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I think it's important to post this here because otherwise there will be way more deaths than necessary in this campaign.
The CRB are the rules, the AP does not have more dangerous cold than normal.
So there for the module has some vague oops in it, is all.
Several of my PCs are cold based already ( a winter witch, a barbarian with northern ancestry and a snowcaster elf)
My PCs set out with cold weather gear. During the day none of them had to make any checks, they were properly attired and moving. They however were not all equipped with bed rolls and tents. When they decided they might want to make camp, I had several characters make survival checks, which they passed and informed them that at this temperature, without the proper gear, sleeping in the snow would effectively require them to make the check every hour, and one of them could find themselves not waking up in the morning.
Later, when the barbarian fell through Ice in the river, he was soaked, I had him make a check every ten minutes until they got his clothes changed out. when they did that, it wasnt a spare cold weather outfit, so I had him make the check every hour.
When the PCs move through the portal into Irrisen, they will need to make an hourly check if they are properly clothed, if they stop to rest, without shelter, they will risk dying, quickly.
Excellent summary, Pendagast. :)
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Amusingly a fire related death:
Name: Dryden
Race: Kitsune
Classes/levels: Ninja 2
Adventure: Snows of Summer
Location: Soulbound Guardian
Catalyst: Character is a witch hunter and is highly proactive in destroying anything that remotely smells of witchcraft. Seeing the doll in the chair, with no one actually having entered the hut he convinced the rest of the party to stand far back from the hut while he standing about 10' away from the door lobbed Alchemists Fires in order to burn it down.
The Gory Details: He hit the hut with 2, and I ruled that it would probably take at least 1 minute for the hut to completely burn up. I allowed half a minute to pass, then had the Doll use charm person and convinced him to walk in the hut (he also failed the save to do something it wouldn't normally do). In the hut (due to initiative) the doll managed to paralyze him before he could back out.
Between the distance of the rest of the party along with the Doll's Frostfall staggering a few of them no one was able to drag the ninja out of the fire before his paralysis lifted.
I was actually going to roll just random 1d6 fire damage per round but everyone at the table Ninja included decided it would be much more realistic for it to result in autodeath seeing as the hut technically would collapse on him.
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Can't complain about the cold this time...
Name: Bosch
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Fighter 1
Adventure: Snows of Summer
Location: High Sentinel Lodge
Catalyst: Long, draining battle followed by a Death Knell
The Gory Details: Hold on a moment, this is a copy and paste from IRC with very minor fixes to my retelling of the two session long battle.
The party fought hard and struggled their entire way through the forest, back tracking only when their numbers got low.
But finally, they got to the lodge! They party knew, OoC, that this was only the half way marker! But it was an achievement none the less!
They got the flavor text, they saw the map.
The ranger of the group advanced forward, following the path to get to the rear of the building.
The ranger stepped on a trip wire.
Triggering a crossbow trap!
The bolt flew through the air, hitting the ranger hard and true.
The crossbow dropped from the lodge's awing. Followed by half of a kitchen's cookware.
The bandits were roused. They were aware.
The party paused, tried to figure out their options.
The brave fighter, tired of the debate, advanced forward. Straight towards the front door.
Opening it with a kick, the fighter screamed out for the bandits' surrender.
The bandits, having had a minute or longer to prepare, were in no mood to grovel to the lone man that entered their hard fought lair.
Opening fire with short bow, the bandits and fighter engaged in combat.
The others of the group slowly rushing to their friend's rescue and aid.
The fighter jumped up on a grand table of the hardest oak, swinging his sword around. Striking and dodging at everyone.
Just as the bandits struck and dodged everything from the fighter too.
The ranger appeared, just in time! To knock out an archer and block an advance of fresh bandits (wearing only pants and covered in a sick sweat) from joining the melee.
The party's witch threw down Misfortunes everywhere, the bandits, even those drenched with sweat and were barely holding back their own biles, never failed a save.
The party's sorceress sneak in through a window. Into a neat, orderly room prior to her breaking the glass.
But soon, even she joined the fray with bolts of cold and fire magic a raging.
During all of this, the party did hear shouts from the second floor of the lodge. Shouts of a bandit trying to rouse the boss and his skeletons.
Said boss, did not hurry. Said boss, waited and grinned.
Back to the ground floor, the battle had not ended. The fighter and ranger, suffered heavy injuries in their call of duty.
Yet the bandits did fall. Mostly to the Ranger and her blood slicked falchion.
Spells were cast! Spells were used! A bit of healing there, a bolt and burst there.
