The Hungry Storm (GM Reference)


Jade Regent

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Jason is right, I am just before this point for the next session of gameplay.

Shadow Lodge

That's my confusion:

The paragraph says that they need one check to find the ford (after saying that they automatically find the ford), one to navigate the marshes, one to cross the river and one to find the path afterward.

So if they go for the main ford, they'll only need one check?

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

Again, I don't have the book in front of me, but the idea is that there are two sense of the word ford. There's finding the Ford (as in, the location on the map), and then once you actually get down to the river finding the actual, literal ford (i.e., shallow area in the river that lets you cross).

The first "finding the ford" is about finding the right spot on the map. The second is, once you get there, poking around in the water until you find the actual rocky shallows that you can drag your wagons, etc. across.

A caravan ford in the wilderness isn't like a bridge or the interstate or a tunnel, where there's a clearly constructed passage that's the only way to go. Your map or your guide follows the landmarks to find that bend past the big rock that looks like a goat and the stand of 4 tall trees, and then you wade out into the marshy shallows and start poking around to find the crossing (first check), follow the path through the marshes, avoiding sinkholes and dropoffs (second check), get out to the open water of the river and make it across with nobody getting swept away in the current (third check), and then once you get out and reassembled on the far side, getting your bearings again and finding the next landmark to continue on your journey (fourth check).

Make more sense?

Shadow Lodge

That does make sense. I think the word "automatically" confused me. Thanks for the quick advice, Jason!

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

I live but to serve... :)

The Exchange

Well my group cleared the Storm Tower last night. The fight with Katiyana was very anticlimactic :)
After having been crapped out the back of a moonflower, and discovered the Remorhaz in the second level, the group's magus enlarged himself as a defense against being swallowed whole. It wound up really working in his favor since at the storm sphere the winds didn't affect him in his new size. Using wind walk he was able to get in Katiyana's face after the first round, which effectively stopped me from getting any of my full round castings off (Summon V, Greater Command). two rounds later he got in a crit with suishen and a shocking grasp for 84 damage nearly killing her in one shot. wasn't long from there.

ah well. there's always next time... :)

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

Ah, too bad she went down like a punk, but with her there will DEFINITELY be a next time. :)


I had her on a high platform, not visible to the players below, and not audible over the sound of wind and lightning, and already summoning as the lift came up.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

This has been bugging me for a while as I've run my group through "The Hungry Storm," but I finally have to ask. Consider this encounter in the Path of Spirits before getting the the Uqtaal Necropolis:

Quote:

Headless Apparitions CR 8

The caravan sights 1d6 faintly glowing spectral figures following the path (equal chance for them to be heading north or south). The apparitions wear nomadic tribal garb, but all of them are headless. The caravan must succeed at a DC 23 Resolve check or panic, fleeing away from the apparitions. The caravan can attempt a new Resolve check once per hour to stop its headlong flight. While fleeing, the caravan takes a –4 penalty on Security checks. If the caravan succeeds at the Resolve check, the apparitions ignore the caravan, silently passing by on whatever strange errand they are engaged in.

XP Award: Award the PCs 4,800 XP for a headless apparitions encounter.

Why is this encounter worth XP?

I have no problem with the atmospherics of the encounter; in that respect, I think it will be fun. But the encounter is based -- success or failure -- on a single die roll, and even if the die roll fails, there are no meaningful negatives for the group or for the caravan. Time isn't a factor, so not even the lost hours mean anything.

There are lots of encounters like this in "The Hungry Storm," so I suspect the answer is pragmatic: "Because the PCs need XP to reach 10th level by the end of the chapter." Okay, but I would honestly rather see that XP doled out as "story awards" at major points (e.g., entering the Uqtaal Necropolis, I intend to give out all the extraneous, meaningless XP from each encounter), so why dole it out piecemeal?


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This is, IMO, one of the remaining big problems with APs in general: Since the medium XP track demands lots and lots of encounters to level up, especially at the higher levels, there is a lot of filler with many, many encounters which barely can touch the player characters.

Since combat encounters take much longer to resolve than any single RP encounter, those multiple trash ( in the sense of MMO trash mobs ) encounters between boss battles eat up tons of time. If there were more story situations which gave large XP awards, maybe the writers could thin out the dungeon detritus a bit and instead insert more roleplaying opportunities.


Time can be a factor (isn't the hungry storm supposed to be expanding at that point?) though I doubt a couple of hours is going to make much difference. Unless you want to trigger another event during those hours?

