help! sleeping in the cathacombs of wrath


Rise of the Runelords


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

I'm a relatively new GM and i would really like some imput about an idea i had, after defeating Koruvus and checking out the meditation chambermy party decided to set camp and conclude the session, so i was thinking about having a couple of Goblins attack the party while they sleep, even though they are taking turns as look outs, the goblins would have a couple of lvls as barbarians and would have been sent by Ripnugget to check on Tutso and after finding their fellow goblins slaughtered they proced to the catacombs to look for the culprits, having these guys standing besides Erylium would caus a TPK, and sending a couple of sinspawns would be irrelevant they present no challenge to my party, so in the end what should i do Goblins on steroids,sinspawns or just let them sleep.

P.S
The party is comprised by a Paladin, a Rougue ,a Druid and a Ranger(favored enemy goblins) all of them lvl 2


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

i was also planing to have the barbarian gobling carrying a cold iron Greatsword (a fine reward for the often forgoten halfling paladin and a little extra help vs Erylium) and have the second goblin be a ranger with human bane arrows to give ranged support to the barbarian

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Personally, I wouldn't send goblin barbarians. After all, if Ripnugget has these "goblins on steroids," what's preventing them from murdering him and taking over? Also, Golarion goblins aren't very good at strategy. They're crazy little bastards with little to no thought to self-preservation. They're impulsive and come up with all sorts of ideas that seem like good ideas to them at the time, but usually fail comically.

If you want to send a few goblins after them from Ripnugget, then some more goblin warriors would be better. What happened to Tsuto? Did your party kill him? Did they knock him out and take him back to Sherriff Hemlock? Assuming they find the slaughter at the Glass Works, they will probably be enamored with the molten glass themselves. Maybe they take some of that with them before they stalk the Catacombs to find the PCs.

Honestly, the purpose of the goblins isn't to challenge the party. They should fall easily. Erylium is the first real challenge a party has in the path, and one that usually catches them unprepared if they haven't prepped for fighting something that can fly, turn invisible, can cast spells, heals, and has DR.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

you may be right and btw Tutso was taken prisoner and will be sent to Magnimar for trial


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I'm trying to deduce the logic in setting up camp in a dungeon with a fully comfortable bed awaiting 15 minutes away at the Rusty Dragon.

I don't see Erylium sitting idly by while some dirty ruffians are loitering in her kingdom. Have her attack them while they're resting.

Realistically she would approach invisibly, try to slumber hex whoever is on watch, slit his throat and then go to work on the rest of the party. That may result in your players rage quitting though. So you may want to play up the crazy a bit and have her unseen voice start screaming about them dirtying up her kingdom (and waking up the party) before she attacks. Still, unless everyone has light armor they were sleeping in, at least some of the characters should be caught with their metal pants down.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Kalshane wrote:

I'm trying to deduce the logic in setting up camp in a dungeon with a fully comfortable bed awaiting 15 minutes away at the Rusty Dragon.

I don't see Erylium sitting idly by while some dirty ruffians are loitering in her kingdom. Have her attack them while they're resting.

yep i know but the problem is that Erylium is a threat on her own, having half the party asleep when she attacks would most likely end in a TPK so im looking for other alternatives


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

Not that i dislike the idea of a tpk but if it happens it better be on a more dramatic fashion


1 person marked this as a favorite.

1) They're sleeping in a dungeon.

2) They're sleeping in a dungeon that's underneath a town where they have free room and board.

3) They're sleeping in a dungeon that's underneath a town where they have free room and board after not bothering to research their foe (I'm assuming on the last bit, since you're worried about a TPK. A prepared party, especially with a paladin, shouldn't have too much trouble with her.)

If they're smart, they'll run once they realize they're not prepared for this fight.

Then again, the fact that they're in this situation says they're not very smart.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Well, I'm afraid I'm with Kalshane here. "You're a 5-minute walk from safety at the Rusty Dragon and you'd rather sleep in a half-explored cavern with known enemies about?"

It's really asking for some serious nastiness.

But...
I insist on GM'ing by playing all the monsters and NPCs as 'real people' instead of 'XP and gold waiting in a room'.

So look at all the surviving critters in the catacombs. Which ones would be likely to roam the halls aimlessly, and might be likely to find the party? Which ones would be likely to stay put? If you assume that the monsters don't know the PCs are there, how likely would any of them be to stumble across them?

Unfortunately, I'm with the "throw Erylium at them while they're asleep" group. I don't see any way she doesn't spend every day roaming her domain. But I agree that's a likely TPK.

So just assume some of the lesser critters are wandering around as well, and hit them with one of those first, to give them the indication that resting in the caves is a really bad idea.

For example:

The vargouille could kiss one of them in his sleep. :-P


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
NobodysHome wrote:


The vargouille could kiss one of them in his sleep. :-P

the vargouille has already done some kissing but unfortunately is very dead now, so i gues the best options left may be Erylium or random Sinspawn or maybe both, i've done some thinking and maybe this could be used as a lesson to the party


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Well, E. is nasty. Last time I "let things flow naturally" as a GM, the end result was "the Great Troll massacre" and my being relieved of my GM duties for 3 months.

So I just like hitting them with something smaller first -- maybe she's silly enough to summon loud skittery creatures that attack them? That way they don't have their armor, but they don't get coup de graced and they should be able to run, thoroughly embarrassed out of the catacombs.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Any chance that E could stumble across some dead minions and go nuts as a result, making lots of noise and waking them up before attacking? She is, after all, nuts. Then ideally the PCs would have to flee back into town in their pyjamas, while bemused citizens wonder why they aren't tucked up in a nice warm bed. And E can hoard the kit they've had to leave behind.