Never did it let up.
Hard fought it was against the bandits, hard fought against the dice.
But soon... soon the ground floor was quiet.
The bandits laid dispatched.
But a racket was heard from upstairs.
Even as the fighter succumbed to his injuries, collapsing to the floor.
Said grinning boss from before, was coming down the stairs with more troops.
Using all resources of healing left, the party did try to gather themselves.
Even taking out net and rope.
After several round, the party did wait. And soon from the railings, the group did spy the reinforcements.
A bandit that was killed more from Readied actions then anything else.
A skeleton that befell a fate worse then broken glass. For these weren't normal skeletons, no. These skeletons were made of bone and ice.
And should they be killed, they explode in an icy barrage.
Even standing too near them, alive and well, exposed the party to a cold worse then a blizzard.
But shortly, the skeletons did fall and explode. The fighter again, fell to the floor... or in this case, he fell on top of the grand hall's table.
And all throughout, the party did know, there was no boss. No necromancer. Where is the fiend leading this pack?
Holding their positions down in the main hall. The party did wait, searching for healing sources where there was none. Searching for foes, they could not find.
Continuing on, the party's witch did brush against something. Something that wasn't there. Fur invisible in the air.
Giving a shout, casting a hex, the witch did inflict! For the invisible air, was soon filled with sword and ice.
But lo, for naught.
The invisible stepped up on to the table! He revealed himself in his terrible glory!
And killed the fighter! With a single spell!
A spell of which, the group did not expect. A knell of death. The Death Knell.
And so did the blackened man did grow strong. Strong and powerful. Ego enforced.
Taunt, he did. He taunted the party of heroes that did so much!
Not even the Ranger, flying in a rage of berserkness, could kill him as he stood on that table. Gloating over the body of the dead fighter.
The man saw the Witch for what she was, he say a means to a goal. And imprisoned her in a Hold.
The sorceress was next, the ranger did prove unable to lay a finger on him, and was frightened nearly out of her mind.
But this, this was to be his undoing.
Having disabled the rest. Leaving only the ranger. The man found himself powerless against the rage, the hate, the unbridled strength of the ranger.
One strike of her blade, the cleric did near die. Even so, his ego would not allow a surrender.
Ego, it was, was what brought the man down.
Having become stronger from the death of the fighter, having become wicked and delighted, having been insulted and cut into. The man drew his sword, and traded blows with the berserker.
Even going so far, as to call out upon the powers of his god, to create illusionary copies of himself.
Yet the man's blade found no opening.
No opening at all as the ranger did slice into him a second time.
Collapsing onto the floor, the sorceress did land the last blow onto the man! A ray of frost! That did kill the darkened man.
Edit: For all you GMs with the book: Yes, I deviated from the path given by the book. I don't recall anywhere that it gives any sort of advice should the PC(s) do a Leeroy. I made plenty sure that the group knew what was coming (not when, but gave them plenty of time to prepare or run) and I didn't even touch the Half-Orc Rogue hiding in the back.
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My party pulled a Leeroy, Killed the rogue before she could parlay.
I dont think you should have killed the fighter with the Death Knell, the cleric wouldnt have done that surrounded by hostiles only to go out in a blaze of glory, when he could have escaped, or hidden and made zombies.
So basically you had the bad guy suicide to get in the death knell on the fighter.
That's trying a bit too hard.
Sometimes it's easier to kamikaze than surrender. 'sides, some groups aren't all that nice to the BBEGs that do surrender.
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why would he surrender, he's invisible with a room full of bodies to make into zombies, they havent seen him yet, they don't even know hes the bad guy, he could lay low or even pretend to be a hostage, hes a cleric of deceit, not a cleric of going out in a big bang.
why would he surrender, he's invisible with a room full of bodies to make into zombies, they havent seen him yet, they don't even know hes the bad guy, he could lay low or even pretend to be a hostage, hes a cleric of deceit, not a cleric of going out in a big bang.
True .. true. I like your take on the bad guy. When he kills whatever future group I GM through RoW, I'll be sure to have them thank you. *evilgrin* Yes, that is a compliment!
*Sighs*
well, choice 4 would be to lurk around and try to raise a few zombies and THEN channel negative energy, possibly when the PCs thought they could bed down for the night.
Kyonko, I like the way you played it out. Very epic!
Alright, I've got a couple.
