Pathfinder Adventure Path #79: The Half-Dead City (Mummy’s Mask 1 of 6) (PFRPG)

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Pathfinder Adventure Path #79: The Half-Dead City (Mummy’s Mask 1 of 6) (PFRPG)
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Chapter 1: "The Half-Dead City"
By Jim Groves

The Mummy's Mask Adventure Path begins with "The Half-Dead City," an exciting new adventure in the pyramid-laden realm of Osirion, Land of Pharaohs! In the city of Wati, the church of Pharasma holds a lottery allowing explorers to delve the tombs of the city's vast necropolis in search of the nation's lost glories. In the course of investigating dusty tombs and fighting their ancient guardians and devious traps, the heroes encounter a group of rival adventurers intent on keeping one tomb's treasures for themselves. At the same time, the heroes learn that a dangerous artifact has been stolen from the tomb. Can the adventurers defeat their rivals, or will they fall to the undead defenders of the city's necropolis?

This volume of the Pathfinder Adventure Path launches the Mummy's Mask Adventure Path and includes:

  • "The Half-Dead City," a Pathfinder adventure for 1st-level characters, by Jim Groves.
  • A double-sized gazetteer of Wati exploring both parts of this vibrant city dedicated to the dead, by Crystal Frasier.
  • A rough welcome to Wati in the Pathfinder Journal, by Amber E. Scott.
  • Five dangerous new monsters, by Jim Groves, Will McCardell, and Michael McCarthy.

Each monthly full-color softcover Pathfinder Adventure Path volume contains an in-depth adventure scenario, stats for several new monsters, and support articles meant to give Game Masters additional material to expand their campaign. Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes use the Open Game License and work with both the Pathfinder RPG and the world’s oldest fantasy RPG.

Cover Art by Tyler Jacobson.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-588-4

The Half-Dead City is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure Path and Chronicle sheet are available as a free download (595 KB zip/PDF).

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription.

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A thematic start to an Osirion AP

5/5

So let's start with a full disclosure - I am a massive fan of Ancient Egyptian history and also the 1999 The Mummy film (which I know are only transcendentally linked). If you asked me what I wanted to be when I was around 10 years old, I would have said an Egyptologist.

This was the first AP I bought when it first came out many years ago having only planned/run my own games in the past. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to read and run this one! Reading through it was great fun (I've read through it at least 4 times in the last 6 years). The organisation is great, the gazetteer is fun and also useful; in my opinion the best gazetteer I've seen.

The game itself starts assuming all the PCs are already in a group signed up to the lottery, so it's important to get your players talking before you start.

Now a lot of people seem to say this first book is just dungeon crawling not roleplaying and they would technically be right. BUT there are so many opportunities for roleplay as there is no time-limit on this competition per see. I've GM'd it irl and the roleplay opportunities were second to none if you try to make the most of Wati. The right role-playing group will absolutely rise to the challenge.

Some of the encounters in this can be pretty deadly for a party of 4 but managed right work well. If you have a slightly larger party, they will do well.

Overall, this is one of my favourites and I absolutely recommend if you're looking for a good atmosphere.


Part 1

5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed GMing this chapter of the campaign. Partly because it is set in Osirian and I am really intrigued by the fantasy Egyptian lore.

The party I am running for is (at time of completion) a human cleric of Nethys, human occulist, dhampyr sorcerer (undead bloodline), elf fighter/bard (archaeologist), dwarf unchained monk, and a human alchemist.

As for the scenario:

The good:

* The premise works. Adventuring parties come together because the tombs of Wati are being opened to explorers. It gives a decent explanation for the players to form their party. No sitting in a tavern this time.

* Three different locations each with it's own distinct feel and set of challenges. Felt very old school to me so it gets a thumbs up.

* Although I have noticed many didn't like it, I love how this has nothing to do with the actual campaign plot until the very last minute of the book. Not every campaign needs to start off face first into the plot.

The Bad:

* This book is basically three dungeon crawls. By the time my players had finished the book I was bored of describing corridors and rooms.

* There are role-play opportunities but not enough. This chapter is very heavy on the combat and the dungeon crawling.

