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Thanks to the new People of the North book, I am greatly anticipating this AP as well as the GM who's going to be running it for us.
Now is anyone aware of the level of Cold resistant and Cold Immune mobs that will be present in the Adventure? I have two really great character ideas(Winter Witch or Winter Oracle), but both will be quite weak against cold resistant. I realise the Winter Witch Prestige class negates a bit of this, but not until later levels.
Any help would be appreciated
It's a basic part of environmental adventure design to not overdo certain defenses or effects. For instance in Skull & Shackles many creatures were not aquatic. The professionals who designed RoW took this into account, so no need to worry. Bring on your Winter themed caster.
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Fun, as I was about to post the exact same thing.
I received the Irisen: Land of Winter book yesterday.
There are like 9 new monsters or so in there, ALL of them, without exception are IMMUNE to cold and WEAK to Fire.
Talk about not overdoing certain defenses...
I am sorry, but the winter oracle and winter witch feels to me like they are a huge trap for players, yes they might fit thematically, but they might turn to be extremely frustrating to play.
Just roll a Fire based sorcerer and be done with it, you will basically only encounter enemies that are weak to fire.
Maybe we need a "Summer Witch" instead...it could even fit with rebels that want to bring back Summer in Irisen.
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The Heralds of Summer's Return?
I was looking through the synopsis of each book of Reign of Winter and it appears that the time spent in Irrisen will not be as long as I had previously thought. I'm sure there will be choke points with cold immune creatures, but that's why you play a witch, you forget the cold spells and focus on the hexes until you get though them.
And by the time the sixth book rolls around, players should be high enough in the Winter Witch prestige class to mitigate most of the immunity
Land of Winter is a product based on showing off a slice of setting that occupies glacial territory and is meant for folks who want to play in an ice age like zone.
Reign of Winter is a product designed to appeal to a broad range of tastes and character builds.
I do not think there will be an excessive correlation between the monsters published in LoW and those faced in LoW. Notably, even if the 9 or so monsters are all used, as seperate encounter (which is stretching things a bit, IMO), that would still constitute less than one level's worth of encounters, in a product that spans many many levels.
By all means, have fun with you 'summer witch' type characters, I think that's cool. But I also trust Paizo enough to not ruin the efficacy of am archtype suite that is thematic to RoW.
Btw, almost every important NPC are Winter Witch also, which get resist cold or even immune cold if they are high enough level.
And they have another caste of NPC called "Cold Sister", guess what they all get as a bonus? Yep resist cold.
Honestly, if you are a player, don't hurt yourself, just play something with fire spells instead ;)
Seriously, a "Summer Witch" archetype, part of the rebellion against Baba Yaga and her daughters dictactorship feels like it would have been a more efficient and logical fit for players.
I have the feeling you are going to kick quite a bit of Winter Witch ass in the AP.
The last book also seems to heavily feature the children of Baba Yaga, so take that into account.
I for one am very much looking forward to this AP. I think that the Winter books actually were well done and for the most part the art was great!
There's no reason winter witches and oracles can't take fire spells too.
There's no reason winter witches and oracles can't take fire spells too.
As I recall winter witches are barred from taking spells of the fire type.
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There's no reason winter witches and oracles can't take fire spells too.As I recall winter witches are barred from taking spells of the fire type.
You are correct
Ice Magic
When a winter witch casts a spell with the cold descriptor, the save DC of the spell increases by +1. A winter witch cannot learn or cast spells with the fire descriptor at all.
huh, my mistake!
Also, as was pointed out by the Devs on a similar topic, the Winter Witch PrC eventually gets the ability to partially bypass Cold Resistance & Immunity.
winter witches can still cast lightening bolt :>
Judging by the first book, winter witches will actually get bonuses to attempting certain tasks.
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If you're playing a winter themed character just be aware you're building a defensive character, your opponents will be cold themed and thus will be less effective against you as well.
You can still take non-winter themed spells and items to boost your offense.
You wouldn't want an entire team to be winter/cold themed characters, any more than you'd want an entire team of fire sorcerers (because they will have few defenses against the cold opponents). As always strike a balance for a fun party.
If you're playing a winter themed character just be aware you're building a defensive character, your opponents will be cold themed and thus will be less effective against you as well.
