Shards of Sin
Curse of the Lady's Light
The Asylum Stone
Beyond the Doomsday Door
Into the Nightmare Rift
The Dead Heart of Xin

Just got my PDF and had a quick flick through, does it seem to anybody else that it's VERY possible for the players to lose the Shard of Envy?

Just got my PDF and had a quick flick through, does it seem to anybody else that it's VERY possible for the players to lose the Shard of Envy?

** spoiler omitted **

Best way to handle this is to have him drop the shard on the ground as he's pulled away. It's not perfect, but if you do something like let the PCs make a last second grab for it, or if you simply have the portal/doors close on his arm so it chops that off while he had the shard in his hand... that's a pretty cool end to it all.

Chances of that kind of end coming around SHOULD be pretty remote, though... the adventure's built so that there's a LOT of "safetys" in place to prevent such a development... but if it happens, simply having the shard stay behind as the only remnant of Ardathanatus is kinda cool.

I think, if that happened, I'd have Ardathanatus' body dragged away with the shard. Moments later, the shard (and only the shard) gets spat back out into Golarion, leaving the players guessing as to whether Yamasoth wants them to have it or whether it couldn't be transported or the magics weren't compatible with Sekatar Seraktis or whatever. I'm very fond of leaving my players guessing and making up their own minds about the nebulous motives of antagonists.

Okay, am I the only one who reads the title of this module... and then the concept of the Doomsday Door and thinks of that episode of The Real Ghostbusters? It's called Knock, Knock.

Subway tunnel excavators uncover a mysterious ancient door buried far beneath New York City. Upon the door is a demonic face that intones, with an echoing voice:

"Do Not Open Until Doomsday!"

Of course, its dire warning is ignored. Bad things are behind the door.

I love that episode.

I noticed that Ardathanatus does not have Heavy Armor Proficiency. Since clerics do not gain that as starting feats, his attack bonus should be significantly lower. Which feat would you trade out for this one, or am I missing something?

I have a great interest in tracking down a sound file of a possible song coming from Windsong Abbey to play while the players explore. If anyone has any suggestions please post them here. I'll continue to look.

I noticed that Ardathanatus does not have Heavy Armor Proficiency. Since clerics do not gain that as starting feats, his attack bonus should be significantly lower. Which feat would you trade out for this one, or am I missing something?

Oops...

Either his Improved Initiative or Weapon Focus feat should be swapped out for Heavy Armor Proficiency. Improved Initiative is less impactful to the stats, so that's my suggestion.

Thanks James! He is a cool villain though, to be sure!

I am not very expirienced with high level play (to me, 14th is very high) so my judgment may be skewd here, but Ardathanatus seems like a TPK waiting to happen.... this guy is PACKED with awesome.

Okay, am I the only one who reads the title of this module... and then the concept of the Doomsday Door and thinks of that episode of The Real Ghostbusters? It's called Knock, Knock.

Subway tunnel excavators uncover a mysterious ancient door buried far beneath New York City. Upon the door is a demonic face that intones, with an echoing voice:

"Do Not Open Until Doomsday!"

Of course, its dire warning is ignored. Bad things are behind the door.

I love that episode.

OMG I also had this flash back, I just couldn't recall which episode it was! I read through it briefly, I try to scan all new material, were not in this adventure yet, so were safe.

As for the crystal, its a magic item, its possible it would just drop, would appear on its own. If they miss it, I would have a animal companion save it, or a npc , over all its what ever feels good to you as a gm, and not to clique with your group.

I am not very expirienced with high level play (to me, 14th is very high) so my judgment may be skewd here, but Ardathanatus seems like a TPK waiting to happen.... this guy is PACKED with awesome.

He is indeed intended to be a pretty tough fight... ESPECIALLY for parties who don't stop along the way to the bottom of the dungeon to recruit a lot of friends and allies to help in the fight to come.

ok i'm missing something, how does he get the proficiency with halberd?

ok i'm missing something, how does he get the proficiency with halberd?