In the previous book I gave my players XP for triggering a Divine Flame trap and having to use some wand charges to heal themselves. It's not much different. They had an experience, so they gain experience.

Compared to caravan combat rules that are guaranteed to destroy the caravan if you play them as written, this doesn't seem like a big deal...

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Matthew Downie wrote:
Time can be a factor (isn't the hungry storm supposed to be expanding at that point?)

Doesn't matter. They're under the mountain by this point.

Quote:
In the previous book I gave my players XP for triggering a Divine Flame trap and having to use some wand charges to heal themselves. It's not much different.

That trap killed one of my characters, so I'd say it's a little different.

Quote:
Compared to caravan combat rules that are guaranteed to destroy the caravan if you play them as written, this doesn't seem like a big deal...

Well, I already rewrote the caravan combat rules. But you're right, it's not a huge deal; it's just annoying. Like I said, just dole it all out as a story award at an appropriate time. There's no real difference, but it's more honest.

The Exchange

Ignore the caravan combat rules, and run it as a regular encounter, with the NPCs present.


Chernobyl wrote:
Ignore the caravan combat rules, and run it as a regular encounter, with the NPCs present.

That's what I've been doing with all the caravan battles. But having all the NPCs present really slows the pace and means my actions take longer than everyone else's put together. So I switched to having one random NPC per combat. Or no NPCs - the players seem to prefer it that way. I like to keep it a varied; last session I had Sandru rushing in to 'help' the PCs in their battle with a Polar Pudding, causing it to split it into two.

In this particular case, I'd skip the event completely, since there's another battle with headless undead that the PCs are supposed to fight as a regular encounter.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

I suppose that's true. I liked the idea of the headless foreshadowing - first it's harmless apparitions, then later it's actual bad guys, but the thematics can be established by either one.

If we were going to do another adventure for the Far East AP through Legendary Games, and we might, it's apparent that an alternative to the Uqtaal Necropolis might be popular.

The Exchange

Well, Jason, from a purely selfish perspective, I'd hope for something in book 4 forest of spirits...since you wouldn't be able to get something written up and published before I run my group through the uqtall necropolis! :)


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Yeah, NPC overload is upping the running time of the battles too much, here, too. On Monday it's up against Vegundsvaag and at least I will be able to leave all but one NPC with the wagons parked nearby to her lair, as to defend them against any sneaky stuff from her. I'll also be looking to make that the standard from now on.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

NPCs aren't exactly a problem for me, because my group is pretty okay with not not making an issue of my ongoing and often repetitive efforts to have a reason that the NPCs aren't present for battles. (I planted the seed early by, while the PCs and NPCs were away from the caravan, having a troll attack and kill a couple of the minor -- but named! -- NPCs. Now if the NPCs can stick with the caravan, they do, at the direction or with the blessing of the PCs.)

Since my rewrite of the caravan rules, caravan combat is also pretty good. I've written rules to allow each PC to have an effect every round, so it's descriptive and quick enough that it doesn't really matter that we're just exchanging dice rolls and damage for a couple of minutes.

The only really awkward thing is when there's supposed to be individual combat ... but the caravan is present -- or at least close enough that the NPCs should be participating, if only at range. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating, in case Paizo ever tries this experiment again: they need to devote a page or two to advice on how to handle it. Practical advice, not theoretical advice.

In fact, encounters that are intended for the PCs to handle should -- in the encounter -- give specific reasons that the PCs aren't being backed up by the combat-capable NPCs. As an alternative, an encounter could say something like, "Shalelu will rain arrows down on the glacier toads, inflicting 8 damage per round" or "Ameiko will sing for the duration of this battle, granting the PCs +2 to attacks and damage and on saves vs. fear."

Anyway, all that said, "escorting a caravan" is a classic fantasy trope, so just because JR has been a little -- just a little -- problematic, there's no reason Paizo should stay away from the idea forever.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Jason Nelson wrote:
I suppose that's true. I liked the idea of the headless foreshadowing - first it's harmless apparitions, then later it's actual bad guys, but the thematics can be established by either one.

I can't tell if other folks are misunderstanding what I was complaining about, or if people are making separate complaints that are coincidentally also dealing with the encounter text I posted.

To be clear, I think it's good that the headless apparitions encounter is in there. I like atmospherics. And it's not like it consumes a lot of time.