You can still take non-winter themed spells and items to boost your offense.
You wouldn't want an entire team to be winter/cold themed characters, any more than you'd want an entire team of fire sorcerers (because they will have few defenses against the cold opponents). As always strike a balance for a fun party.
Why would you have few defense? I am pretty sure it is quite easy to get Resist Cold, for quite a few classes, as well as endure elements.
As for bypassing the resist as a Winter Witch, sure you can, by level 9 you can ignore half of the resist and you only partially bypass immunity by level 14.
I just read the PDF for the first module of the reign of winter AP, more than 50% of the encounter are already immune to cold and weak to fire, that's for 4th level character max, very far from the level 14th required to partially bypass it.
So what do you get "really" as winter witch:
- A lot encounters are immune to your themed spells
- A small resist to cold 5 at level 4, 10 at level 9th
So no real advantage, now cast fire spells and you get a lot of encounters WEAK to your spells, and you can cast resist cold which is available for load of classes at early levels and will protect you for 30 point by level 9.
Really awesome to be a Winter Witch, right...
Sure you don't want a team full of sorcerer, but you sure as hell don't want to be the guy playing the Winter Witch or Winter Oracle either.
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At least initially, cold-themed characters might be a bad choice.
That is why spell casters learn spell that deal sonic damage, or have control elements to them. Any Witch can learn vomit swarm.
What would the ideal party be for this AP?
The Ideal party? The one that is the most fun.
I dunno:
Our Party is:
Winter witch
Witch hating barbarian
A Menhir Savant Druid with the Arctic domain
A Magus
A Catfolk rogue ( I usually dont allow furries)
Pendagast, interesting make up. How is this party working out?
It hasnt started yet, tomorrow is the first night of RP with this group.
Please let us know how it goeth!
This would be a great AP for the Mammoth Lord PRC right?
Well we've added another player. who has never played before (as have some of the other players) who has a "thing" for archers. I was like how do you know you want to play an archer? you've never played before?
He says because they are cool.
So, Now I'm thinking what to make for him? Zen Archer Monk? Ranger? Divine Hunter? Some kind of Inquisitor?
This will give us 6 players in an AP which I have never done before, which will be really cool.
Any thoughts on an archer for someone who hasn't played before? The druid will have a bow too (racial for being an elf)
I'm was thinking the barbarian is going the superstitous witch breaker route but I dont know much about people of the north my copy is on the way with my hard copy of snows of summer and it's LATE (we live in alaska, which might as well be minsk as far as the USPS is concerned.)
If he's never played before a simple fighter or ranger would be my suggestion. Give him a human fighter with PBS, and Precise shot and let him go to town.
the problem with a fighter is it's the most choices. With ranger or monk, it's more "you get this at this level" and less bang another choice.
Fighters tend to be good starting characters provided they have good guidances.
You can give suggestions for feats to select, and fighters are easy to play.
That said, zen archers get most of what they need automatically. Just watch out for the things that lower their attack bonus (read: Flurry) at low levels.
Well having never played, Im assuming he's going with a Legolas/Hawkeye mental picture.
But then I was thinking... I thought I saw somewhere you could do something with an alchemist and bomb arrows?
My wife was suggesting myrmidarch but some kind of alchemical arrow arcane archer would be cool... can anyone lead me int he right direction...too many dang books these days, but I swore i saw that somewhere?
We we are all pretty familiar with the tundra... I think we LIVe in Irrisen.
The barbarian is likely going to be an armored hulk.... but Im waiting for People of the north to arrive by snail mail....something about a witchbreaker?
the Final metamorphosis!
The 6 players have dialed in their characters one more time!
We begin in 40 minutes:
Snowcaster Elf alchemist (going for an archer...need suggestions here as to further level advancement)
Changeling winter witch
Witchbreaker Barbarian (human, took the +2/+2 stats)
Catfolk Rogue
a dwarven Menhir Savant Druid with arctic domain (this person was going to be a snowcaster elf but the alchemist is an elf and he didnt want to be the "other elf", so he switched back to being a dwarf from before)
A half elf Skirnir Magus
The half elf has the failed Witch apprentice trait
The Dwarf has blood of giants (and has literally almost completely switched out all common dwarf traits with other ones in ARG..he doesnt even have dark vision!)