It's the favored weapon of Yamasoth.

I am reading the article on the Qlippoth, and I saw a mention that the Abyss is so big that it can be considerd infinte.

I don't get this. Is it infinite or not? Is it's size constant?

I am reading the article on the Qlippoth, and I saw a mention that the Abyss is so big that it can be considerd infinte.

I don't get this. Is it infinite or not? Is it's size constant?

Good luck finding somebody alive and sane who can answer that :)

I thought about it for a bit, and decided to rule it like this:

"There is no creature capable of crossing the entire Abyss in it's life time"

since there are creatures (like Qlippoth) who existed from the beginning of the multiverse, that would hint that

"Even a creature moving at the speed of light since the beginning of time and space didn't manage to cross the abyss yet".

I have a great interest in tracking down a sound file of a possible song coming from Windsong Abbey to play while the players explore...

Well, look what I found! Complete with sound file and all.

I am reading the article on the Qlippoth, and I saw a mention that the Abyss is so big that it can be considerd infinte.

I don't get this. Is it infinite or not? Is it's size constant?

Look at it this way:

The Material Plane encompasses a region as large as the universe—the Material Plane essentially IS the universe. AKA: The universe we all live in.

The Material Plane is contained within a shell of layered elemental planes (going from the inside out: air, water, earth, fire).

That sphere of elemental planes is itself contained at the center of the outer sphere (which is the Astral Plane). And the inner surface of the outer sphere is where the outer planes are.

The Abyss is an outer plane that winds through the "ground" of that outer sphere.

So, imagine a peach buried at the center of a mile-wide sphere of dirt. The pit of that peach (which should actually be a lot smaller, like the size of a grain of sand) is the Material Plane encased in the elemental planes; the pulp of the peach is the Astral Plane, and the peach's skin/rind is the surface on which the outer planes are located (on the inside of it). The ground radiating out from the buried peach is the stratum through which the realms of the Abyss wind. That sphere is finite (it's a mile across), but compared to the grain of sand at the center of the peach that represents the entire known universe... the Abyss is so incredibly huge that it might as well be infinite. Even though it's not.

Pendagast wrote:

ok i'm missing something, how does he get the proficiency with halberd?

It's the favored weapon of Yamasoth.

Curious, The Elf didn't start out as a follower of Yamasoth. He was a follower of Pharasma, yes?

So question then: Let's say a cleric is a follower of Desna, (or some other diety that has a favored weapon that the cleric class doesn't normally have access to) and then changes religion like this fellow.

Now I always assumed the favored diety weapon came from training up as a cleric of that faith. Just like learning how to use all martial weapons was learned as one became a fighter.

But If he leaves one faith and joins another, how does he gain the new proficiency and there by lose the old one? Ie can he no longer use a star knife efficiently, but suddenly gains the full working knowledge of the spiked chain?

OR does he retain the proficiency of starknife, a weapon he has always used, as spends some time (and possibly a feat) the learn the new favored weapon?

Essentially, is the proficiency divine knowledge granted like spells? Or is it training?

That's a good question... I have never thought of that... I would think that to explain the change, the weapon no longer "feels" right. Like losing inspiration, and gaining the inspiration to feel comfortable with the new weapon.

Though I am curious what was originally intended?

I would consider that take feasible, I never really thought of it either, which made me ask the question :>

Curious, The Elf didn't start out as a follower of Yamasoth. He was a follower of Pharasma, yes?

So question then: Let's say a cleric is a follower of Desna, (or some other diety that has a favored weapon that the cleric class doesn't normally have access to) and then changes religion like this fellow.

Now I always assumed the favored diety weapon came from training up as a cleric of that faith. Just like learning how to use all martial weapons was learned as one became a fighter.

But If he leaves one faith and joins another, how does he gain the new proficiency and there by lose the old one? Ie can he no longer use a star knife efficiently, but suddenly gains the full working knowledge of the spiked chain?

