edmud's page

Name of PC: Shalaye Elaciathina "Lace" Starjewel Omoroi
Class/Level: Sorcerer 6
Adventure: The Skinsaw Murders - Vorel's Laboratory
Catalyst: Skinsaw Man & Vorel's Legacy
Story, short version: After nearly being haunted to death at Misgivings the party finally reached Skinsaw Man in Vorel's Laboratory. Aldern's pleas for mercy were convincing . . . that is, until he snapped back into Skinsaw Man and drew his razor. Lace was quick to maneuver forward onto the table top to attempt to Shocking Grasp the foul Ghoul but this drew her too close to the source of all evil -- Vorel's Legacy. Suddenly she was overcome by Vorel's undead force and inexplicably began to consume the black mold and a single misguided touch electrocuted herself blowing off her little aasimar head!! Awesome way to go out!

I had a near TPK at the bridge in our session this week as well. I felt bad because the skill monkey PC alchemist is also the least experienced (and youngest) player among a bunch of older players. Not sure why he, or the other players, never thought to test the bridge? One PC hit the water and it all went downhill from there for her with the Swim / drowning checks, etc. Eventually I had the PC wash into the sea cave to avoid death. Its easier to pull punches from behind the DM screen with to hit rolls and damage but when a player continuously fails DC checks it is harder to intervene without appearing too benevolent.

Randomname, I am planning on running this AP in 3 weeks or so and want to avoid just the type of play and results you described -- anticlimactic and boring. So far I am considering doing away with critical hits altogether or maybe just limiting them to max weapon damage. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Nice thread! I am just preparing now for a 6x PC AE campaign -- my first AP to run. Anyone know of an equally interesting thread on PC backgrounds or tie-ins to the AP? Some might involve modifying the AP itself so I was not sure if my questions were appropriate for this threat.

Dakwan, any chance I could get the data file for your list? I'd like to add two columns to it, namely the PF battles series and my own collection of minis so I know what I need to order. Your list would be a great help.

Redrin, thanks for the analysis. Normally I would not fiddle around with XP either and just level up the party as per the AP (or one a lvl below as suggested for 6x PC party). The problem is that for this campaign I feel I must really use the stick-and-carrot when awarding XP as some of the players may be disruptive, make little effort, or not contribute to the overall role-play experience (the optimizer "character builder" guy in particular). I really want to run this campaign so that it covers off nicely on role-play, exploration as well as the combat scenes.

I have some new ideas on awarding and communicating XP to the players that I think might pull everyone inline. So, XP calculations must stay in some fashion. (btw happy to join an active and informative threat on this topic if anyone knows of one). I am anticipating that the PCs will have varying XP and possibly lvls as the campaign progresses.

What if I calculated the per 4x PC XP per encounter and simply used that as the base XP award (+/- for performance) awarded to each member of the 6x PC party on the medium advancement track? Wouldn't that set them about 1 lvl lower than the suggested AP lvl for each encounter and solve my 6 PC party problem without fiddling with the encounters too much?

PS: Anyone participating in any good RotR threads covering PC ties-ins, background or modifications to the AE of the AP? I have had some interesting player input in this area and would like some GM input as well.

Skeld's idea is interesting . . . just use the medium XP advancement track then the 6 PC party should be 1 lvl lower than the suggested lvl for each encounter? Hmmm? That might be the simple fix? Also kick in 1-2 mooks where needed?

So happy to see this post. We plan to start a RotR campaign in about four weeks with 6 players as well (1 experienced, 3 novice, 2 new to PF). I have GMed other PF modules but first time for me to take on an AP. As Redrin stated my concern is how best to scale the encounters?

I understand that the best approach for multi-foe mook encounters is to add numbers and keep everyone occupied and interested. So I'll use the 50% increase in number and tweak bad guy HPs and damage along the way as needed.

In the past however our problem has been the single solo boss encounters. I say this because our players tend to play the glass-canon damage dealers. Result being either 1 -2 PCs wipe out the solo boss quickly or they themselves are wiped out--very anti-climactic and boring. I've used all sorts of barriers, terrain, spells, etc., to hold off the charge long enough for the solo boss to engage other PCs but with only mixed results. My players tent to whine and complain when they are made ineffective for a long period during a battle. I would prefer to have more involved interactions between the solo boss NPCs to develop storyline & mood and vary the battle dynamics. But can imagine this will become more difficult with x6 PC actions to deal with each turn.

