Among the Gods

[AZhobbit]

Ok did anyone else catch this, to get to their destination the PC's can be transported via teleport or take the long journey walking and pay 125gp in tolls and such marching through the Taldan countryside. Yet it doesn't discuss them getting back or having to pay for this to return to Oppara? I just found this kinda funny. PS this is a really fun chronicle, highly recommended. Does this count as a spoiler?

[deusvult]

I suppose once the mission is over, there is no longer a need for speed and the characters can mosey at the pace of free transportation all the way back to the Lodge.

[WalterGM]

deusvult wrote:

I suppose once the mission is over, there is no longer a need for speed and the characters can mosey at the pace of free transportation all the way back to the Lodge.

I figured this. I ran it a couple weeks ago and assumed as much. A side note, however. A fellow GM ran a parallel table and made his PCs pay for the trip back home. It would be nice if there was just a sentence in there: "PCs must pay for travel back to Oppara" or "After the climactic ending on the peak, the cavalry arrives and the PCs are teleported back to Oppara."

[nosig]

I'm prepping this to run, and when I have the time I like to come here and get most of my questions answered (and many that I don't think of too).

But I have a major question on one of the encounters in this, and I am unable to find anything that addresses it.

In the "Crypt of House Tulwin" - there is a Large monster. And no description of where it is. The room is laid out, the map is clear (and very easy) and mostly I have no problem with it... but the write-up seems to ignore the fact that there is a honking big monster in the room. It almost feels like a bug-bunny cartoon, with the beast hiding behind a piller with an eye on each side, while the PCs wonder the room and never see it.

When I played this, the judge stuck in a secret door and a side compartment to hold the creature - but this led to a problem when we searched for secret doors (Perceptions were high enough, over 40). Finally he just told us to quit searching as he "would not let you spoil the encounter".

I do NOT want to inflict that sort of thing on someone else. But... do I just put the monster in the corner of the room? is there something I'm missing?

the creature "...fights until destroyed to prevent anyone entering the tomb from leaving with the scepter or any other treasure located therein..." but appears not to be a danger as long as no one steals anything. In fact, "If the PCs return ...any other stolen treasure..., it takes no further action against them unless it ... has identified a PC as one of the late lord’s descendants." So it looks like it ignores them if they don't take things. And maybe defends itself. SO... do I just put it in the corner, read the room discription and add "oh, and in this corner is a big honkin' monster" at the end?

[Jeffrey Fox]

I think it's suppose to come in from behind the party. To cut them off when they try to leave.

[Sniggevert]

I put the large construct to the side of the room when I ran the high tier, and the medium one I put standing next to the sarcophagus in the lower tier. It doesn't say, so it's totally a GM call. I'd add a blurb about what type of statue/creature was standing in the room wherever you put it though in the room description you read ;).

[nosig]

Jeffrey Fox wrote:

I think it's suppose to come in from behind the party. To cut them off when they try to leave.

I figured I might do this... except the map only shows 5 feet of the 5' wide entry steps that are described as "2 stories deep" (no outside of the tomb is shown, and only the deep room is shown on the map) and the monster is Large (10'x 10'). I guess I could have it squeeze into the room after them, coming down the stairs onto them. I know I'm going to feel funny telling the PCs "you all cluster around the far end of the room for some reason, and while you are there a Large beast enters the room."

edit: I see it's only large in the higher tier.... let me look at it again...

[nosig]

Sniggevert wrote:

I put the large construct to the side of the room when I ran the high tier, and the medium one I put standing next to the sarcophagus in the lower tier. It doesn't say, so it's totally a GM call. I'd add a blurb about what type of statue/creature was standing in the room wherever you put it though in the room description you read ;).

I'll likely go with something like this... and steal the monster write-up from the judges notes: "...This monstrous conglomeration of parts from other creatures has stood watch for centuries, patiently guarding the tomb, ...".

I just know the PCs are going to attack it... I mean I would.

[Sniggevert]

nosig wrote:

Sniggevert wrote:

I put the large construct to the side of the room when I ran the high tier, and the medium one I put standing next to the sarcophagus in the lower tier. It doesn't say, so it's totally a GM call. I'd add a blurb about what type of statue/creature was standing in the room wherever you put it though in the room description you read ;).

I'll likely go with something like this... and steal the monster write-up from the judges notes: "...This monstrous conglomeration of parts from other creatures has stood watch for centuries, patiently guarding the tomb, ...".

I just know the PCs are going to attack it... I mean I would.

