| Garm Sumner |
| GameMastery Cards Subscriber |
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It can't be just me....
Why does this adventure grant these items?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?
Dryder
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| Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Roleplaying Game, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules, Comics, GameMastery Maps Subscriber |
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Well, I think they are awesome.
The half-elf sorcerer in my group never used the crown, because he would look pretty weird with it on its head! He kept it, but never really used it.
The dagger is only +1, as long as your pcs don't do an evil ritual, not speaking of eating a fresh ripped out heart. And even than its powers are only for an hour.
| Garm Sumner |
| GameMastery Cards Subscriber |
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Okay, the characters do have to do an evil-ish ritual. But the ritual grants them way higher levels spells like restoration or divination!
The crown grants +1 to sorcerer caster level! I guess my players don't particularly worry about how things look sometimes or rituals, especially when the items powers are ridiculously good.
amethal
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| Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Campaign Setting Subscriber |
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Well, I think they are awesome.
The half-elf sorcerer in my group never used the crown, because he would look pretty weird with it on its head! He kept it, but never really used it.The dagger is only +1, as long as your pcs don't do an evil ritual, not speaking of eating a fresh ripped out heart. And even than its powers are only for an hour.
For +1 caster level, I don't care how weird the crown looks! It wouldn't be so much use to our sorcerer (who uses Wisdom as casting stat) except the GM has modified it to give +2 Wis. He has also allowed us to pay to improve he Wisdom bonus. Of course, he may be influenced by the fact it is the novice player who is playing the sorcerer - he might not have been so accommodating if it had been one of the power-gaming veterans.
He has also changed the dagger so it is not Evil (as that fits in better with the rest of his campaign, apparently). The dagger is a big help as we have a 3 character party and no cleric.
Our party consists of a goblin, a half orc and a half elf. The goblin, in particular, will eat absolutely anything so hearts are not an issue. The half orc also isn't too bothered about eating hearts. I imagine the half elf has a pretty sick look on her face when she does it ...
GeraintElberion
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| Pathfinder Campaign Setting Superscriber; Pathfinder Comics Subscriber |
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You're ignoring the best item: Manfeller, a +1 human-bane battleaxe.
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BeefSupreme
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| Pathfinder Adventure Path, Comics, GameMastery Maps Subscriber |
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One of my PCs decided to use the ritual tied to Heartripper. I then punished him by making it intellegent & it took control of him after about 4 lvls forcing him to need to slay a living int being once a week of lose points of CON. Kinda like if you catch your kid smoking, you make them smoke the whole pack
Orthos
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Kinda like if you catch your kid smoking, you make them smoke the whole pack
WTF.
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GeraintElberion
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| Pathfinder Campaign Setting Superscriber; Pathfinder Comics Subscriber |
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Kinda like if you catch your kid smoking, you make them smoke the whole packWTF.
If you've never smoked before, or rarely, and you chain-smoke a whole pack you'll vomit like you've eaten rotten oysters.
I suppose the message is meant to be that this stuff is poison, plus aversion therapy because the last time you smoked one you were in chest-heaving-vomit-hell.
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Orthos
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It's more a reaction "WHY THE HELL would you do that to a KID", because I can't imagine that NOT having severe health repercussions.
Shadowborn
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If the characters are 2nd level by the time they finish the adventure, a sorcerer PC gaining the crown will get a +2 to Cha. Yes, that's significant, but not overpowering. He'll also gain a +1 caster level. So...one extra magic missile and an extra minute on the duration of his sleep or shield spell. Big deal. +1 caster level really isn't that big of a boost, even for low-level characters.
As for the dagger, taking a coup de grace isn't that easy. Also, the actions implied for its use are rather evil. A DM can institute a change in alignment for use of the item over time.
Really, not that big a deal. It's not like they're handing out a sphere of annihilation and a staff of the magi.
| Garm Sumner |
| GameMastery Cards Subscriber |
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You're ignoring the best item: Manfeller, a +1 human-bane battleaxe
You're right! I forgot about that item, that is also really powerful! And the cursed Grasp of Drosker was really good too!
If the characters are 2nd level by the time they finish the adventure, a sorcerer PC gaining the crown will get a +2 to Cha. Yes, that's significant, but not overpowering. He'll also gain a +1 caster level. So...one extra magic missile and an extra minute on the duration of his sleep or shield spell. Big deal. +1 caster level really isn't that big of a boost, even for low-level characters.
As for the dagger, taking a coup de grace isn't that easy. Also, the actions implied for its use are rather evil. A DM can institute a change in alignment for use of the item over time.
Caster level is important, extra 1d6 damage for fireball eventually. Its also worth a lot of gp! You're forgetting the immunity to frightful presence of dragons! That is soooo good as well!
But there isn't a limit on how many uses it can have per day! The characters could eat hearts for restoration, Remove disease, and Cure Serious Wounds! (a 4th and 3rd levels spells! What!) Thats also ignoring the Divination or Flaming Burst abilities it has as well!
They can Coup de grace when they knock someone unconscious...doesn't say they have to be in positive HP.
But its 2nd level...how could someone give treasure like that such low level!
| Leonal |
| Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Adventure Path Subscriber |
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If they use the items irresponsibly then someone's bound to notice and come after them. More adventure and plot hooks!
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GeraintElberion
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| Pathfinder Campaign Setting Superscriber; Pathfinder Comics Subscriber |
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It's more a reaction "WHY THE HELL would you do that to a KID", because I can't imagine that NOT having severe health repercussions.
In terms of health effects, I don't think intensity matters.
If someone has 10 smokes and is put off for life, that's much better than having 10 a day (moving up to 20 a day) for the next 40 years.
Not that I would advocate the tactic, just recognising the thoughts.
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amethal
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| Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Campaign Setting Subscriber |
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As for the dagger, taking a coup de grace isn't that easy. Also, the actions implied for its use are rather evil. A DM can institute a change in alignment for use of the item over time.
As others have mentioned, the easiest way is to reduce enemies to dying and then use the dagger.
The alignment thing is a DM call (although I haven't read the item description, since I'm a player not the DM) and it would be a typical D&D alignment call to rule that slaughtering kobolds in their homes is perfectly fine, but eating their hearts afterwards to cure yourself from the effects of their poisoned weapons makes you a monster.
If a DM thinks playing a "fall to the Dark Side" campaign would be interesting then the dagger makes a great plot device. Otherwise, my recommendation is to either treat it like any other magic item, or take it out of the adventure.
| MurphysParadox |
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+1 CL is pretty good but not game ending. An extra die on the fireball is only a bonus 3.5 damage on average, which isn't going to be an issue. Unless the player starts tossing maximized fireballs, but even then...
They are cool and unique items. They don't really break the game all that much and make the players feel powerful.
Remember that as the GM, you control the difficulty of the game. Player power is an illusion; giving your party +4 armor and weapons will make them feel awesome! However you can turn around and increase the CR of every fight by 2-3 and the math settles back down to even (even a bit in favor of the monsters).