In particular I am worried about how to best handle some of the iconic RotR solo boss encounters and keep them epic but not more deadly than they already are. In short my players are pretty foolhardy and not so experienced or resourceful.

Other steps I'm considering to curb the foolhardiness and improve survivability & play of the group: 15pt character build (previously used 20pt), 75% max HP, critical hits limited to max weapon damage. Also considering having bag guys only deal average damage per attack (never tried this before).

All input welcome.

Great work! This will really help me prepare for the campaign we plan to begin in four weeks or so. I am a first time PF AP DM so I am looking for any help I can find. Please look for my other post if you have any advice on running a party of 6 (sort of novice) players for this AP.

Have not tried these rules out yet but what I would like to see is a Gamemastery deck for the Skulls & Shackles AP's mass navel combat, other "skill challenge" and "mass combat" type stuff. There should be interesting ways in which these decks can be used on an optional basis.

I used the critical hit / fumble deck and chase decks last week with great fun and success! The young female archeologist critically punched an eavesdropper in the head through a tent wall. The effect was reduced DX and some other condition on the bad guy which in turn made the chase much more interesting--within a round I think the PC was able to chase down and grapple the bad guy. It all fit together perfectly.

What I would really like to see is a deck for the Skulls & Shackles AP's mass navel combat and other "skill challenge" and "mass combat" type stuff.

Yes, I would subscribe for pawns of any sort especially if they covered the APs.

Any advice for saving a campaign? I am a player in a year-long Savage Tide campaign (currently 14th lvl) that is loosing steam. At 10th lvl we lost our 4E DM and one player so we converted the campaign over to Pathfinder and took on a new player (who is new to paper an pencil RPGs). The new DM is a crusty AD&D style DM who does not pander to players, is not fussed about killing characters, and tends to treat the bad guys as his own characters (everything 4E and our old DM were not about).

The change to PF has been a challenge for all of us since we are beginner PF players and novice RPG players now facing tough bits of a very challenging campaign. Also, our party did not convert well from 4E to PF for various reasons, i.e., no cleric / healer in the party, no correlating core character class, etc. Not to mention that the players haven't played together very long.

The more veteran players seem fed up with the harsh DM style and our new player seems to have lost interest. The veteran players would probably come around if the DM was more in tune with setting them up for success and making them feel more heroic. I am not so sure about the new player.

The new player doesn't seem to catch onto things like: learning the rules (including the abilities of his character), tactical combat, or playing along with the plot line of the campaign. I understand some of what the newbie is saying but also feel he should realize that he'll only get as much out of RPGs as he puts into them himself. After all this is not an MMO with code and a CPU running the game for his amusement. Although, we role play less than most groups and that is probably what attracted him to explore table top RPGs in the first place. Frankly, I have been surprised at how he has struggled to catch onto PF given his exposure to video / MMO fantasy gaming and fiction. If in the end he turnedout to dislike table top RPGs due to our poor introduction I would feel bad however.

Any advice welcome . . .

Now, I'm not saying we won't do die-cut cardboard counters of some kind. We already did in the Beginner Box, and they've been very popular. Why would we take all of that positive feedback and flatten, shrink, and zoom in the images to make an uglier, less-useful product that is more or less identical to the kind made by our biggest direct competitor?

Yes, please more of the BB-style pawns! Of course the pre-painted minis will be great for collecting up over time but the option of buying a complete set of pawns for each AP and module would be terrific!! Always nice to put a pretty face with each bad guy . . .

To get stright to the point I love the pawns that are in the begginer box. I think they are a great option for those of us that can't afford allot of minis but get sick of useing stand ins. (green dragon in place of assasin vines anyone?) They are also a huge step above pog style tokens/pawns as they mix pretty well with standerd mines and pogs dont.

So my question is will they ever be sold on thier own? The ones from the box and maybe more sets to come later? This would be so nice for use budget gamers.

Yes, the pawns in the Beginner Box set are great!! I logged on today just to suggest that Paizo start a new product line -- a set of pawns for each AP and module published. Of course the preprinted minis will be great for building a collection up over time but the option of buying a complete set of high quality pawns with each adventure would even better.

Btw I couldn't find in the message boards a specific threat for Paizo product suggestions but I have a few more I'd like to share.

The bases are in the boxed set. Contact customer service here if you didnt get them.

Oh! Thank you very much I will do just that . . .

Really enjoying this box set in preparation for playing a Rise of the Runelords AP next Spring. I'm a new DM and all of our players are new to Pathfinder so the box set rules have been a great help.

