Hopefully others can use this thread to clarify questions arising in this adventure. If you happen to see another thread, please link post a link in this one to try and keep things tied together.

Chapter 1: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv
Chapter 2: Racing to Ruin
Chapter 3: The City of Seven Spears
Chapter 4: Vaults of Madness
Chapter 5: The Thousand Fangs Below
Chapter 6: Sanctum of the Serpent God

I know I may be jumping the gun here, but any thoughts on how long it takes to get from Absalom to Eleder?

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And no, the "speed of plot" is not what I am looking for here.

But thanks for the suggestion. ;)

Berwick

So who is going to write up stats for an Eurypterid animal companion? I want one!

We have a witch! Is that the first APG NPC to be published?

I like Pezock as well. There are gonna be some fun encounters in here.

Three cheers for James and his continuing practice of inserting very cool real-world mythological monsters and places of legend into his adventures! Awesome!

I have to comment on Area K. When I read the intro I was thinking, 'Ok, file that away and look it up later for insperation'. Then when I got to the encounter area and started reading, I almost immediately recognized it as one of the stories that fascinated me as a young kid who read everything about 'strange, unexplained' things he could get his hands on. The nostalgia factor of that area is HUGE, and I thank you for that, James.

(Been reading up on Oak Island again, just for kicks. It's still pretty amazing stuff.)

I am stoked to start a PBP for this.

Hey James - Who is the dark-haired gentleman shown in the illustration at the top of page 4? And what city is that in the background? Is he someone we'll meet later in the AP?

Hey James - Who is the dark-haired gentleman shown in the illustration at the top of page 4? And what city is that in the background? Is he someone we'll meet later in the AP?

The foreword for #38 talks about him in detail, but a preview:

The guy on page 4 is disgraced Pathfinder Eando Kline, last seen in Pathfinder #38's Pathfinder Journal as he walked away from the Absalom Pathfinder Lodge in disgust for reasons that readers of that first 17-part journal can recall.

So to take each question in turn:
1) He's Eando Kline.
2) The city is Absalom.
3) He will have a KEY role to play later in the AP (check the AP outline on pages 88–89).

So to take each question in turn:
1) He's Eando Kline.
2) The city is Absalom.
3) He will have a KEY role to play later in the AP (check the AP outline on pages 88–89).

Thanks, James!

I had a question about the NPC's starting attitude. The book says they're friendly towards characters that are from whichever city the NPC boarded from. Was the intent of this to have the PCs grow up in that city, or just board from there?

I also noticed a discrepancy in what building a shelter does for you in alleviating the bug/disease aspect. The disease section says a shelter reduces the chance of disease 15%, the shelter section says it reduces it to 10%.

I had a question about the NPC's starting attitude. The book says they're friendly towards characters that are from whichever city the NPC boarded from.

Adding a spoiler marker to my response...

Vanus wrote:

I had a question about the NPC's starting attitude. The book says they're friendly towards characters that are from whichever city the NPC boarded from.

Adding a spoiler marker to my response...

** spoiler omitted **

A bit of a correction to your own spoiler.

I had a question about the NPC's starting attitude. The book says they're friendly towards characters that are from whichever city the NPC boarded from. Was the intent of this to have the PCs grow up in that city, or just board from there?

The campaign traits in the soon-to-be-released Player's Guide only deal with boarding in a particular city, but you could make it so it applies to characters who grew up in that city as well. I probably wouldn't restrict it to only growing up there, as there's a lot of cities on Golarion, and the chances of the two matching are slim.

I also noticed a discrepancy in what building a shelter does for you in alleviating the bug/disease aspect. The disease section says a shelter reduces the chance of disease 15%, the shelter section says it reduces it to 10%.

Just shelter makes it 15%. A shelter and campfire (mentioned in the "shelter" section reduce it to 10%.

Tom Qadim wrote:

Vanus wrote:

I had a question about the NPC's starting attitude. The book says they're friendly towards characters that are from whichever city the NPC boarded from.

Adding a spoiler marker to my response...

** spoiler omitted **

A bit of a correction to your own spoiler.

** spoiler omitted **

Right, forgot that attitude step inbetween.

I had a question about the NPC's starting attitude. The book says they're friendly towards characters that are from whichever city the NPC boarded from. Was the intent of this to have the PCs grow up in that city, or just board from there?

I also noticed a discrepancy in what building a shelter does for you in alleviating the bug/disease aspect. The disease section says a shelter reduces the chance of disease 15%, the shelter section says it reduces it to 10%.

