmless) local orb spiders are some more dangerous spiders harvested by the Aranae that live within the pagoda.

Twisted and broken pathways stagger through the garden, which is mostly overgrown and home to thousands of huge vividly-hued orchids and opium poppies. Broken statues litter this garden, whilst streams dance through it on their way to oblivion at the garden’s heart.

Finally, the garden reaches the Edge, where it falls into the Echo, a huge pit that once held a lake. As the garden approaches this area decay sets in, plants take on an ochre hue from about fifty feet away from the edge, this hue deepens the closer plants come to the edge itself, however, even though withering, the plants are still alive – an effect caused by the presence of the kami and oni nearby.
General garden features are described below, in essence the place is a riot of color and confusion.

Rice Fields The rice fields are overgrown with wild rice and sunk in water that bubbles in the hot sun. Whilst uncomfortable the fields are not dangerous, however, the terrain counts as shallow bog (Pathfinder Core Rulebook 427). Each terrace is held back by a low wall of stones around ten feet high. The climb DC of these walls is 5 as they have frequent handholds and are not sheer.

Gardens The gardens are filled with bizarre plants of all colors, including a huge number of opium poppies, be sure to emphasize the sights here; the place is wild with turquoise and orange and crimson orchids, black roses and the white and violet lotus flowers. The garden is so overgrown and thorny however that it counts as heavy undergrowth (Pathfinder Core Rulebook 426).

Statues Hundreds of statues litter the garden, in general these are around 2-5 feet high and depict either kirin, dragons or great fish. The statues are of little value other than as curiosities.

Pathways Whilst broken by frequent tremors, the pathways, which are made of flagstone, offer the quickest way through the garden. The paths count as hewn stone floors (Pathfinder Core Rulebook 412).

Arched Bridges Numerous arched bridges cross the watercourses in the garden, although all those near the edge, which once crossed the lake have been destroyed. The bridges are made of stone.

Pavilions Throughout the garden are a number of pavilions where once the gardens could be properly contemplated from. These structures are all similar – they are open timber and stone buildings with circular entrances and seats arranged in a circle in the buildings center.

Walls The garden is broken up by a series of walls, those which have been destroyed consist of light rubble. Standing walls are 10’ high (climb DC 10).

The Trees: The keteleeria trees have also grown to an unnatural size and most tower over a hundred feet tall. Their canopies are spun with thick webs that are home to thousands of unnaturally large orb spiders which, although unsettling in length (some growing to around 2’ across) they are harmless. Living within the trees however is a nest of phase spiders. They are generally responsible for the scores of bodies that hang in cocoons, wafting like paper silhouettes in the air. Most of these victims are peasants from surrounding villages long since plundered of life, however, there are also hobgoblins within some, although most have been stripped you may decide to allow the PCs to come across the odd useful item – a glaive, a helm or other oddment.

Amongst the bodies are other animals including gryphs from the Lake of Tranquil Contemplation (Area#2), some of these creatures struggle still against their bonds waiting to die.

G1 Phase Spider Nest (CR 10)
Lurking in the upper arms of a 100’ high keteleeria is a particularly dense web which shrouds the whole canopy of the tree, which chokes within yet still manages to grow thanks to the abundant nature of the garden.
Creatures: Six phase spiders occupy the tree, the aranae use them to watch the garden from this high point.
PHASE SPIDER (6) CR 5
XP 1,600
hp 51 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 226)
TACTICS
During Combat The phase spiders do not attack openly, preferring instead to hunt as a pack by phasing in and out of combat after stealthy approach. Usually a pair of spiders will get ahead of their victims and lurk ethereally, waiting to pounce and make a full round of actions before ethereally jaunting away. In the meantime two further phase spiders move into the flanks of their opponents, attack and then similarly ethereally jaunt away.
Morale The phase spiders hunt as a pack, and whilst at least half their number remain they keep up their assault, once only two remain the survivors flee back to their nest to lick their wounds. These spiders have long memories however, and if the PCs return through the garden again a day after an assault they attack again, using the lurking tactics above. This second assault lasts until both spiders are slain.

Treasure: The husks of several hobgoblins hang within the web in the tree (a DC 10 climb check), these include a pair of cure serious wound potions held in gourds, a masterwork nunchaku, and the desiccated remnants of one of the lesser children of Munasukaru (for more information on these offspring see Munasukaru’s Penance)

G2 The Lake of Tranquil Contemplation (CR 6)
Here a stream cascades down a series of three weirs which link a trio of lakes, whose surface dances with lilies and lotus plants of great size. Seeveral dozen strange heron-like birds swim or fly near the water, which seem sabundant in gold fish.
The lakes are around twenty-feet deep and filled with still, cool water (swim DC 10). The fish are koi carp, some of which have grown to around two foot long.
Creatures: Some thirty gryphs live in and around the lakes. Generally the creatures avoid combat, however, if they are attacked or someone jumps or sails across the lake six of them attack.
GRYPH (30) CR 1
XP 400
hp 15 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 150)
TACTICS
During Combat The gryphs attack as an unruly group, attempting to overpower one opponent so that they can implant an egg in them.
Morale The gryphs flee when half their number are slain, however, should their opponent remain either attacking them or in or on the lake a further six rounds later a similar group attack, these attacks go on until half the gryphs are slain, in which case they flee into nearby trees until their attackers or intruders have left the lake, when they all return to the water.