Name: Calistria
Race: Drow
Classes/levels: Rogue 1
Adventure: Snows of Summer
Location: The Border Wood
Catalyst: Random Encounter - Yeti
The Gory Details:
Poor guys. A Yeti is a REALLY rough random encounter at level 1. Long story short, the party was spending a LOT of time camping out in the woods, taking their time, and eventually encountered this fearsome killer.
Name: Pugnex
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Magus 1
Adventure: Snows of Summer
Location: High Sentinel Lodge
Catalyst: Rokhar Cindren
The Gory Details:
This guy had the misfortune to be knocked into the negatives at the base of the stairs when Rokhar came strolling down. Easy meat for a seasoned killer like Rokhar.
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My turn, finally! I have an occasional player that runs Ten Penney Tacey as a party member when she's able to play.
Name: Ten Penney Tacey
Race: Half-Orc
Classes/levels: Rogue 6/Bard 1
Adventure: Maiden, Mother, Crone
Location: The Witch Tree's Grove
Catalyst: The Witch Tree
The Gory Details: The party balked at the sacrifice and failed the diplomacy roll to get a riddle so they decided to attack. Ten Penney was swiftly reduced to One Penney as the tree gutted her with some critical tendrils. Everyone else ran like hell into Artrosa.
The party Druid had his animal companion grab Ten's dismembered hand in order to reincarnate her. Ten Penney has officially changed her name to One Penney as she returned to life as a kobold.
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Finally happened
Name Arioc Raggaton
Race: Human
Class/Level: Cleric of Nethys 6
Adventure: Maiden, Mother, Crone
Location: Centaur Settlement in Hoofwood
Catalyst: Misogyny Demons
Gory Details: Failed to act before the demons bashed their way into their sleeping quarters and got hit with a heavy bite attack. Tried to stand up in panic provoking an attack of opportunity which turned out to be a critical hit (confirmed with a second 20 on the die) that dealt maximum damage.
haven't run this one yet, but the second encounter of the first module will almost certainly kill at least one person.
I certainly hope so. There haven't been nearly enough fatalities reported so far. ;)
haven't run this one yet, but the second encounter of the first module will almost certainly kill at least one person.I certainly hope so. There haven't been nearly enough fatalities reported so far. ;)
My players would disagree! Level 1 was brutal for them.
Oh, and as an aside, I also killed three horses they took from the High Sentinel Lodge. With coldness.
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I certainly hope so. There haven't been nearly enough fatalities reported so far. ;)
I'm a bit of a softie so I don't expect a high body count, but I have been following the threads waiting for some of the posting GMs to get to Chapter Two. ;)
My group decided to venture to the farm, and I rolled up a mosquito swarm random.
This may be deadly at level 1.
I certainly hope so. There haven't been nearly enough fatalities reported so far. ;)I'm a bit of a softie so I don't expect a high body count, but I have been following the threads waiting for some of the posting GMs to get to Chapter Two. ;)
Here we go then!
Name Drace
Race: Kitsune
Class/Level: Gunslinger
Adventure: The Shackled Hut
Location: LOGRIVICH’S CLOCK TOWER
Catalyst: Ability damage, Split party, Death by Granny Nan's Club
Gory Details: Character has 9 Strength. In the armory he is attacked by the Trollhound and contracts bloodfire fever taking 3 STR damage.
Edit: The party actually left the tower for the day so that they could get the children to safety so the STR damage happened in the morning.
Later upstairs, the party splits with most of the party moving into the sitting room and spends several rounds attempting to coax her into unlocking the door. Meanwhile the Gunslinger searches upstairs hall and encounters Evija alone.
When the others attempt to break down her door, Granny Nan utilizes Blink to run through the wall and out of her room to attempt to join up with Evija. In the meantime the gunslinger is hit twice by Evija's Steal Breath putting him into exhausted status reducing him to 0 STR which renders him unconscious. With all other PCs searching the other rooms trying to locate Granny Nan, the old crone comes across the Gunslinger's body and ends him with a coup de grace from her club.
I was contemplating adding some dramatic flair by having Granny drag him into the kitchen and toss him into the Gobbler but she has 4 STR.
Granny's 4 STR would let her drag up to 200 lbs. Just strip off all the junk along the way until she gets the kitsune into the Gobbler. ;)
With all other PCs searching the other rooms trying to locate Granny Nan, the old crone comes across the Gunslinger's body and ends him with a coup de grace from her club.
I wanna dance like Jimmy Fallon in the Capital One Ad where Tashi says "Yes!" (safe for work)
I was contemplating adding some dramatic flair by having Granny drag him into the kitchen and toss him into the Gobbler but she has 4 STR.