Yup; as others have noted, the castaways all start with unfriendly attitudes. Depending on where you boarded the Jenivere (choices your PCs make by picking a campaign trait from the upcoming Player's Guide), the PCs can make those NPCs more friendly simply because the NPCs are more well-disposed toward folks who know about their home towns; the PCs don't necessarily have to be FROM those towns to get the attitude adjustment reward, though.

Basically, what Rob said.

A bit of a correction to your own spoiler.
** spoiler omitted **

Thank you!

I am stoked to start a PBP for this.

Just watch out SDF that opening scene is a pain to run PbP wise.

Lisa, please hire an Assistant Creative Director so James can write more often. ;-)

This is REALLY good stuff!

Stat Block Issue: Vegepygmy Boss p. 25 sems to be missing a Feat.
3= +2 (fighter 1) +1 HD
SB says 2.

Stat Block Issue: Malikadna p. 30 should have the Alertness Feat due to her familiar.

Stat Block Issue: Gelik Aberwhinge p. 60, damage for longsword should use 1d8 not 1d6

Stat Block Issue: Gelik Aberwhinge p. 60, damage for longsword should use 1d8 not 1d6

A small sized longsword, such as would be used by a gnome, does 1d6 damage.

However, Gelik does seem to be missing his Gnome Obsessive trait.

Stat Block Issue: Vegepygmy Boss p. 25 sems to be missing a Feat.

3= +2 (fighter 1) +1 HD
SB says 2.

No it's not. Feat from 1 HD + feat from Ftr 1 = 2 feats.

chopswil wrote:

Stat Block Issue: Gelik Aberwhinge p. 60, damage for longsword should use 1d8 not 1d6

A small sized longsword, such as would be used by a gnome, does 1d6 damage.

However, Gelik does seem to be missing his Gnome Obsessive trait.

Obsessive is chronically being forgotten for gnome stat blocks. Not sure why.

Hey guys, I made a small illustration to help visualize the ships journey. I hope this will help pick character traits and backgrounds as well. Feel free to have your players look at it.

Journey of the Jenivere

Wolfthulhu wrote:

chopswil wrote:

Stat Block Issue: Gelik Aberwhinge p. 60, damage for longsword should use 1d8 not 1d6

A small sized longsword, such as would be used by a gnome, does 1d6 damage.

However, Gelik does seem to be missing his Gnome Obsessive trait.

Obsessive is chronically being forgotten for gnome stat blocks. Not sure why.

Understandable. I probably wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't entering the shipwreck NPCs into Hero Lab.

Hey guys, I made a small illustration to help visualize the ships journey. I hope this will help pick character traits and backgrounds as well. Feel free to have your players look at it.

Journey of the Jenivere

Psst: 5 appears twice and 8 not at all.

You can tell I made that at 3 in the morning, lol.

Fixed

The stats for Yarzoth (p51)reference "Into The Darklands". I can't seem to locate this at all. Is it yet to be released? Thoughts on when?

The stats for Yarzoth (p51)reference "Into The Darklands". I can't seem to locate this at all. Is it yet to be released? Thoughts on when?

Into the Darklands has been out for a while now. It's all about the Darklands—the underground regions below that in other games is known as the Underdark.

Here's a link to the product page.

I made some player handouts and GM aids. They are in jpeg format and standard letter size (slow internet connections beware). If you have a home printer that can handle borderless printing, I suggest you set it to that when printing them out.

A chart for tracking the attitude and morale of the castaways

The Smuggler's Shiv map without location markers

Handout #1 - A

Handout #1 - B

Handout #2

Handout #3

One last note, these jpegs use images from Paizo's Soul's for Smuggler's Shiv PDF. If this infringes on any fair use rights (or if I need written permission) please let me know and I will remove them from public download (or until permission is granted).

I made some player handouts and GM aids.

One last note, these jpegs use images from Paizo's Soul's for Smuggler's Shiv PDF. If this infringes on any fair use rights (or if I need written permission) please let me know and I will remove them from public download (or until permission is granted).

Your handouts and chart for tracking the castaways' attitudes are all awesome!

Unfortunately, you're correct in your assumption of the Smugglers Shiv map. Paizo's Community Use policy forbids the replication, modification, and posting of any artwork they have not yet posted to their site. So, while the images of the castaways are ok to use I don't think you're allowed to use their map of the Shiv. I'm sure a Paizonian will chime in if I'm wrong.

Unfortunately, you're correct in your assumption of the Smugglers Shiv map. Paizo's Community Use policy forbids the replication, modification, and posting of any artwork they have not yet posted to their site. So, while the images of the castaways are ok to use I don't think you're allowed to use their map of the Shiv. I'm sure a Paizonian will chime in if I'm wrong.