I was wondering if anyone knows where I can purchase (online) bases to fit the the cardboard pawns from the box set so that we can stand them up on the game mat?

The minis look great! My gaming group is very anxious to use these on the tabletop next year.

I have a question about the standard bases sizes of future releases. Does anyone know what the base sizes will be for small, large, huge, colossal, etc? The reason I am asking is because I prefer to glue a magnetic strip in the base to add a little weight & stickiness for our gaming surface.

The first four minis were released on 1" standard bases which were a perfect fit for Alea Tool's 13/16" medium conversion circles—i.e, the circle fits flush under the bottom lip of the base. I contacted Alea Tools to inquire if they plan to offer similar conversion circles for the other Pathfinder base sizes so I hope to hear back from them soon. In the meantime does anyone know about the bases sizes or other companies offering similar precut magnetic circles?

Wow! I am impressed. Would you consider taking me on as an apprentice conversion scribe? I'm new to PF but very keen to learn how to do great conversions as well as master the skills (i.e., mapping & publishing software) for polished pdf production. I have an extensive library of published adventures and magazines.

I'd love a peek. Any chance at another link? Otherwise I'm at shag.grenade@live.com

Ooh! Were you ever able to locate this font? If so pls educate me as to how I may do the same . . . edmond@courtroul.com

Would it be possible to get downloadable monster / minis lists for the various modules and APs published? Knowing that a module features 5 Ghouls plus one special Ghoul in one encounter gives me an idea of what resources I'll need to gather for the best map experience for the players. Knowing that you sell a mini "Thanrock twice-cursed" tells me I can either round up 6 Ghoul models, or just get 5 plus Thanrock himself depending on how much time I have for painting.

This sort of list would be very helpful as I am planning out now my mini orders for a Runelords AP campaign for next June.

Not to resurrect something that shouldn't be -

Is this still being worked on?
Has this project turned into something else?

I downloaded this the other day, and spent some time converting it to my Shackled City campaign, changing names around. I also ran into the problem William had, but I fixed it. I'd be happy to share an explanation.

Regardless, this is still a really handy way to keep track of everything, so . . .

Any chance of getting a copy of this tool? It sounds pretty cool.

Patrick Kropp wrote:

I hope the next card deck is a summon monster deck! :)

That would be awesome...

Yes, please a nice summon monster deck first. I also like the idea of Hero Point and spells decks

Sorry for the repost but for some reason I cannot quote / reply to my previous post.

"One suggestion that I would make is to consider adding one of those "clicky bases" to each mini indicating the PFRPG combat condition. Shouldn't be a big deal for Wizkids right?? I'd even buy packs of blank click bases to mount my painted character and other minis on just for game play. Just an idea . . . "

Stewart Perkins replied that it might not be possible due to the 1" size of the base.

Really? Would this be impossible? A combat condition clicky base seems like a cool product feature to me.

The PPMs look great so I just pre ordered a case. One suggestion that I would make is to consider adding one of those "clicky bases" to each mini indicating the PFRPG combat condition. Shouldn't be a big deal for Wizkids right?? I'd even buy packs of blank click bases to mount my painted character and other minis on just for game play. Just an idea . . .

Anybody have a copy of this map that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

edmud wrote:

Anybody have a copy of this map that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

This product has been replaced with Flip-Mat: Basic.

Thank you. Yes, I purchase the replacement flip-map but still would be interested in picking up the hex version as well.

edmud wrote:

Anybody have a print copy of this players guide that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price. Were print copies ever distributed?

Nope. After the ifrst few, the AP guides have been PDF only. Certainly since Council of Thieves.

Thank you for the clarification now if I can only find a copy of Hollows Last Hope!?

edmud wrote:

Anybody have a print copy of this players guide that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

This Player's Guide was only available as a PDF.

Thank you for the clarification.

Anybody have a copy of this alternate cover AP that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Anybody have a copy of this map pack that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Anybody have a copy of this map that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Anybody have a copy of this map that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Anybody have a copy of this map that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Anybody have a copy of this map that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Anybody have a print copy of this players guide that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price. Were print copies ever distributed?

Anybody have a print copy of this players guide that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Anybody have a print copy of this players guide that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Anybody have a new or great copy of GameMastery Module D0: Hollow's Last Hope (OGL) that they are willing to part with? If so, e-mail me with condition, and price.

Thanks

Pre-ordeded two sets . . . will buy whatever is produced. New to Pathfinder and really like the production quality of everything I see, looking forward to collecting and playing more.