Catfolk is taking northern ancestry and won't start with the group, she has actually wandered through the portal from Irrisen and become lost when she meets the Players (player cant come to first session)
Human is taking northern ancestry and vigilante witch hunter
changeling is taking warded against witchery
The half elf is related (like before) to the elf and the human (elf and half elf have same mother, human, half elf and changeling all have the same father....who I'm thinking of making Padya's Husband who is now dead...)
The elf is taking restless wayfarer.
I haven't figured out why the dwarf is in heldren yet.
this should be an interesting group, the Barbarian doesnt know the witch and he are related (yet) hates witches because witches killed his family. He wont even know she's a changeling specifically.
The half elf and elf are aware of their relations.
I may have the dwarf "just stopping by because of weird weather he knows something about"
3.5 hours of play:
the characters were introduced to the setting.
The dwarf character rescinded at the last moment and became an elf (again!)
So while he has RE altering his character, we got the other players moving about Heldren.
Ironically, it was decided the Witch and the WitchBreaker Barbarian (who are half siblings but don't know it) grew up together in Heldren. The Witch is a changeling who for all practical purposes looks human. The Barbarian doesn't know she's not human, and doesn't know she's a witch. However at first level his anti witchness hasnt come into full swing yet.
Interesting dynamics arose as the party split down racial lines, the elves (two snowcasters and the half elf that is related to them...but it also ironically related to the other two humans as well) and the humans.
The cat folk hasnt joined the party yet.
The Witch has done a pretty decent job hiding the fact that she's a witch so far, but at level 1, without much spells, that's pretty easy.
The party is pretty well set up for cold weather exploration, what with two snow casters, and a winter witch which pretty much ignore the cold (Im using the Arctic Elf from ARG because I havent gotten the People of the North yet...any day now)
The Barbarian with his Northern Ancestry trait fairs well and the Half elf had the druid cast endure elements on her.
coupled with cold weather clothing, the party has no problem (so far) in the cold.
The party met it;s first combat with the Zombies. Terrible perception checks all the way around led to the druid climbing into the carriage with two zombies without realizing they were zombies. Busy looking for loot,t he zombies blindly attack him but miss.
I was expecting a royal rumble in the confines of the carriage, but instead, the druid bolts out of the carriage shouting "Zombies!"
the witch and the barbarian (I find this hilarious they are hanging out together) are over looking at another carriage. The other elves in the troupe decide to get to some zombie bashing, so the alchemist tosses in a bomb. WHOOSH. and the magus whips one to no effect.
The Druid, deciding they got that handled... goes to loot other bodies in the snow (what is wrong with this druid?)
The witch, hearing the scream of zombies, wanders over to see what is up when one tries to wander out of the carriage at her, smoking from the alchemists bomb, the Magus spellstrikes it with her whip zapping it, and it falls out of the carriage smelling of charred and electrocuted dead body.
the second zombie lurches forward gurgling "Brains!" the witch eeps and thwacks it with her staff. No effect.
The barbarian pushes the witch aside shouting "Zombie apocalypse!" and cuts the things head off.
The next fight of note, occurs at the Tatzylworm (however you say that) which was intersting, because the witch did most of the damage to it (the archers missed it with arrows a lot and the barbarian missed it) with ray of frost. She critted once with this spell, the final blow was dealt by the druid with his scimitar, as he rushed in to steal the glory of the kill (this guy needs to take levels in cavalier so he can get order of the cockatrice)
IT thought it odd the Tatzylworm didnt have any cold immunity or resistance.
Her measly O level spell was pretty effective with her ice magic.
Her 1st level hex is frostfoot.
I look forward to seeing how that group goes Pendagast.. I can't wait to finish my Skulls and Shackles AP so we can start this one. I know one of my players is going away from his usual route of playing the group's healer or rogue (he's always stuck doing those roles because no one else wants them) and is instead planning on playing a Gnome Gunslinger / Saboteur Alchemist. I'm.. not quite sure how he'll do, but this one player does know of the fact that they'll go to a certain place in book 5. (But has sworn silence, and thats the only spoiler he knows) The other players haven't began thinking of their characters really, as we're not quite close to finishing the S&S AP. We're half way done with book 2.