The Ugly:

* Nothing.


Review

4/5

The good thing about THDC is that is set in Ossirion, the land of the exotic and the hot. The bad thing is that THDC starts slow, very slow in fact - the first third of this adventure felt more like a training session for the beginners - few monsters, few traps and some treasure. The speed began to pick up in the second third, but even then the action was uneven, and in the final third THDC did feel like a proper RPG game, but the problem was that there was little connection between the three parts. Yes, it did give us plenty of time to play-act various scenes...but this situation works only when players want to play-act; otherwise, it is just a waste of time. THDC feels more like three different adventures combined into one, and this isn't the best of feelings.


Please Paizo, improve the book binding

4/5

First, I need to comment on the book binding. These are very nice, magazine style paperback books. But, after paging through the first third or so several times prepping for the first session, the pages are falling out. I'm very careful with the book, nothing got pulled on, and I don't flatten the book open nor strain the binding in any way. The glue binding just starts falling apart and now a whole section of pages has fallen out completely. This is incredibly disappointing for what otherwise is a great looking book. It makes me limit how many times I dare crack open the other volumes I've received.

As for the adventure itself:
The other reviews here are right on, the adventure/encounters are good, and if you do some flavor work-up around the theme of tomb-raiding, it can be interesting - but yeah, the whole first couple adventures into the Necropolis just seem to be completely disconnected to the actual story.

I would have liked to see one or two encounters based on exploring outside in the necropolis on the way to something, running into more unexpected troubles (other than the ambush already there, I mean). It does provide some good suggestion-type details on the necropolis to make this on your own. I would suggest cutting the second adventure site in half (both the layout and number of encounters) and having the party deal with two other encounters out in the necropolis based on where they say they go.

It does, however, lend itself well to a group that isn't very experienced in a table-top rpg, and maybe that's what Paizo had in mind here. The distinct chunks of tomb exploration are a great "intro to dungeon delving", if you will. The dungeons, traps, treasure, and random encounters are all there without the risk of being away from town. That can really help a new group. And if you're a GM that makes traps more interesting than default, those fit in pretty well.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, PF Special Edition Subscriber
Jim Groves wrote:

The notion of a rival group of adventurers is somewhat archetypal. We do see it more often in a "tomb raiding" storyline.

As for an interesting story, with complete and total conviction I tell you this is such a story, and written by the best of AP authors—with a Developer with a degree in history and a passion for the subject. You only know about me and Crystal, and I cannot divulge the others. It is not my place to do so. However they're all awesome, every one of them.

The meta-plot is incredibly interesting. It does need time to develop however. Bear in mind Chapter One are the low-levels, and need to set the stage. Trust me when I say this flower will bloom.

In Jim Groves we trust!


Will this be like Crypt of Everflame, i.e. geared to locals getting their toes wet in the mythos, or is it more like Serpent's Skull/Indiana Jones-style i.e. more geared towards outside interlopers/adventurers? That just sets up some of the assumed motivation/interest in the surrounding NPCs, although players can and will take contrary approaches to any of that.


Quandary wrote:
Will this be like Crypt of Everflame, i.e. geared to locals getting their toes wet in the mythos, or is it more like Serpent's Skull/Indiana Jones-style i.e. more geared towards outside interlopers/adventurers? That just sets up some of the assumed motivation/interest in the surrounding NPCs, although players can and will take contrary approaches to any of that.

Considering that the Ruby Prince has opened Osirian's doors to foreign archaeologists, I'm betting its the latter - outside interlopers/adventurers. I know from previous modules that Cheliax and the Pathfinders both have their fingers in Osirian, and it is likely the Aspis Consortium does too.

And considering that there seems to have been a 'lottery' for who gets to delve into the tomb, its even more probable that they are foreigners they're getting to go adventuring in the tomes - not only does Osirian bring in foreign gold to help its economy, but those who die - as tomb raiding is not the safest of jobs - are foreigners, not natives - and who cares about foreigners as long as they buy stuff before they go adventuring?