Good to know. I've found a link to the community use page, so for completeness sake, here is the community use policy that goes with the above material.

The map has been removed from download (until I hear otherwise). Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'm able to edit my previous post, so it will remain a dead link for the time being.

But, I'm glad you like the others. :)

Into the Darklands has been out for a while now. It's all about the Darklands—the underground regions below that in other games is known as the Underdark.

Here's a link to the product page.

Thanks James! I did a search for it and couldn't find it! Now I have it!

So is the ship making like really good time or does it for some reason usually take ~35 days to cross ~125 miles of ocean from the entrance of Desperation Bay to Eleder? This just seems really, really slow considering it took them 71 days to get to this point from Magnimar which is like 1,500 miles north (including stops).

I'm just curious if there's a cause for this besides; "The guys who made Smuggler's Shiv never saw the map in Heart of the Jungle."

I have a question about the other castaways boons. Do they only apply to one PC or can all the PCs gain all of the boons?

So is the ship making like really good time or does it for some reason usually take ~35 days to cross ~125 miles of ocean from the entrance of Desperation Bay to Eleder? This just seems really, really slow considering it took them 71 days to get to this point from Magnimar which is like 1,500 miles north (including stops).

I'm just curious if there's a cause for this besides; "The guys who made Smuggler's Shiv never saw the map in Heart of the Jungle."

I think you are looking at the chart wrong. The ship has spent 71 days at sea and 33 days at the 10 ports along the way (104 days total). They were only a day or two out of Eldedar when they wrecked.

I have a question about the other castaways boons. Do they only apply to one PC or can all the PCs gain all of the boons?

Each PC can learn a castaway's boon once, so any PC who takes the time to learn from an NPC can learn their boon.

Each PC can learn a castaway's boon once, so any PC who takes the time to learn from an NPC can learn their boon.

So they could get all 5 boons.... Cool, thanks.

In response to what,

Paizo's Community Use policy forbids the replication, modification, and posting of any artwork they have not yet posted to their site. So, while the images of the castaways are ok to use I don't think you're allowed to use their map of the Shiv.

What are your thoughts on how to handle a map for a PbP?

I appreciate the communities response to keep us within the legal boundaries here, and good catch to Tom Qadim and masshysteria!

What are your thoughts on how to handle a map for a PbP?

As long as you don't publish it on the internet you should be ok. Maybe email a jpg version to your Pbp players? That way you can black-out the regions the PCs haven't yet explored.

In response to what,

Tom Qadim wrote wrote:

Paizo's Community Use policy forbids the replication, modification, and posting of any artwork they have not yet posted to their site. So, while the images of the castaways are ok to use I don't think you're allowed to use their map of the Shiv.

What are your thoughts on how to handle a map for a PbP?

I appreciate the communities response to keep us within the legal boundaries here, and good catch to Tom Qadim and masshysteria!

You could always use a service like Picasa and set specific users to be able to view the images.

I'm curious if this adventure could be considered new-player friendly?

I've had a new wave of interest among my non-gaming friends and want to jump straight into something. I've considered RotR but I'm already running a game (barely halfway into Burnt Offerings) and I'm not so sure how the darker parts of the later adventurers would sit with my new potential players. :)

I suspect there will be very dark parts off this later on..if you want a newbie friendly AP try Kingmaker.

Hey there - I went ahead and put together an updated player and DM map if anyone wants it.

I added a hex overlay with numbering. The size works out to be a little over half a mile each.

Here is a SAMPLE -> CLICK HERE

Also (hoping it's ok), I have put together a couple of "DM aids":

Shiv Checklist -> CLICK HERE
Picture Book -> CLICK HERE

Enjoy

~D

Hey there - I went ahead and put together an updated player and DM map if anyone wants it.

I added a hex overlay with numbering. The size works out to be a little over half a mile each.

Here is a SAMPLE -> CLICK HERE

Also (hoping it's ok), I have put together a couple of "DM aids":

Shiv Checklist -> CLICK HERE
Picture Book -> CLICK HERE

Enjoy

~D

I sent you an e-mail regarding the maps. I really like the work you did with the checklist and the picture book, they should be very useful.

Picture Book -> CLICK HERE

~D

The picture book looks nice, but I'm pretty sure a number of those images are not part of the CUP.

The picture book looks nice, but I'm pretty sure a number of those images are not part of the CUP.

Yeah, you can't publish any of Paizo's images (or use modified versions of their images) unless they already appear on the Paizo website. So, all of those images you lifted from the module (including your modified hex maps of Smuggler's Shiv) are a no-no according to Paizo's Community Use Policy.

Very nice work though!