My complaint was purely that it's not worth XP. It should exist. It can exist in precisely the form it exists in. It just shouldn't grant XP. And it's not the only one in the adventure ... there's are at least 10 or so that are interesting as encounters, but are nevertheless not worth any XP, contrary to the text.


Jeff Wilder wrote:
Jason Nelson wrote:
I suppose that's true. I liked the idea of the headless foreshadowing - first it's harmless apparitions, then later it's actual bad guys, but the thematics can be established by either one.

I can't tell if other folks are misunderstanding what I was complaining about, or if people are making separate complaints that are coincidentally also dealing with the encounter text I posted.

To be clear, I think it's good that the headless apparitions encounter is in there. I like atmospherics. And it's not like it consumes a lot of time.

My complaint was purely that it's not worth XP. It should exist. It can exist in precisely the form it exists in. It just shouldn't grant XP. And it's not the only one in the adventure ... there's are at least 10 or so that are interesting as encounters, but are nevertheless not worth any XP, contrary to the text.

Adventure Paths are all, to a greater or lesser extent, based on notional XP. Players are rewarded for time played and survival, not just "overcoming the challenge." From what I can tell, this is mostly a result of production schedules and space requirements - a particular adventure just might not have enough "challenge" going on in its' pages to get from the point where the author of this volume picks up to where the next author has been told to start. This particularly affects "The Hungry Storm," I suspect, because it's built almost entirely out of random encounters with two fairly short setpieces and a couple of staged encounters along the way. Thus it's hard to guarantee that any particular group will get all the XP, so "freebies" are seeded to make sure that the book, RAW, will get players who may have missed things in "Night of Frozen Shadows" to where they can survive "Forest of Spirits."


Jeff Wilder wrote:
The only really awkward thing is when there's supposed to be individual combat ... but the caravan is present -- or at least close enough that the NPCs should be participating, if only at range.

Some ways I've handled this:

The PCs are scouting ahead. "Go and check out that cabin/black monolith."
The PCs are on the lead wagon when suddenly a monster attacks. By the time anyone else has noticed what's going on and made their way through the snow to join them, the battle is already over. (Since battles tend to last about 18 seconds this is very plausible.)
There's a blizzard. The PCs are fighting a monster, while the NPCs are just a few dozen feet away, but completely unaware of what's going on because of the weather conditions.
The PCs are attacked by some monsters. More monsters are attacking the far end of the caravan and the NPCs are fighting over there.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

Chris Kenney wrote:
Jeff Wilder wrote:
Jason Nelson wrote:
I suppose that's true. I liked the idea of the headless foreshadowing - first it's harmless apparitions, then later it's actual bad guys, but the thematics can be established by either one.

I can't tell if other folks are misunderstanding what I was complaining about, or if people are making separate complaints that are coincidentally also dealing with the encounter text I posted.

To be clear, I think it's good that the headless apparitions encounter is in there. I like atmospherics. And it's not like it consumes a lot of time.

My complaint was purely that it's not worth XP. It should exist. It can exist in precisely the form it exists in. It just shouldn't grant XP. And it's not the only one in the adventure ... there's are at least 10 or so that are interesting as encounters, but are nevertheless not worth any XP, contrary to the text.

Adventure Paths are all, to a greater or lesser extent, based on notional XP. Players are rewarded for time played and survival, not just "overcoming the challenge." From what I can tell, this is mostly a result of production schedules and space requirements - a particular adventure just might not have enough "challenge" going on in its' pages to get from the point where the author of this volume picks up to where the next author has been told to start. This particularly affects "The Hungry Storm," I suspect, because it's built almost entirely out of random encounters with two fairly short setpieces and a couple of staged encounters along the way. Thus it's hard to guarantee that any particular group will get all the XP, so "freebies" are seeded to make sure that the book, RAW, will get players who may have missed things in "Night of Frozen Shadows" to where they can survive "Forest of Spirits."

I think this is a fair assessment of the situation.

For decades I was an xp stickler, doing the math after every session, but in my previous campaign and also the one I've just recently started, I decided to just go with hand-waved xp, just leveling every so often (including leveling up people who don't make every session) instead of trying to micromanage xp. It makes a lot of problems like this go away. I get why they can't do that in an official print product, but I've come to appreciate the joys of simplicity when it comes to just keeping the adventure going. :)


In responce to NPCs during near-caravan combat: So, I've made some changes to the caravan system, but essentially I'm running the mechanics behind the scenes and just having a regular combat with the PCs and one NPC joining in. I kinda wanted to ditch the caravan but, considering how it's survival through this book is supposed to be one of the challenges, it seemed that, to me, it would diminish this adventure if the Players weren't aware of the risk and damage their caravan could take.