OR does he retain the proficiency of starknife, a weapon he has always used, as spends some time (and possibly a feat) the learn the new favored weapon?

Essentially, is the proficiency divine knowledge granted like spells? Or is it training?

That's a part of the game that's not really covered by the core rules, but I don't have a problem having a cleric's bonus weapon proficiency get swapped out as part of the process when you switch faiths. Just think of it as part of the whole "learning a new religion" thing—if you can abandon one deity for another, there's no reason you can't abandon one feat for another. Whether it's divinely granted or trained.

(Of course, if you want specific rules for retraining feats for PCs, you'll have to hold on a bit longer for Ultimate Campaign—it's my understanding that there'll be some rules for that in there as well.)

That's a good question... I have never thought of that... I would think that to explain the change, the weapon no longer "feels" right. Like losing inspiration, and gaining the inspiration to feel comfortable with the new weapon.

Though I am curious what was originally intended?

What's originally intended is that when he switched religions, he lost his old proficiency and gained the new one.

Reading the stats for the cleric of Zon Kuthon, who is LN, with apparently the ability to channel Positive Energy -- is this a mistake? According to the CRB, neutral clerics of an evil deity still have to channel negative energy.

Reading the stats for the cleric of Zon Kuthon, who is LN, with apparently the ability to channel Positive Energy -- is this a mistake? According to the CRB, neutral clerics of an evil deity still have to channel negative energy.

Yeah, just reached that part of the adventure and wondered the same thing myself, especially since one of my PCs wants to take Gein Kafog as a cohort. Perhaps he can channel positive energy since he's a heretic of Zon-Kuthon's faith instead of a true cleric of the Midnight Lord?

Reading the stats for the cleric of Zon Kuthon, who is LN, with apparently the ability to channel Positive Energy -- is this a mistake? According to the CRB, neutral clerics of an evil deity still have to channel negative energy.

He can channel positive energy; it's not a mistake, although it DOES go against what the Core Rulebook says. If you want this cleric to comply with the Core Rulebook, that's fine and it's an easy change to make, but in the development of the adventure, I felt it made sense for the character and his near heretical take on his religion to support that heresy by bending the rules.

Paladin of Baha-who? wrote:

Reading the stats for the cleric of Zon Kuthon, who is LN, with apparently the ability to channel Positive Energy -- is this a mistake? According to the CRB, neutral clerics of an evil deity still have to channel negative energy.

He can channel positive energy; it's not a mistake, although it DOES go against what the Core Rulebook says. If you want this cleric to comply with the Core Rulebook, that's fine and it's an easy change to make, but in the development of the adventure, I felt it made sense for the character and his near heretical take on his religion to support that heresy by bending the rules.

That cleric just went from incredibly interesting to even more incredibly interesting. :)

what are the odds of seeing a downloadable PDF containing the "800 words on speech mannerisms of Redcaps" that were cut?
I'm seeing tons of use for fluff like that.

what are the odds of seeing a downloadable PDF containing the "800 words on speech mannerisms of Redcaps" that were cut?

I'm seeing tons of use for fluff like that.

100%

Check the other thread.

Looking at the maps for this and the previous adventures. IS the scale on the maps correct? 1 square = 10feet makes the dungeon huge in size! Doors alone are 8 feet wide, makes sense in part 5 but not in the parts up to now.

Looking at the maps for this and the previous adventures. IS the scale on the maps correct? 1 square = 10feet makes the dungeon huge in size! Doors alone are 8 feet wide, makes sense in part 5 but not in the parts up to now.

The scale is indeed correct. That said, the size of the doors is somewhat exaggerated so that you can see them—it's better to have large and obvious doors, in my opinion. If you're mapping the dungeon out with 5-foot-squares, you can make them normal width for Medium creatures if you want...

...but remember, many Thassilonian ruins are built big. Many were built by giants, after all.