The Exchange

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

I'm happy because the southern coast of the Inner Sea's been needing some serious TLC. And well, it seems to be happening finally. I'd LOVE desert adventures, just after urban ones.

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 4

DM Crustypeanut wrote:
Quandary wrote:
Will this be like Crypt of Everflame, i.e. geared to locals getting their toes wet in the mythos, or is it more like Serpent's Skull/Indiana Jones-style i.e. more geared towards outside interlopers/adventurers? That just sets up some of the assumed motivation/interest in the surrounding NPCs, although players can and will take contrary approaches to any of that.

Considering that the Ruby Prince has opened Osirian's doors to foreign archaeologists, I'm betting its the latter - outside interlopers/adventurers. I know from previous modules that Cheliax and the Pathfinders both have their fingers in Osirian, and it is likely the Aspis Consortium does too.

And considering that there seems to have been a 'lottery' for who gets to delve into the tomb, its even more probable that they are foreigners they're getting to go adventuring in the tomes - not only does Osirian bring in foreign gold to help its economy, but those who die - as tomb raiding is not the safest of jobs - are foreigners, not natives - and who cares about foreigners as long as they buy stuff before they go adventuring?

Or... It is not an "either/or" choice but a "both/and" situation where you can choose to be a foreigner or be a local and either option is valid. There's no reason a native citizen couldn't see these foreigners arriving and decide to take their own chances, right?

And adventurers don't just buy stuff, they sell stuff. Of course, they reinvest in good adventuring gear, but many antiquities are sold- usually at the first available location that can afford to absorb items of value into their economy. Which attracts wealthy buyers, collectors, and special interests with money to spend from all over the Inner Sea. This in turn churns the local economy nicely on every level, because it's not just the adventurers that require goods and services. and when local people have an influx of money, they have the ability to spend more. It becomes like a localized economic stimulus.

Scarab Sages

I'm just wondering if the Mythic Tier system will be in place for this AP? I don't understand it all that well and it made me choose NOT to purchase the Wrath of the Righteous AP.


This AP will not expect characters to access mythic tiers. I believe James Jacob stated that the next two APs were not designed with mythic in mind, and decisions on future use of mythic will largely depend upon how well Wrath of the Righteous does.


*channeling spirit of Marc Raddle*Seeing as you want to play an egyptian themed adventure, maybe you would like to play an egyptian themed class. Keep an eye out for Walk Like An Egyptian: The Medjay. It's coming soon.

Webstore Gninja Minion

If you're looking for a better overview of the Mummy's Mask Adventure Path, I'd recommend reading here as well as the dedicated messageboard forum for it here.

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 4

Liz Courts wrote:
If you're looking for a better overview of the Mummy's Mask Adventure Path, I'd recommend reading here as well as the dedicated messageboard forum for it here.

Oh wow, I hadn't realized they disclosed so much.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

How did I miss this thread?! Congrats Jim!


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I'm really looking forward to running this AP, even more because it's written by one of my favourite authors!


gonna leave this here for egyptian themed class here


Wait patiently and it will happen, ask and you will receive. Thanks Paizo, been waiting five years for this one. It's going to be epic!

The Exchange

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

To me it sounds like it starts as a rival vs dungeon crawl. Not bad, but then turns into an all out war vs one of the old cults of Osirian.

I fully expect you to have back ally fights, dealing with seedy merchants for information, great tombs, and maybe visits to border nations.

Dark Archive

Have the iconics for this one been announced yet?

Paizo Employee Developer

Kevin Mack wrote:
Have the iconics for this one been announced yet?

Not yet.

I'm not gonna spoil them either. I'd hate to snipe a question like this from Rob, so I'll let him reveal it when he wants to.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Guesses: Alahazra seems fairly obvious for the Divine caster, even with a relative lack of anti-undead punch in her repertoire. Ezren hasn't seen a lot of activity lately, so he might get slotted for Arcane. Amiri hasn't seen action lately, either so let her go raging through the undead hordes. Sajan for skill monkey?

The big question is how weird will they go for Iron Gods. I mean, they could go completely nuts with a Lirianne/Balazar/Damiel/Lini quartet (well, sextet factoring in Droogami and Padrig) or they could go a lot more conventional, maybe just adding in Seltiyel for the arcane caster.