Well, yeah. I had the group with the large one surround it and slaughter him. Of course, this was the group that was utterly surprised at the scenario not being over after getting the "phat lewt" too ;). I gave them a run for their money on that fight.

[nosig]

Sniggevert wrote:

nosig wrote:

Sniggevert wrote:

I put the large construct to the side of the room when I ran the high tier, and the medium one I put standing next to the sarcophagus in the lower tier. It doesn't say, so it's totally a GM call. I'd add a blurb about what type of statue/creature was standing in the room wherever you put it though in the room description you read ;).

I'll likely go with something like this... and steal the monster write-up from the judges notes: "...This monstrous conglomeration of parts from other creatures has stood watch for centuries, patiently guarding the tomb, ...".

I just know the PCs are going to attack it... I mean I would.

Well, yeah. I had the group with the large one surround it and slaughter him. Of course, this was the group that was utterly surprised at the scenario not being over after getting the "phat lewt" too ;). I gave them a run for their money on that fight.

I might just remind my players before we start about the game where the PCs end up running the "Big monster in the tomb" - and the story of the party that distroyed it before they suddenly NEEDED it. You know, just in the pre-game conversation. LOL! it might be fun to see them trying to figure a way to get the loot, without upsetting the beast (no way I can see... but then players will surprise you!)

[Chris Mortika]

You know, given the nature of the monster, there's nothing that says it has to start whole. It could be disassembled and in a dozen or so small lockers in the walls of the tomb. Someone searching for secret doors might see a loose stone here or there (securely locked in place, but with a definite break in the mortar) but only a foot by a foot-and-a-half.

Then it's loot time, and the spit hits the fan. And all the doors open, and various body parts move out, and assemble, Voltron-like, in the room.

That would get people's attention.

[nosig]

Chris Mortika wrote:

You know, given the nature of the monster, there's nothing that says it has to start whole. It could be disassembled and in a dozen or so small lockers in the walls of the tomb. Someone searching for secret doors might see a loose stone here or there (securely locked in place, but with a definite break in the mortar) but only a foot by a foot-and-a-half.

Then it's loot time, and the spit hits the fan. And all the doors open, and various body parts move out, and assemble, Voltron-like, in the room.

That would get people's attention.

Player a: "Quick! I grab the head and stuff it in my haversack!"

Player b: "And I grab the - what ever this is - and stuff it in mine! it can't get out till I pull it right?"
Me: eye roll."errr.... what else do you have in there?"

LOL!

[Castilliano]

If I recall, the monster fits in the corner without being seen until players step to entrance. Initiative begins because players see a big monster. Issue is?

I drew a corridor down from the finale site to it, otherwise continuity sucks.

The main flaw I found (high-tier) was the 10' non-intelligent monster has a 5' corridor that's easily exploited. So many PC options shut him down, or force him to squeeze to get at them.
It's not a big threat to begin with, and can't think to avoid anything smart the PCs do.
So sad.

Not that my players did anything but rush him and chop, but they did have a Spring Attacker (40' move, maybe 50') who could have soloed it.

What would be funny is if somebody stole the stuff invisibly and they ran, thinking they avoided it.
Slowly, but surely, it would follow...

Cheers, JMK

[nosig]

Castilliano wrote:

If I recall, the monster fits in the corner without being seen until players step to entrance. Initiative begins because players see a big monster. Issue is?

I drew a corridor down from the finale site to it, otherwise continuity sucks.

The main flaw I found (high-tier) was the 10' non-intelligent monster has a 5' corridor that's easily exploited. So many PC options shut him down, or force him to squeeze to get at them.
It's not a big threat to begin with, and can't think to avoid anything smart the PCs do.
So sad.

Not that my players did anything but rush him and chop, but they did have a Spring Attacker (40' move, maybe 50') who could have soloed it.

What would be funny is if somebody stole the stuff invisibly and they ran, thinking they avoided it.
Slowly, but surely, it would follow...

Cheers, JMK

actually, the way my judge ran it, the monster just wasn't there (anywhere) until the item was touched, and then he appeared from a secret door. Basicly so the monster would get a surprise round on the PCs (and be blocking the exit- splitting the party into two parts by arriving in the middle).

[runslikeawelshman]

I just ran this scenario tonight without checking the secondary success condition beforehand. After a very successful run where the party did everything right I had to sheepishly explain to them that they didn't ear their second prestige point because not everyone in the party had made their saves against two otherwise unimportant traps. I understand they can cover up or wash off the substance they get covered in in encounter 1A, but seriously, one person in the party fails the second reflex save on the trap in encounter 1C and that second prestige point is gone? BS.