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I like this scenario; some cool backstory and interesting exploration elements. The PCs get to be Pathfinders rather than run errands (like in the not-so-great previous one).
I had a few questions:
1) It appears that the only advantage/disadvantage for how long it takes the PCs to reach Seeker's Folly is the following:
If the PCs arrive ahead of schedule, the extra time they have to explore grants them a +2 bonus on Knowledge, Linguistics, and Perceptions checks while exploring area B. If they arrive late, they are forced to rush and instead take a –1 penalty on these checks.
This seems a little contrived to me and I dislike it from a mechanical sense; the PCs do not know how long it will take Yjalk to reach the ruins, and would not necessarily know to "go faster" or that they could "take their time." Also, after Yjalk arrives and is negotiated with or defeated and the Sage of Plagues is put down, wouldn't the PCs have as much time as they needed to explore the ruins before contacting Amenopheus? I fully expect PCs who have not solved certain riddles to continue trying (perhaps even waiting a day, unless Amenopheus wants to leave for the Pillars right away) before leaving the place.
2) What kind of information can the PCs get from the sarcophagus? Do any of the corpses from B12 work? What about the corpses of Torch's old team? What information would these corpses provide? Is there some recommended background reading on what could be provided by knowing the history of Osirion up to the Song Pharaoh? I can wing it if necessary, but would like to provide actual answers.
3) Is there a book containing some additional background information on the Jeweled Sages? One of the new Mummy's Mask-associated products perhaps? Some background on the order would really help with the framing of this scenario.
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3) Is there a book containing some additional background information on the Jeweled Sages? One of the new Mummy's Mask-associated products perhaps? Some background on the order would really help with the framing of this scenario.
We decided to leave the Jeweled Sages exclusive to Pathfinder Society scenarios so that participants in the campaign can enjoy the sense of discovery of the order's history and secrets. Thus, there's not currently anything written on them save what's in this adventure arc and the few mentions of the order from prior scenarios. A lot is yet to be revealed in the third part of this arc and other future scenarios.
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1) [The benefits of arriving early] seem a little contrived to me and I dislike [them] from a mechanical sense; the PCs do not know how long it will take Yjalk to reach the ruins, and would not necessarily know to "go faster" or that they could "take their time." Also, after Yjalk arrives and is negotiated with or defeated and the Sage of Plagues is put down, wouldn't the PCs have as much time as they needed to explore the ruins before contacting Amenopheus? I fully expect PCs who have not solved certain riddles to continue trying (perhaps even waiting a day, unless Amenopheus wants to leave for the Pillars right away) before leaving the place.
The PCs know that they have rivals on the way, and it's not clear whether or not their rivals have already arrived (true in a way, given the recent raid by the Aspis). The mechanic isn't perfect, but it does provide the PCs with some benefit without upsetting how the later encounters are set up.
2) What kind of information can the PCs get from the sarcophagus? Do any of the corpses from B12 work? What about the corpses of Torch's old team? What information would these corpses provide? Is there some recommended background reading on what could be provided by knowing the history of Osirion up to the Song Pharaoh? I can wing it if necessary, but would like to provide actual answers.
Actually, the sarcophagus has its speak with dead property in large part to allow the players to learn more about the backstory of the location—a common complaint in other scenarios. The sidebar regarding the Scarab Seekers' fates and the scenario's background should provide some of the information you need for answering questions.
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What's the deal with the new Mystic chronicles added to Sands Part 2?
The final encounter's development section notes that the PCs receive this power, though in retrospect there's not a specific call-out regarding when to give out the sheets. If the PCs complete the scenario, they get all three Chronicle sheets. If they fail to complete the scenario, they do not receive the second and third sheets.
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I must admit, I like the minor mechanical benefits for those making the Diplomacy/Knowledge checks.
That was something that the author included, and the benefits both made sense and helped fulfill a request I've heard to have the initial Knowledge checks contribute more to a group's success. We might see some more of this in the future so long as the benefits match the knowledge gained.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Ran this Satruday.
About my only complaint is that the optional encounter can be, um, encountered too early. We ran into it almost immediately after entering, and then they got caught up in the puzzle room.
I had a party of 7, so we had two amusing moments.
*half the party arguing over the puzzle, other half including a rogue, who made the DD check. So they try their combo and the door opens. They felt great! Right up until the rogue told them...*
*Player sarcastically places his hands flat on the table (miming the sarcophogus) "So is there a body in here?" Me: *deep voice* "Yes."
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Made a post in the main thread, but thought I would repeat it here (since someone kindly linked me here.)
Does the water elemental only speak aquan? Makes conversation with her challenging?
Also the module ran a shade long, so if you are time limited, just pressure the players to keep moving, there is lots to encounter and explore, and it is pretty awesome over all.
An observation the blinding sandstorm trap moments before the encounter with Yjalk almost ended in TPK (the sleep from his bard didn't help.) frankly the only thing that kept the part alive was the bard greasing the bridge, and a lucky hold person on Yjalk.
It probably didn't help that the party APL was just hair on the side of 4-5 and the table agreed to 4-5.
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Made a post in the main thread, but thought I would repeat it here (since someone kindly linked me here.)
Does the water elemental only speak aquan? Makes conversation with her challenging?
Sellana does not speak anything but Aquan, as even with the increased Intelligence that she may receive from the advanced simple template, her modifier is never positive to grant bonus languages. I agree that it can be a little tough to talk with her as a result, but that's one of the benefits of having a range of languages known. I can also think of another low-level scenario whose possible-talking-encounters involve semi-niche languages such as Druidic, Sylvan, and/or Undercommon.