For crimes of stupidity, education is better than punishment.

Silver Crusade

So im curious, who doesnt sleep in their armor in this game? I am pretty sure there are no negatives to it.

Primus


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Mudfoot wrote:
For crimes of stupidity, education is better than punishment.

The problem is i have 2 first time players and the more experienced players are too stuborn to run so i expect the whole party to die if Eylium attacks them, im feeling inclined to throw 3-4 sinspawns at them


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Primus Agnarok wrote:

So im curious, who doesnt sleep in their armor in this game? I am pretty sure there are no negatives to it.

Primus

Sleeping in Armor: A character who sleeps in medium or heavy armor is automatically fatigued the next day. He takes a –2 penalty on Str and Dex and can't charge or run. Sleeping in light armor does not cause fatigue.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Biztak wrote:
Mudfoot wrote:
For crimes of stupidity, education is better than punishment.
The problem is i have 2 first time players and the more experienced players are too stuborn to run so i expect the whole party to die if Eylium attacks them, im feeling inclined to throw 3-4 sinspawns at them

Are they insisting on staying in the catacombs?

You just may want to give a suggestion of "This could be a bad idea and probably would best you just went back to town and rested."

Yes, it's better the players get into the habit on figuring things out like this on their own, but especially being new players it won't hurt stepping in once in awhile to give a GM suggestion.


7 people marked this as a favorite.

The catacombs of wrath are saturated with the psychic residue of ancient torture.

So rather than having them attacked by physical creatures, give them nightmares. Borrow the mechanic from Foxglove Manor -- if they fail a Will save, say, DC 14 or so, they take 1 point of Wisdom damage from horrific nightmares and wake up fatigued.

For extra credit, come up with a personalized dream for each one of them that ties into their backstory and stuff they've done so far, then distribute those to each player on a 3x5 card. For example:

"You dream of your hapless party member who got shoved in the furnaces of the glassworks above. His flesh turns to molten glass before your eyes. As his face liquifies, he turns his blind gaze to you and stretches his hand for your help. Then you wake up. You are fatigued. Make a Will save (DC 14). If you fail, take 1 point of Wisdom damage."

Putting it on 3x5 cards like this helps a lot, because it's personal to each player, and they can talk about it in character. It's a good role-playing opportunity, as well as a reminder that sleeping in a dungeon is generally not something to do voluntarily.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

OK. Just TOO awesome, Tinalles!


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Tinalles wrote:

The catacombs of wrath are saturated with the psychic residue of ancient torture.

So rather than having them attacked by physical creatures, give them nightmares. Borrow the mechanic from Foxglove Manor -- if they fail a Will save, say, DC 14 or so, they take 1 point of Wisdom damage from horrific nightmares and wake up fatigued.

For extra credit, come up with a personalized dream for each one of them that ties into their backstory and stuff they've done so far, then distribute those to each player on a 3x5 card. For example:

"You dream of your hapless party member who got shoved in the furnaces of the glassworks above. His flesh turns to molten glass before your eyes. As his face liquifies, he turns his blind gaze to you and stretches his hand for your help. Then you wake up. You are fatigued. Make a Will save (DC 14). If you fail, take 1 point of Wisdom damage."

Putting it on 3x5 cards like this helps a lot, because it's personal to each player, and they can talk about it in character. It's a good role-playing opportunity, as well as a reminder that sleeping in a dungeon is generally not something to do voluntarily.

i love your idea it is an awsome oportunity for RP the only problem is they would be taking turns as guards so how should i handle this, simply have them have the nightmares after their shift


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Anger. These are the catacombs of wrath, after all. So when PC 1 wakes PC 2 to do his shift, PC 2 is REALLY FURIOUS about being woken up. Fisticuffs ensue, which wakes the rest of the bad-tempered party. Then sense prevails.

Or add wandering monsters, even something as trivial as some modest vermin (eg 1 HD centipede or spider). Something that encourages PC1 to wake PC2 early "for that? You woke me for that? <BIFF>"


I wouldn't worry about guard shifts and nightmare schedules too much, personally. Just tell them it happened some time during the night, and that the effects persisted even if they got back to sleep afterwards.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Or, run it like a haunt. The sudden influx of subconscious minds in the Catacombs not only affects the dreamers, but creates a dreamscape that affects those in the waking world.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
NobodysHome wrote:
OK. Just TOO awesome, Tinalles!

Here! Here! I second that motion! Yes, nightmares for the fools that sleep in the dungeon is a fantastic idea.

Though I would also add - it takes a village to raise a child and we all have a responsibility to share important lessons. Sleeping in the dungeon when town is 5 minutes away and there are plenty of enemies (or unopened doors) about isn't we-went-one-room-too-far dangerous, it's stick-your-tongue-to-the-flagpole-at-20-below foolish. It just shouldn't be done and if you see someone about to do it, you need to tell them to stop, regardless of role, DM, player, spouse, parent, sibling, or complete stranger.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Wish I had this thread at my disposal when my players slept in the Catacombs a few months ago. I didn't even consider the fact they were quite literally a ten minute walk back to the inn. GM growing pains, I guess.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

Thank you all for your help i really appreciate it,the nightmares were a succes but im sorry to anounce that Talbrok the elven rouge died in the catacombs at the hands of Erylium

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

1 person marked this as a favorite.

RIP Talbrok. You will be missed.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder Adventure Path / Rise of the Runelords / help! sleeping in the cathacombs of wrath All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Rise of the Runelords