Adam, how do the Paizonians make these kind of decisions, anyway?

Paizo Employee Developer

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kvantum wrote:
Adam, how do the Paizonians make these kind of decisions, anyway?

The decisions are made by Rob and James, depending on who is the lead for that AP. They make their decisions based on personal preference, reasonable composition of skills and abilities, and sometimes regional considerations and other thematic bits come into play.

Sovereign Court Developer

1 person marked this as a favorite.

It's still a little early to announce the iconics for Mummy's Mask, but how we decide who appears in each AP is based on a number of factors. Usually James and I discuss who would be the best fit based on the theme of the AP or its geographical location. We try to pick iconics that fill the primary roles in an adventuring party, and also try to not to do too many repeats in a row (one or more iconics might appear in two consecutive APs, but we're unlikely to use the same four iconics in back-to-back APs). Sometimes we want to use somebody who hasn't been used before, or hasn't been used often, and sometimes we just want to put an iconic in scenes from an AP because we think they'd look cool. Some iconics might be chosen because they're personal favorites, and some might not be picked because of difficulties in illustrating them or using them for one reason or another.

In short, we pick whichever iconics "feel right" for that AP, based on a number of factors, and those factors can change from AP to AP.


Please, Please, Please by all that is Holy do a PB miniature release for this.

RPG Superstar 2009, Contributor

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I'm guessing you at least go with Kyra or Alahazra for the divine caster role, especially given the thematic/geographic ties they have to the desert nations of Golarion. And, I could see a place for Lirianne in this one, too, if you want to play on The Mummy movie franchise theme of bullets vs. the undead. Alkenstar's not all that far from Osirion. Plus, Rob has a thing for gunslingers. Or, so I hear... ;-)

After that, maybe Merisiel for a rogue who can deal with the traps of ancient Osirion tombs? Or Damiel if you want to tie into the ancient alchemy angle. After that, you'd most likely need an arcane caster, and Ezren fits that bill better than Seoni, Seltyiel, or Lem. However, this might be a good time to showcase Balazar since he brings along a potent eidolon to shore up the melee presence. Plus, Rob also has a thing for summoners. Or, so I hear... ;-)

Just my two cents,
--Neil

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

Unfortunately Balazar basically costs the commission price of 2 people to show because of his Eidolon, which is why he's hardly ever seen.

But I, personally, support an Alahazra, Lirianne, Balazar, Damiel adventure ;)

RPG Superstar 2009, Contributor

Lini would run that same commission price, so I don't think that'd be a problem.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Unfortunately in usual trends iconics from the preceding AP are not used so Merisiel, Alain, Seelah, and Kyra are a no go for this one. Maybe for Numeria though.....


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Robert Brookes wrote:
But I, personally, support an Alahazra, Lirianne, Balazar, Damiel adventure ;)

It will probably be this except with Erzen instead of Balazar, unless he is finally given a backstory.


zergtitan wrote:
Unfortunately in usual trends iconics from the preceding AP are not used so Merisiel, Alain, Seelah, and Kyra are a no go for this one. Maybe for Numeria though.....

As I recall, Kyra was featured in the catalogue image for Mummy's Mask, so she might yet be a possibility.

I really really hope it's Alahazra, though. She needs to get more screen time. All the non-RotRL Iconics do (Merisiel and Valeros could both sit out a few APs, since they have the most appearances; five for Valeros and six for Merisiel).

For my part I'm hoping the team of four is Alahazra, Ezren, Sajan and Lem. Alahazra for the divine caster and because it's right in her backyard, Ezren for the arcane caster (Seoni has WotR and Feiya had RoW), and Lem because he hasn't been seen since CoT. Sajan could maybe be swapped for Harsk, but either of them would suit.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, PF Special Edition Subscriber

Is there any info on this journal?