Oh, missed opportunity! I would have bought YOU a drink at PaizoCon!
Oh man, I just realized Evija has 9 STR and could've easily done it under Granny's orders. I totally wrote her off as a little girl.
Name: Illia/Boris/Danthien
Race: Human/Human/Half-Elf
Class: Anti-Paladin/Monk/Wizard
Level: 1/1/1
Adventure: Snows of Summer
Story: Real life group was in area A and they decided to start a fire to thaw out the frozen Taldan captain. I rolled up a Yeti. First attack it claws twice and cleaved on both to put the wizard and monk 1 Ho from pure death. Its frightening gaze paralyzed 2 pc's. The yeti starts dragging the wizard away and the paladin charges in to attack. Next round it claws twice to put the paladin down. Resumes dragging the wizard away and I look at the player and say, "Your about to get Luke Skywalkered...only without the force."
Paladin and monk fail con roll and bleed out. Wizard stabilizes but gets eaten.
Cleave is a standard action - it could've only made a single claw attack that round, vs. the two targets. But if they got paralyzed that didn't make that much of a difference.
Still, nice. Is that a TPK?
Yep, I mistyped...meant to say he successfully hit both on his cleave.
It was a near TPK. The magus and rogue wittled enough HP down and successfully intimidated it that it grabbed the squishy wizard and ran back to where it came from.
I am debating making this Yeti a reappearing villain. Who knew they are so great!
Yep, I mistyped...meant to say he successfully hit both on his cleave.
It was a near TPK. The magus and rogue wittled enough HP down and successfully intimidated it that it grabbed the squishy wizard and ran back to where it came from.
I am debating making this Yeti a reappearing villain. Who knew they are so great!
A Yeti with a Name? Templates, class levels? ^_____^
My players are deathly afraid of Yetis, as they've had to face two so far (the random encounters have not been kind to them).
They've taken to saying "Don't feed the Yetis!" among themselves. . .
Oh man Turin...that is a very, very scary thought. An advanced Yeti with some levels of Barbarian.
Oh man Turin...that is a very, very scary thought. An advanced Yeti with some levels of Barbarian.
Or Fighter (Viking) levels ... move action for a massive demoralization check ...
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Name: Entire Party
Race: Two humans, an elf, and an ifrit
Classes/levels: Sorcerer, Magus, Rogue, Oracle (all 1st)
Adventure: The Snows of Summer
Location: Just entering the woods
Catalyst: That Damn Yeti
The Gory Details: I figured that I'd test out the random encounter table for the adventure, and since the party has an oracle with the lame curse wearing heavy armor traveling through snow drifts, I figured it had taken them long enough to get to the ambush site that I should check. The dice call for one, and the encounter is, of course, a yeti!
I quickly glance at the stats, and I realize exactly how boned the party is. The yeti gets surprise on them, and charges the oracle, dropping him in a single strike. The rest of the fight goes poorly for the group - they manage to do about 30 points of damage to it before the last of them goes down, but they all die.
As this was a terrible start to the campaign, I handwave that this encounter never happened. After all, anyone can kill off a firstie. High-level PCs are worth more points!
Should rename this to Reign of Yetis!
You hear that Neil Spicer? Your random encounter table is responsible for all these first level deaths! :-P
But the table is not as bad as kingmaker!
Also I didn't think something could charge in the surprise round. I thought it was one move or one standard action. Gives PCs a little more of a chance...
My guess is he got surprise and moved and then the oracle met its frightful gaze. And everyone within 30ft. Then it charged. Otherwise, yeah no pounce for Yetis.
Actually,
If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.
So a yeti can totally charge during the surprise round. But they don't have pounce, so it'd only get one swing.
Amusingly enough, you could actually run a yeti as a diplomatic encounter. Yeti are relatively intelligent (Int 9) and aren't malicious (neutral alignment). There may well be a language barrier, but that may be a chance to introduce the players to the notion that they're going to running into things that they can't easily talk to in this AP fairly often...
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I think part of the problem with the random encounter table is that a lot of it is skewed to the high end of the level range. You've got a 71% chance of getting an encounter that's CR 3 or higher. That's dangerous for level 1s, and the snow makes it very difficult to retreat. This puts the PCs in the unfortunate condition of being committed to fight almost anything that comes up. After the yeti cleaned up, I said I'd only look at the first half of the list, and they'd encounter whatever was there. Unfortunately, that was the mosquito swarm, which actually might be a worse encounter for fresh faced characters. At least the yeti was vulnerable to weapons, and had a slim chance of being reasoned with! In the end, I decided against using the table, at least until they've got a bit of experience under their belts.
