Strike on the Rabid Dawn & the Iron Flask [Spoilers]


Savage Tide Adventure Path


So I'm going to be running the Strike on the Rabid Dawn from Dungeon 111, and in it, a disciple of Asmodeus releases an aspect of Asmodeus from an Iron Flask.

Given that the specific selling point of Malcanthet's Iron Flask minor artefact is that it can hold an aspect, how do these interact?

As I am planning on making Malcanthet an antagonist rather than an ally, should I make this Iron Flask the one required for the Aspect of Obox-ob?

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Tuerny's Iron Flask was specifically made to capture the aspects of demon lords. Asmodeus isn't a demon lord: he's an archdevil at worst, or a greater deity at best. It's not too much of a stretch for Tuerny's Iron Flask to also be able to capture an archdevil's aspect vice a demon lord's, but if Asmodeus is an actual deity in your world it's probably too much for any artifact made by a mortal mage like Tuerny to be able to capture a deity. It could even be a side effect. Maybe Tuerny's Iron Flask was designed to capture demon lord aspects, but it turns out to be equally sufficient to capture other paragon outsider aspects: archdevil aspects, celestial paragon aspects, etc. On further reflection, it's probably better for Tuerny's Iron Flask to be the one holding an aspect of Asmodeus than some run-of-the-mill standard iron flask.

As far as Obox-ob goes, it doesn't much matter how the PCs get Tuerny's Iron Flask, as long as they have it before they try to capture Obox-ob. Iggwilv will still want to possess it for her plot at endgame regarding Demogorgon's essence.


Laurellien wrote:
As I am planning on making Malcanthet an antagonist rather than an ally, should I make this Iron Flask the one required for the Aspect of Obox-ob?

Yes, that would lead to all sorts of interesting complications. If Iggwilv wants to use the same flask for capturing Obox-ob, then the aspect of Asmodeus should probably be let out first. Of course Malcanthet does not want an aspect of Asmodeus on the loose.

I am planning something similar with Asmodeus. My characters are partly (lawful) evil and they already know that there has been an epic ritual in the past, which has seriously weakened the side of law (especially lawful evil), and strengthened chaos. That is the reason why Demogorgon is acting now. Asmodeus is in fact seriously weakened since an important lawful evil major artifact has been stolen from the nine hells. The LE characters can begin to restore the balance between law and chaos, e.g. by releasing the aspect from the iron flask (I am going to use this adventure as well), and of course Malcanthet won't be pleased about that. In my version the rabid dawn crew is working for another archdevil (probably Mephistopheles), who wants to get a hold on Asmodeus this way.

I think it is also a nice way to introduce the archdevils in the Savage Tide, and explain why they do not meddle. In my campaign they are simply not strong enough (though Glasya is trying to strengthen her position).

Perhaps my plot inspires you as well.


Indeed, your post certainly has inspired me. Making Markosian the cultist of a rival Archdevil certainly has great mileage in my campaign.

Thanks ;)


You're welcome.

I am very curious to hear how it turns out.


Okay, well to set some context...

MY PC's are just about to start the Battle of Farshore at the end of Tides of Dread.

Over the course of the campaign, they've been through plenty of side quests:
Wreck Ashore before TinH
Eye of the Sun after TinH
Bad Light during BG
The one with the intelligent sword antagonists after BG
Porphyry House Horror and Hidden Shrine of Demogorgon during ToD

So they'll be a couple of levels ahead at the end of ToD, after which, I intend to run Strike on the Rabid Dawn (not sure if it should happen in Farshore or Sasserine).

Should I conflate CoBI & tLD?
Should I run Strike on the Rabid Dawn in place of one of the above? Or alongside them conflated? Or instead of one of them? Should I instead just give half experience over the course of tLD & CoBI?

I'm planning on putting the option for a few sidequests into the Isle of Dread, focussed around monster hunting. The giant Scorpion may turn out to be the haunting presence of the imprisoned Aspect of Obox-ob if I decide to put a bit of EomE there. The Shambling mound will probably be a dungeon with an advanced Mother of All at the centre, and the Green dragon will rule over a small civilisation of Greenspawn of Tiamat.

In my campaign, Sasserine has just been partially sacked by the Crimson Fleet, so could Strike on the Rabid Dawn fit in well there?


Since CoBI has such an iconic location, I would not leave that one out. It is a nice climax as well for the Isle of Dread part.
You can leave out TLD, since what happens there, is basically the same as in COBI.

Spoiler:
i.e. They have to stop the production of the black pearls.

Alternatively, you could shorten TLD and CoBI by removing non-essential encounters.

You could also just run COBI and TLD as they are. Since these are then probably too low for your group, the self-correcting mechanism of the XP system automatically awards them less XP, so that they will level more slowly. However, the downside of this is that they will probably have a too easy time during these two adventures.

Spoiler:
Or how about running COBI as it is and transferring TLD to later when they are in the Abyss? This would automatically increase the danger level of this adventure and could make it even creepier.


I think running TLD in the Abyss would require too much adaptation. I think I may just miss it out entirely, not decided for certain yet though.

Although it would remove the forced choice of whether to destroy the tear of Tlaloc or not...
And all of the Kopru

Decisions, decisions...

EDIT: Actually, on second thoughts I give my players the Savage Tidings Sections, so I'd better keep it otherwise they'll look at the last one and go "Tear of Tlaloc? Koprus? Aboleths? WTH?"

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