Anyway, to this extent, battles will basically consist of the PCs fighting a regular battle while the caravan battle happens in the background, whichever side wins first causes the other half of the combat to retreat. As the situation presents a single additional NPC will join them (Likely Ulf, Shalelu, Kelda or Ameiko, or possibly Skygni), to make things a little interesting. The reasoning I gave, at least for the third book, is a suggestion from Ulf for there to be a combat capable advance party, for the general fact of reducing the damage to the caravan either because creatures are more likely to attack the lower numbers, or the advance party could deal with the encounter before the caravan, or seeming less threatening diplomatically by approaching in smaller numbers, etc, etc, etc.


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Jeff Wilder wrote:
Anyway, all that said, "escorting a caravan" is a classic fantasy trope, so just because JR has been a little -- just a little -- problematic, there's no reason Paizo should stay away from the idea forever.

As someone who want more recurring NPCs who stay an important for APs in general, I agree. My specific problem comes up because with this group we have six players, five NPCs and three hours of playing time per week. You can imagine the results.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Jason Nelson wrote:
I get why they can't do that in an official print product, but I've come to appreciate the joys of simplicity when it comes to just keeping the adventure going.

The thing is, the AP is doing that, more or less (and I have no problems with the concept) ... it's just doing it in a non-ideal way.

Right now it's "Okay, so the caravan made its DC 23 Security roll. Nothing happens. 6,400 XP." Rinse and repeat.

Instead, do it as "The caravan has finally made it to the Gates of Desna after great trials, even beyond the physical combat and other dangers. 25,600 XP."

The first one reads as an award for doing nothing (even though it's actually a story award), while the second one reads as a story award. And it saves page space.

Theoretically, there's little difference between the two methods. Practically -- especially for someone like me, who has recruited a player to keep an ongoing tally of XP -- the first is jarring and (as I said) space-wasting.

Shadow Lodge

NPC actions, spoilered because I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, or where I stole the idea from.:

I give out "NPC Action Cards" at the beginning of every session/ encounter. If a player declares that an NPC is with them, and they have a relationship above acquaintance, they get a card. When they get to "devotion," they'll get two cards (except Ulf, who is always with them, and so always has a card). The cards have the NPCs picture on one side, to help the players remember who's with them. Once per encounter, the player can hand in the card to have the NPC perform one of the actions on the back. For example:

Koya’s NPC actions may be used to:
Activate a Class Feature: Channel positive energy: 2d6; Bit of luck
Cast a Spell: Koya can cast aid, augery, cure moderate wounds, lesser restoration, make whole, obscuring mist, sanctuary, or cure light wounds.
Make a Skill Check: Heal +11, Know(religion) +8, Prof(fortune-teller) +11, Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +8. In combat: take 10. Out of combat: take 20.
Draw Aggro: Koya whistles and makes spellcasting gestures, without really casting. The action is enough to draw the foe’s attention, and the opponent targets her with their next attack.
Rescue from Certain Doom: Whispering a prayer to Desna, thanks for being in the right place at the right time, Koya shoves you out of the way of a spell or attack that would reduce you to negative Hit Points or the dead condition, taking the attack herself. (Note: this option is unavailable to Rivals.)
Goad: Koya clucks her tongue at you, and her Varisian evil-eye glare spurs you into action. She's really creepy. (Take an extra standard action. This option is unavailable to Friends.)

If an NPC card is not spent the NPC can be used to flank or Aid Another. NPC actions must be declared at the start of your turn.

End result: the NPCs take up almost no time in the combat, their presence is felt, they have a small effect (Shalelu sacrificed herself to save a PC, at one point), and I never have to play an NPC in combat. It's a great replacement for hero points.

About giving experience for a single die roll: this is yet another reason why I level at story appropriate moments, instead. Beat Kimandatsu? Get a level! Because how anti-climactic is it to beat the big boss in the middle of a level? *yawn* I couldn't even tell you how many xp most encounters are supposed to give. I never even read that line.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I don't think that system would work well for me, I like the NPCs to be more fully realized in combat.

Shadow Lodge

You could adapt the system, though, to give each NPC an action every round, but limited to the ones on the card. That way, the person who has the tightest relationship with the NPC controls their actions, but doesn't have to learn to read a whole new sheet.