Treasure: Some of the koi are of a valuable type which the right collector would pay handsomely for, a knowledge (nature) check (DC 25) or an appraise check (DC 30) reveals that three of the koi are kohaku (they are white skinned with red markings). If the PCs could somehow catch these creatures alive (by for example a profession (fisher) or survival check (both DC 25)) and keep them alive, the foot long fish would raise 1,000gp each to the right buyer.

G3 The Pavilion of the Dark Spider (CR 8)
This pavilion teeters on the edge of the garden and stares into the dark, the remnants of a graceful arched bridge more intact than others at the edge extends out across the dark void beneath, this bridge has a gap of a mere dozen or so feet between it and the remnants of the other side of the arch, which touches the choking pagoda above.
The pavilion, like the others in the garden is little more than a roof supported on four stone corners, with a circular entrance at both the garden side and the far side where the bridge extends outwards. In the centre of the pavilion are the dry remains of an ornate circular pond, which now forms a shaft which drops twenty feet before the remnants of a large clay pipe six feet or so across and which presumably once fed the pond with water.
The bridge extends from, whilst ruined, is safe to leap across, the gap is fifteen feet.
Creature: The water pipe is some eight feet long and then opens into a large circular space where a giant tarantula lurks.
GIANT TARANTULA CR 8
XP 4,800
hp 115 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary2 256)
TACTICS
During Combat The tarantula waits until someone enters the dry lake-bed or until movement of any opponents reaches the bridge. The tarantula then attacks, first with its barbed hairs, and then bite. It takes any overpowered prey back into its lair to digest later.
Morale The creature flees back into its lair when reduced to 50 Hit Points, but if attacked in its lair it fights until killed.

Treasure: The bodies of six dry hobgoblins lie in the spider’s lair. Each of these hobgoblins wears a kabuto (metal helm) with curved horn clasped onto brow to form a crescent moon shape, and breastplate with scale armor trim. There are also 3 morning stars and 3 glaives within the chamber.

G7 The Pinnacle and Writhing Tower (CR 12)
An island of vast broken stones is piled, impossibly, one atop the other from the base of the pit and rise to the level of the Edge and pagoda. Teetering over this isle is a leaning tower throtttled by thick hard vines – a place that looks likely to fall at any moment. Webs choke the landward side of this tower, whilst on the opposite side, a huge stone arched bridge dancing with statues grasps the feet of the porcelain pagoda.
The Toll-Keeper and his Mistress guard the main access between land and the House of Withered Blossoms, and watch over the second alarm of the House – a great gong which, when sounded, reverberates throughout the area and alerts everyone – Munasukaru’s children included.
The temple is built upon three levels, each forty feet apart and connected by a tortuously broken spiral stair which requires a climb check (DC 5) to use. The structure has been smashed by the fury of Munasukaru and lies mostly open to the elements, its four corners miraculously stable although themselves leaning so that the middle floor lies ten feet east of the ground floor and the rooftop ten feet more eastwards, giving the tower a look of imminent collapse. Only the grasping withered vines hold the place from collapse.
The middle floor contains a huge gong and beater, which is sounded by the Toll-Keeper of his mistress in the event of attack. Whilst this second alarm alerts those within the House, it also reverberates downwards, echoing through the tunnels beneath and alerting Munasukaru, at which point her fury is released here.
The top floor is choked in webs and is used as a nest by the curious pair.
The bridge, like the one linking to land, is gracefully arched and lined with kirin statues, which act as a handrail on each side.
Creatures: The Toll-Keeper (an ettin fighter 5) and his Mistress (a phase spider) guard the main entrance to the House of Withered Blossoms. The phase-spider finds the companionship and protection of the ettin useful, and the mutual protection has been useful for some time. The two have ventured far from the Darklands below over a period of many years and eventually made their way here. The Mistress is able to speak goblin and amuses the Toll Keeper with her particularly unsettling and cruel phase spider tales (which almost all involve eating things alive).
The two have developed a companionship reflected in their tactics.
THE TOLL-KEEPER CR 11
XP 2,400
Male ettin fighter 5
CE Large humanoid (giant)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +12
DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 8, flat-footed 21; (+5 armor, –1 Dex, +8 natural,
–1 size)
hp 65 (10d8+20)
Fort +13, Ref +3, Will +6 (+7 vs fear)
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 masterwork katana +19/+14 (2d8+7)
Ranged 2 javelins +10 (1d8+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks superior two-weapon fighting
STATISTICS
Str 23, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 11
Base Atk +12; CMB +14; CMD 23
Feats Cleave, Critical Focus, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Katana), Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Iron Will, Power Attack, Sickening Critical
Skills [Plus 5 (Fi5)] Handle Animal +8, Intimidate +5 [MR], Perception +12; Racial Modifiers +4 on Perception
Languages pidgin of Giant, Goblin, and Orc
Combat Gear The Harmheart and the Lost – huge masterwork katanas decorated with nailed ears and fingers on the pommels, amongst which, unnoticed by the Toll Keeper is a ring of swimming, and a trio of other fine silver rings worth 100gp each. Lost’s scabbard is made of flayed cloaker flesh, whilst Harmheart’s is coated within with phase spider poison; Other Gear Hefty dark hooded cloak made of sewn hobgoblin skins, large gong beater (see below)
TACTICS
During Combat The Toll Keeper fears Akinosa, and as soon as he is aware of combat he moves to the gong and strikes it, the ettin then moves into combat, attempting to keep intruders at bay whilst awaiting Aranae reinforcements from the House of Withered Blossoms. However, should the Mistress become badly injured he abandons all duties and goes to aid the phase spider.
Morale The Toll Keeper never flees whilst the Mistress is alive, and if she is killed he flies into an insane rage, striking out at random targets nearby (including its allies) as it howls its grief until it too is dead.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex) An ettin fights with a flail or javelin in each hand. Because each of its two heads controls an arm, the ettin does not take a penalty
Armor Training (Ex): Reduces AC check by 1 and maximum Dex by 1.
Weapon Training (Ex): Blades
THE MISTRESS - PHASE SPIDER CR 5
XP 1,600
hp 51 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 226)
TACTICS
During Combat Stay close to the Toll Keeper, the Mistress has learnt over long years that the best tactic when fighting with an ettin is to stay ethereally nearby until the opportunity for a flank attack and quick escape is possible.
Morale If the Toll Keeper is slain, the Mistress escapes ethereally and plots her vengeance slowly. How this develops in the future is up to you, but consider that whoever struck the killing blow on the ettin is going to have a phase spider waiting in the shadows for him to be at his most vulnerable before attacking.