I assume that is what is replacing the fiction portion of the APs.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

The Pathfinder Journal is just what the fiction portions are called :) That Amber is starting a new one just means that it's the beginning a series :)

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Cori Marie wrote:
The Pathfinder Journal is just what the fiction portions are called :) That Amber is starting a new one just means that it's the beginning a series :)

Actually from what I remember, from either this or Iron Gods the fiction is being slightly adjusted back towards what it was during the early Eando days; reasonably tightly tied to the main adventure area, varying authours.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, PF Special Edition Subscriber
Cori Marie wrote:
The Pathfinder Journal is just what the fiction portions are called :) That Amber is starting a new one just means that it's the beginning a series :)

There was another thread discussing how after Wrath of the Righteous, the fiction portion would be replaced by something else.

Post is here:

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pgz6&page=6?Please-replace-Adventure-Path- fiction-with#252

Dark Archive

Waiting with bated breath. I baited mine with pizza! ;)

Liberty's Edge

Curmudgeonly wrote:
Cori Marie wrote:
The Pathfinder Journal is just what the fiction portions are called :) That Amber is starting a new one just means that it's the beginning a series :)

There was another thread discussing how after Wrath of the Righteous, the fiction portion would be replaced by something else.

Post is here:

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pgz6&page=6?Please-replace-Adventure-Path- fiction-with#252

I don't believe that says that fiction is going away. Rather it says that a change is coming to the fiction section..


graywulfe wrote:
I don't believe that says that fiction is going away. Rather it says that a change is coming to the fiction section..

Yes. My take on it is that it will have some more player crunch added to it, such as sidebards of magical items, NPCs, etc. Something akin to the old Voyage of the Princess Ark column in Dragon.


I like where this one is going, definitely will be adding to my APs to run in the near future pile.

The Exchange

1 person marked this as a favorite.

For now I'm choosing not to read any information about this AP other than what was already released, since I might be a player in this one. However, it is nice seeing another Jim Groves adventure, since his contribution to Reign of Winter made for one of the best adventures in that entire campaign.

It would be nice to see him take a show at a higher level adventure (say a part 5 of an AP or something).

For now... I'm excited about this!

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 4

Lord Snow wrote:

For now I'm choosing not to read any information about this AP other than what was already released, since I might be a player in this one. However, it is nice seeing another Jim Groves adventure, since his contribution to Reign of Winter made for one of the best adventures in that entire campaign.

It would be nice to see him take a show at a higher level adventure (say a part 5 of an AP or something).

For now... I'm excited about this!

Thanks Lord Snow!

Mummy's Mask will be the only main AP chapter for me in 2014, but I will be all over the other product lines for the rest of the year! I hope you enjoy the Half-Dead City!


Is it still to early to say who the Iconics for this is yet?


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

The full cover for this one was posted on the "Pathfinder Art" Facebook group today. Looks like Seela and....the oracle (whose name I keep forgetting) are the first two. :)

The Exchange

*cries because the art is so pretty.

Thanks for pointing to it Nate Z!

I really really really hope I have a job by January so that I can afford to subscribe to this AP!

Paizo Employee Developer

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I hope so too, Zeugma! Good luck on the hunt!
(For reasons more important than getting this AP, of course, but the side effect is nice too. ;))

Webstore Gninja Minion

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Product image updated.


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That's a very. nice. hat.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Hold up. Is that the iconic paladin? Isn't the usual pattern to have iconics appear in every other AP at most?


The fun thing with patterns is that you get to break them.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Yay! Wished it wasn't pushed to Feb, but it'll be worth the wait, I'm sure!

The NPC there puts me in mind of Clopin from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame for some reason! :D


I'm a fan of the design, but that woman doesn't look very Osirioni..interesting

Silver Crusade

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ATTN: Alahazra and Balazar - A new challenger appears!


Quote:
several monsters suitable for any desert-themed campaign

Karkadann! Karkadann! Karkadann! With its name meaning "King/Lord of the Deserts", a better monster suited for deserts is impossible to come up with, and i'm tired of cute Unicorns!

Of course I hope most of this Adventure Path's bestiaries will be about desert-themed creatures and not only the first one.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Nice cover.

She isn't Osirioni because she is an archeologist who isn't supposed to read from a particular book that will awaken the mummy;)

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