I have a feeling they won't properly prepare for the cold, and I will laugh so hard if we get a cold-weather TPK. For my group I will not be allowing any races that have cold resistance, though classes that grant it is fine.
Very nice! Thanks for sharing this, Pend. What did the dwarf finally set on with his elf?
Very nice! Thanks for sharing this, Pend. What did the dwarf finally set on with his elf?
That's funny, what did the dwarf do with his elf?
The dwarf, who was going to be a dwarf, then changed to elf and back to dwarf again finally decided to be an elf.
He's the Snowcaster elf druid.
His stats:
S 13 D 12 C14 I10 W15 Ch13
I used Arctic Elf for his race from ARG which means: he has, dark vision, desert runner and elemental resistance.
His campaign trait is Restless wayfarer.
He has the menhir savant arcehtype and took the arctic domain.
as a result he can sense spirits (undead, fey etc) something he forgot to do while climbing in a carriage full of zombies.
and he can call cold (cold channeling) meaning he can heal or control cold creatures.
Something I plan on reminding he can do, actually because their very next encounter is with cold fey and I want to give him an idea of what he can do.
The feat he chose was point blank shot.
He tends to switch hit between his scimitar and longbow.
He skinned the arctic taztylworm with intentions of making hide armor from it.
waste not want not!
His alignment is undecided neutral (Im letting him play a few sessions before we decide which neutral he's comming out as)... I think it's either going to be CN or TN.
Sacred Conduit (+1 Dc to channel energy) is his other trait.
The Barbarian is a curious character:
S 18 D10 16 I12 W8 Ch 10
He took the +2/+2 for human from the ARG he's a 15 point buy.
The Barbarian and the Changeling witch have the same father but don't know it yet.
The Barbarian is technically Ulfen by birth but has never been there.
By most accounts he is a normal barbarian with the armored hulk archetype (which will be retconned if necessary when we get people of the North)
he hasnt spent his 1st level feat yet because I think witch breaker is a feat (or is it an archetype?)
I let him take two campaign traits, northern ancestry and vigilante witch hunter
The barbarians father was killed by a White Witch, that much he knows, he was taken into the carnival life as a baby. He eventually found his way to Heldren where he settled, retiring from being a strong man in the carnival. He has 1 rank in perform (which he got the extra rank by virtue of his abnormally high int for a barb)
The party did not have enough gold (well the would have if the elves had cooperated) to get him heavy armor. so he let town with scale mail, a heavy wooden shield and Yuln's cold iron longsword.
Humorously, when they were deciding who to put up front in marching order, the druid said , put the dumbest one up front! Assuming the barbarian was stupid. The druid has the lowest Int in the entire group... lol the druid leads the way!
The "other" white meat (second snowcaster/arctic elf)
This character specifically wanted to be an archer.
An elf alchemist is the direction that was eventually chosen
So many odd options for discoveries and the option to go arcane archer.
S12 D16 C12 I16 W9 Ch9 (the wis/15 point buy is the main reason he didn't go ranger or ZAM)
He's got a dagger and Bombs, but mainly he fights with his long bow, he wears a masterwork chain shirt they found along the way and has made humorous use of throw anything (mwk longswords, chairs and some other things....actually won some money in a target contest in the tavern. The locals said he was an elf with a bow, so shooting his bow would be cheating. The other guy was throwing axes. One of the rules was you could only use what you had available to hit the target, the locals were trying to cheat by saying he could use his bow, and knew he only had one dagger.
He threw the dagger, then threw an arrow (they said he couldnt use his Bow) when they complained about the arrow, he threw a chair, and a beer mug, won the contest and some money, but then had to pay to replace the chair.
This guy is going to be a macguyver archer. Disable device has been a handy skill for him to have so far.