Personally, I found that trying to realize the NPCs during combat led to making my players watch me play with myself: "Shalelu rapid-shots the yeti for 25 damage, then moves, so the yeti gets an AoO, which she dodges. Ameiko keeps singing, and moves past the yeti to get into flanking position for Sandru. Sandru attacks with his rapier, deftly power attacking for 30 points. Nobody needs healing yet, so Koya casts 'Bless." Ulf charges, but he misses. Now, it's... hey, where did everybody go?"

Alternatively, the players all got an NPC to play... then spent an extra fifteen minutes on every turn because they weren't familiar with the character sheet and had to look up every little rule. Half of my players can barely keep the rules for their own characters in their hards, little say a whole new character they didn't create.

I made the decision early on to let the PCs be the stars of the combats and work on making the NPCs more important outside of combat. YMMV.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

So far I've been giving the NPCs to the players, but it is getting unwieldy with six players, especially with the short sessions we have. I think limiting the NPC action to one or two NPCs ( most likely Ameiko and Shalelu ) will help the best in my case.

In case of the other group I am running ( momentarily on hiatus, because one of the other players is running Rise of the Runelords and another will re-start Second Darkness when she is ready and player two wants a break ) Koya is a PC and we only have four players and a kinda weakish group set-up. So the fully realized NPCs are actually a big help and I simply let them being played by the other players.


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Because measuring/double checking all of this was such a huge pain and nobody else should have to go through it, presenting... The Hungry Storm checkpoint distances!

The following information assumes (as per the adventure) a caravan speed of 32 miles/day, and distances are all rounded to the nearest 32 mile interval. All distances/travel times specifically mentioned in the book match up with this perfectly, and it generally meshes nicely with measurements from the crown of the world map.

From Kalsgard to the mountains: 1160 miles/37 days
Through Giant Downs: 224 miles/7 days
At the end of that 7 day stretch, there's a choice of routes.

LAKE ROUTE:
To reach Bearleg Lakes: 96 miles/3 days
Through Bearleg Lakes to Old Magu Encounter: 260 miles/5 days
To Qopuk Ford: 64 miles/2 days
To start of Wandering Herd: 32 miles/1 day
Duration of Wandering Herd: 224 miles/7 days
END OF LAKE ROUTE (Paths rejoin here)

HILL ROUTE:
To Lost Lake: 256 miles/8 days
To Avalanche Ambush: 96 miles/3 days
To Cannibal Camp: 64 miles/2 days
To Fording Taraska: 32 miles/1 day
To end of HILL ROUTE: 32 miles/1 day
END OF HILL ROUTE (Paths rejoin here)

To Iqaliat: 128 miles/4 days
(Side note: 64 miles from rejoin point to Iqualiat/Unaimo route split, 128 miles from there to Unaimo, so at this assumed speed, if you want to head there first, learn the path is blocked and double back, it's an 8 day side trip)
To Dragon: 64 miles/2 days (3 days without a guide, so 96 miles for the scenic route apparently)
To Storm Tower: 704 miles/22 days (starting at Iqaliat, 640 from Dragon)
To Dead Man's Dome: 512 miles/16 days
To Ul-Angorn: 320 miles/10 days (224 high ice, 96 standard)
To/through Ovorikeer Pass: 160 miles/5 days
To Jaagiin: 224 miles/7 days
To Last Pass: 384 miles/12 days
Chased by Morozko: 30 miles/1 day (special rules for it)
To Necropolis: 48 miles/3 days (half speed in the tunnels)
To rejoin path/end of adventure: 160 miles/5 days

I considered rounding the high ice distances off to multiples of 7 projected days, but with breaks for repairs and decent odds of losing the caravan in combat, I'm personally OK with sticking to what I initially worked out.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Nice work on the distances. :) Since my players exchanged their draft horses for cold-weather draft cattle, base speed is 24 miles for my group, enhanced with two oxen trains to about 30 miles. Not counting weather problems like Blizzards or Rough Terrain encounters, my calculations for best speed to reach the Ukthaal Necropolis from the start of the AP were 121 days and 156 for the worst outcome ( i.e. not making a single Security check for good movement on the High Ice ). Of course bad weather and terrain can easily make those estimates inaccurate.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

Good work! Should be handy for folks running it.


I wound up using those headless spectres after all. (And awarding no XP as it was purely atmospheric.)