Treasure: The gong itself is an eight-foot round metal disk held in a frame made from lashed (hobgoblin) bones. The beater is a hefty metal bar similar to a morning star but set with rough-cut lapis lazuli worth 300gp. The Toll Keeper and his Mistress’ lair is littered with various hobgoblin body parts and bones, as well as some objects from the pairs travels in the Darklands – a curious clay pot containing a black powdery ore (inert lazurite), the split head of a strange insectoid creature (a cave solifugid that the Toll Keeper split in two with one strike and which it still finds amusing) and a seugathi skin wrapped around a chest roped to an intact otyugh upper jaw. The chest contains 210gp, and a fine fire opal (worth 500gp). For more information on some of these curious objects see Into the Darklands.

G8 The Swaying Bridge and Hollow Tree (CR 8)
A clearly dead tree that somehow still has green leaves it the extremes of its branches hangs over the chasm, its dead arms hanging in webs which stretch over to the golden rooftop of the pagoda.
The tree is hollow, but still grows in the strange atmosphere hereabouts. A hollow space links form a 2’ wide crawl-hole at the base, rising upwards via an 8’ wide tunnel one hundred feet to another opening (this one 10 feet wide) accessing the web, which stretches across to the pagoda roof (Area #H17). The aranae call this access the swaying bridge.
Creature: A giant tarantula lurks within the hollow trunk, waiting for victims to pounce on, allowing only Aranae and their kin access.
SPIDER, GIANT TARANTULA CR 8
XP 4,800
hp 115 (Page XXX)
TACTICS
During Combat The tarantula uses the narrow hollow space to keep attackers facing it to the minimum possible.
Morale The tarantula retreats twenty feet each time it looses 20 Hit Points, until it reaches the outside of the tree, which it tries to make its escape down.

Front door?

Oh no little one, that knocking came from inside your head. And it's cosy in here.

Wellard, back to your tormenting, or you will be most severely punished with my cheesegrater of woe.

I'll get you Spicer, and your little dog too.

Mnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar

The original draft contained a reference to a collapsed chamber;

The Broken Supply Tunnel
A collapsed tunnel.

Once this tunnel led a mile and a half into the Forest of Tears above, and from where Munasukaru used to send her minions to capture slaves. Her own rage destroyed the shaft about a year ago.

It's perhaps worth noting as well that the gardens outside the pagoda were detailed quite extensively, with lots of spiders and aranae, but these and the house were too big even to fit into my first draft over to Rob. I'll whizz those onto here when I get chance over the weekend so people can use them if they wish.

Huzzah!
Rich

knock knock

And that is why I love these boards.
Rich

I'm not sure how much detail I can give out, and even though it's very tempting whilst the lovely Paizo folks are in sleepy-bo-bo land it wouldn't be fair to give you details. So Rob needs to answer any specifics, as much as I'd love to tell you more about

I daren't just yet.

I've not seen any artwork for this yet but if the Jade Regent artwork is anything to go by I can't wait to see how Paizo have fleshed out some of the salty shifty nasty types that abound.

Ahaaar!
Pett

Pett is first, but I collect rivals like pocket lint. Booms and Logue being two notable examples of said lint...and actually the only other ones I can think of right now, but I have openings for more, I promise. What can I say, I'm an antagonistic jerk. :-)

At last!