He also has restless wayfarer as a campaign trait (he and the druid are cousins)
He chose blacksheep apothecary as his other trait, although it isnt that useful after the start for him, he decided this is how he got interested in poisons. character plans on using special arrow s and poisons ALOT.
the skirnir magus is a female half-elf named Hella
S14 D12 C14 I16 W10 Ch8
Hella has a chain shirt a heavy metal shield, a longsword, a dagger and a whip, and a light crossbow they found along the way
Her campaign trait is failed winter witch apprentice
Her Father is the same man who fathered the barbarian and the Changeling
But she's the only one who actually knows this.
Her mother is the same as the Druids Mother. The alchemist, Magus and Druid All know they are related, and had a family reunion in Heldren when the game started.
Her other trait is exiled (+2 initiative)
For ancestral arms she chose whip for her feat she chose whip focus.
as she grew up amoungst the white witches (a failed apprentice)
she has the arcane training and wary racial traits.
Arawin is a catfolk rogue based on a snow leopard
the players haven't met her, she's an irrisen native that wandering the wrong way through the portal and has gotten lost.
she will be level 2 when the players hook up with her.
S13 D16 C12 I13 W10 Ch12
she has northern ancestry as a campaign trait (best way to get a snow leopard catfolk some cold resistance)
For racial traits she's a little custom from ARG
She has terrain stride (arctic)
Climber (20 climb speed and +8 to climb)
Low light vision
Cats claws, sharp claws (feat) and Deadly scratch (rogue talent)
She also has several daggers and a hand crossbow
her other trait is Magical talent: mage hand
The Winter witch is a changeling
S12 D12 C10 I17 W10 CH10
her familiar is an arctic fox named jinx
her patron is endurance
She chose hulking changeling +1 melee damage
Mother's gift Hag Claws and as a result can fight with claws at +2 to hit and 1d4+3 damage. that and mage armor are her little secret backup weapon.
She took adopted by gnomes (who live in heldren and KNOW she's a witch) since she's a changleing and was dropped off at someone's door.) and the animal friend version of it +1 will saves if an animal is with in 30 feet and handle animal as a skill.
Pretty nifty for a character with a familiar.
I look forward to seeing how that group goes Pendagast.. I can't wait to finish my Skulls and Shackles AP so we can start this one. I know one of my players is going away from his usual route of playing the group's healer or rogue (he's always stuck doing those roles because no one else wants them) and is instead planning on playing a Gnome Gunslinger / Saboteur Alchemist. I'm.. not quite sure how he'll do, but this one player does know of the fact that they'll go to a certain place in book 5. (But has sworn silence, and thats the only spoiler he knows) The other players haven't began thinking of their characters really, as we're not quite close to finishing the S&S AP. We're half way done with book 2.
I have a feeling they won't properly prepare for the cold, and I will laugh so hard if we get a cold-weather TPK. For my group I will not be allowing any races that have cold resistance, though classes that grant it is fine.
well we pretty much wanted to play arctic characters for a while. I had a whole homebrew world/campaign cooked up where the PCs start basically in Irrisen, then find a chasm/fall through some ice into a Land of the Lost Jungle/Dino/Turok world.
But this AP came along and promised coldness and different world/land travel... so to heck with Turok! But we are still gonna play our cold weather furry cap characters...which was the entire point TBW (we be from alaska...so wanted to RP da frozen nort mahn)
Perfectly understandable. My own group had plans on doing a Viking campaign sooner or later, but this fits just as well. I'm glad I'm Dming it, as the guy who was going to DM it was not going to allow Endure elements.. while I am. I'm just not allowing snowy races :P
he was going to outlaw a simple 1st level spell, whose only purpose for existing is LoF or RoW.. other than that why would anyone have it?
I am going to be starting one campaign in about a month.
What I have for the party so far.
Human Barbarian that will becme a mammoth lord
Goblin gunslinger
1/2 Elf Rouge who will take levels in Ranger with the new archetype of witch defender
elf witch, not sure if going winter witch or not
.5ling life oracle of community
He considered Endure Elements to be 'easymode'. Personally, I think differently, as it requires the cleric/wizard to put precious spellcasting resources into keeping people alive from the weather itself. Hopefully in this campaign, the weather will be dangerous enough that it might kill.
Hehehe
WOW! Just wow!
Easy mode? CLW. easy mode. Fireball? Easy mode.
just go commando! a party of 4 commoners in bermuda shorts! thats how real men fight witches!
In a thong?