I've noticed that my players want to help themselves to all the burial offerings they can find. (Ideally while no-one else from the caravan is watching.) The description for S9 and S10 say there is 10-60gp in every 5 foot of wall. Has anyone counted the number of wall sections here? Looking at the wiggly bits, I estimate around 500 5-foot sections in the wiggly bits, which is around 17500gp, assuming people want to make 500 easy perception checks and then roll 500 d6. Or should I just say, take as much copper as you can carry? (Shouldn't have sold off the Bag of Holding...)

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

I like the copper solution. Those burial goods certainly aren't going to be neatly packed as sacks of gold coins. It'll be dolls and masks and statues and idols and weapons and carvings. Think about all the different crap they found in King Tut's tomb. Only some of it was little teeny high-value items. Just "pocketing it when no one's looking" isn't going to be a realistic option without heavy use of shrink item. They will end up with a couple of WAGONS full of goods.


Googleshng, thank you so much for sharing! That info is going to be incredibly useful for me!

The Exchange

Thanks for the work on the distances...I'll be adjusting my group's calendar with this info.
We've been using the corrected travel times though, because the core book lists a different value for overland travel by wagon than jade regent does...basically jade regent assumes you're going twice as fast as you should be.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

There are approximately 300 five-foot wall sections in the catacombs (S9 and S10). On average, assuming the PCs are physically able (and willing) to take everything, it should come out to around 10,500 gp value. (I can't imagine anybody actually rolling for this 300 times ... )

Grand Lodge

Chernobyl wrote:

the core book lists a different value for overland travel by wagon than jade regent does...basically jade regent assumes you're going twice as fast as you should be.

Yes and No.

CRB says 2 mph. JR Caravan rules ramp it up to 2 1/3 mph.

The big difference is that Core Rules assume an 8 hour day, while the AP assumes 12.


Googleshng wrote:
... nobody else should have to go through it...

*rejoice*


Simple question, but it's been bugging me for days now, especially as my group is about to hit the High Ice

What does a hoarfrost spirit look like?

At first I thought it would be an incorporeal undead, but the stats make it sound like a very solid material undead.

Right now, I'm picturing it like a skeleton with layers of hoarfrost on them and blue glowing eyes.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

Can't help you on the appearance of it. I did create a new incorporeal arctic undead for the AP Bestiary for the issue, but it ended up getting cut and the hoarfrost spirits replaced it. I think the monster is from the Tome of Horrors but I'm not sure.


Hoarspirit, Tome of Horrors II, p94.
"...a gaunt humanoid dressed in tattered rags. Its skin is pale gray and ice crystals have formed on various parts of its body. Its hands end in claws, each with translucent icy blue nails..."


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Well, there's a picture of zombie/skeleton creatures attacking Ulf and the iconic monk on page six under a black monolith. Which, of course, don't look anything like that description. ^^

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I describe them almost exactly as quoted by Matthew Downie. (Complete coincidence, as I don't own the ToH2.) I also decided that when they cone of cold, it manifests as razor-sharp tiny ice crystals from their mouth gaping widely, and that it uses their own body mass, making them even gaunter after they've breathed. (In groups, this allows the PCs to keep track of which ones have used cone of cold, which is kind of a big deal.) I described paralyzed enemies as developing tiny icicles on their body and equipment. Finally, I described the hoarfrost spirits themselves as shattering into ice crystal "dust" when destroyed.


I was a bit confused by the second anti-life barrier (Uqtaal s10a). Is it supposed to be possible to go around it? (I wound up having Koya cast Dispel Magic on it.)


I am starting up Hungry Storms and I have a couple of quick questions.

What does Ulf charge for guiding the group over the top of the world?

and

What time of year does the group leave Karlsgard? I know its not the usual time for caravans going over which is summer.


Ulf is sorta supposed to offer his services for free on account of the party rescuing him.

In general, when the group leaves Kalsgard is entirely up to the group. There is nothing actually stopping a group from spending months in Kalsgard. The adventure assumes a departure of early winter or so I believe, October-Novemberish.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Right on all accounts. If you want the group to travel through the polar night, however, you might even want to have them start their journey as soon as September... my group left in late October and made good time, but having passed the Storm Tower right now, they are already in March and thus have missed the real winter on the north pole.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Or, if you use the travel times in the CRB instead of as listed in the AP, it doesn't actually matter much when they make the trip. From the Rimethirst Mountains to the Wall of Heaven will take the better part of a full year.

The Exchange

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Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Had the Moonflower fight. The barbarian was podded up...and didn't have a knife. Well, that was the first time I saw someone power attack with their teeth.

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