You hear that Neil Spicer? Your random encounter table is responsible for all these first level deaths! :-P
Just FYI...I have zero control over what goes into the random encounter table. That's not part of an author's manuscript turnover for the APs.
Reign of the Yeti has a nice ring to it. Yes, it rings true. ;)
Yeti Winter Witch? Yeti Cold Sorcerer?
How about an all Yeti adventuring party?
You hear that Neil Spicer? Your random encounter table is responsible for all these first level deaths! :-PJust FYI...I have zero control over what goes into the random encounter table. That's not part of an author's manuscript turnover for the APs.
However, a good GM will know better to not throw an encounter against PCs that they aren't ready for. Or in other words, sometimes it's best to fudge that roll. ;)
However, a good GM will know better to not throw an encounter against PCs that they aren't ready for. Or in other words, sometimes it's best to fudge that roll. ;)You hear that Neil Spicer? Your random encounter table is responsible for all these first level deaths! :-PJust FYI...I have zero control over what goes into the random encounter table. That's not part of an author's manuscript turnover for the APs.
"A tactical advance to the rear" ;)
I've seen that. There is one thing to consider though: a Yeti has the possibility of one-shotting characters before they even know what's happening. Say the Paladin falls with one shot. The others rush to try and save the Paladin. The Yeti then one-shots two other players. The last player could try to retreat... and be chased down by the Yeti and killed. And thus you have a Total Party Kill... because they faced something that could with max damage wipe out the characters because they're just 1st level.
This is, mind you, why I start my groups off at 2nd level... though now that someone mentioned the "double-hit-points-at-1st-level" idea, I'll likely do that for my next campaign.
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This is, mind you, why I start my groups off at 2nd level... though now that someone mentioned the "double-hit-points-at-1st-level" idea, I'll likely do that for my next campaign.
This is why I don't throw yetis at 1st level players.
This is, mind you, why I start my groups off at 2nd level... though now that someone mentioned the "double-hit-points-at-1st-level" idea, I'll likely do that for my next campaign.This is why I don't throw yetis at 1st level players.
So then, you're saying you'd fudge the random encounter die roll so they weren't hit by an overwhelming encounter right off? ;)
Waldsby could be attacked by a pack of frostbitten boars that's made it all the way from the winter portal. The event might help endear the suspicious and wary populace that the PCs are really the good guys. When the Pale Tower Guards come later, that would be the catalyst for most of the townsfolk not turning them in right away.
I just thought of that just now... I think I'm gonna use it.
Sounds rather neat actually. And yes, random encounters should be less random and more connected to the story. For instance, the group I'm running had an encounter with a Moss Troll in the morning before going up against the Lodge (it wasn't as serious an encounter as I'm switching campaigns; meaning I've 3rd and 4th level characters going through this (with me upping the power of their opponents)). This will provide them with a hint of how they might be able to cope with Ted (who'll have a couple class levels to increase his nastiness).
I do like your idea of an attack on Waldsby that encourages townsfolk to back the group, however. That's a neat idea :)
Dangit Neil, now I feel bad!
As for not throwing a Yeti or fudging the roll, I had a table full of experienced players so I knew that THEY knew fighting isn't the only way. And unfortunately the pally did go down in one hit, along with a monk and a wizard, so I ended up using that Int score for it to reason that a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush. Gave the players a chance do just enough damage to drive it back in the woods so they could collect their dead and dying.
But I do like the PCs knowing that it IS dangerous to do silly things for a long time in the wild.
Also, my PbP that I'm running of this I DID roll a mosquito swarm. Lucky for them they have plenty of alchemists fire and an alchemist in the party. I've had to improvise a fire in the grass from said bombs and flasks generating smoke and confusing the mosquitoes...
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So... any deaths not from Rokhar or a random Yeti, then?
I had a couple near-deaths from elementals... but then, I upgraded that encounter to be three Medium-sized Elementals. (I'm glad I chose not to go with my other impulse of one Large-sized Elemental as it would have killed several adventurers - they have no magic weapons.) In fact, I'd have killed the thief if I'd not switched targets - but it was realistic for the Elemental to switch targets as the heavily-armored warrior/wizard just punched it for half its hit points! (At which point said warrior/wizard was taken down to a third of his hit points, being near-death-number-two.)
If I remember correctly, there is a Death by Elemental in here somewhere...