An observation the blinding sandstorm trap moments before the encounter with Yjalk almost ended in TPK (the sleep from his bard didn't help.) frankly the only thing that kept the part alive was the bard greasing the bridge, and a lucky hold person on Yjalk.
It probably didn't help that the party APL was just hair on the side of 4-5 and the table agreed to 4-5.
The sandstorm trap can be a bit potent, but the PCs should have several rounds (I believe the scenario specifies five) before Yjalk and his crew show up, giving them a chance to recover from the trap's effects.
I ran this scenario last night, and I have some creative feedback, and advice for GMs who plan on running this.
To approach this scenario in an effective frame of mind, it will totally depend on the table of players. Immediately gauge whether they are combat hungry, or lean more towards role playing, or if they like the meta table crosstalk. The scenario is wide open to accommodate all three types, and you should tailor your delivery as much towards which type of table it is.
In other words, this scenario will test your willingness to be flexible as a GM.
In this case, it is a shame that players will only get credit for the scenario once, because I have a feeling this scenario could be played five times, and the player could have five different experiences.
On the last stretch to the folly, they discussed either going back to the oasis and ambush whoever was coming, or to set a boobytrap at the front door of the folly.
Even though neither case is covered in the scenario, I totally sat back and let them discuss it.
In the end, the Rogue fashioned together a trap on the front doors using flasks of Alchemist's Fire and oil. I let him take 10 on it, giving him a 17, and we agreed that his trap was akin to the ol' bucket of water over a doorway trap. My hidden die roll for the NPC's Perception was not enough to detect the trap.
Right when they were about to reach the final couple rooms, I told them that they heard the Alchemist's Fire ignite way back there, and screams of pain. They ran back to find the bodyguard running away in fear, and the female putting out the flames of the male, who was on the ground on fire. I gave him 3D6 damage from the flasks, and then another 3D6. This reduced him to single-digit hit points. To reward the players, the NPC immediately submitted. The players felt bad, and gave him some magic items.
In the end, excellent scenario. Kudos to all the 5th season scenarios thus far for being so wide open and fluid. It is challenging me as a GM to keep up. :)
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Notes/questions to self
1) Make sure the party understands that the guy who flashed the snake badge was a few weeks ago, the guys looking for the tomb are more recent. Otherwise the party is going to see new people and say "ASPIS!" and start combat before you can say fireball.
2) Why didn't torch get his old flame raised? Her spirit moved on? She's stuck under the obelisk? He has a map to her body and more than enough agents to spare.
3) Emerald sage= plague sage right? Presumably green and glowy = bad.
4) Make some notation/clue about the fact that the party wasn't prepared for this big of a discovery and that lead to their deaths. That is torches gripe with the ten after all
5) Have the sarcophagus hold up fingers for each question left (monkey paw style) so the party realizes there's a limit
6) Make will save not to have the viking in the desert offer to give the dragonbane scimitar to his daughter....
Ryan K: did you have any trouble going over the character records at the end? The boons are pretty big.
I mean, every input and opinion I could give about this scenario would fall squarely within the "your mileage may vary" vein, so take it with that.
Knowing that it would take a while to go over those sheets, and we have a hard stop time at the store where I game, I had to push the characters to the end and take some liberties to streamline it - something I feel bad about, but all of the players repeatedly said how awesome of an adventure it was. If they had fun, then my goal was accomplished.
We ended with about 20 minutes left in the four hours. I pointed out the first sheet, then the second, and how it flowed into the third. I then filled them out and handed them out to the players and let them digest it themselves, making myself available for questions for a couple minutes.
BigNorseWolf, those details are exactly what makes this scenario great. I felt I did a pretty good job of leaking details along the way, and each one that got leaked made the players sit back and wonder where that fit into the whole scheme of things. Lots of "Aha!" moments.
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2) What kind of information can the PCs get from the sarcophagus? Do any of the corpses from B12 work? What about the corpses of Torch's old team? What information would these corpses provide? Is there some recommended background reading on what could be provided by knowing the history of Osirion up to the Song Pharaoh? I can wing it if necessary, but would like to provide actual answers.
This happened to me when I ran it, but fortunately a previous experience with a certain Priest of Razmir trying to speak with a long dead dwarf prepared me for it. One member of the party suggest replacing the corpse inside with that of Asha. The notes within the scenario were incredibly useful, so like John said look to the sidebar and the summary for help on that.
Having ways to reveal backstory to the players was awesome and my players loved being able to learn about the group. I certainly would not be disappointed to see more of this in future scenarios.
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So, with Part 3 coming soon:
Using the mythic boon, giving a character 3 mythic tiers and choosing Legendary Item as one of the paths, can a character, during Part 3, use the Upgradeable legendary item ability to get a one time half-price upgrade on an item?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say probably not.
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I agree with BNW. Other than doing that messing with the WBL curve it says it takes an 8 hour ritual to perform. If I'm correct there won't be that much time between Parts 2 and 3. Even if I'm not correct about that the characters don't actually become Mythic until the start of part 3, leaving no time to complete the ritual.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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I played this with my new undine cleric of Sivanah, which made the encounter with the water elemental very cool. After seeing my blue skin and hearing me reply to her in Aquan, she was throwing her arms around me and talking about how lonely she'd been.
Everyone seemed to think that was the coolest part of the scenario up to that point (got trumped by the end, though). The GM then informed us that it was the optional encounter, and he'd skipped some random combat near the beginning to make time for it. He said he'd been thinking of doing that already (just because the optional encounter was so much better), and my playing an undine tipped him over the edge.
Why in the world was that encounter the optional one?
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I played this with my new undine cleric of Sivanah, which made the encounter with the water elemental very cool. After seeing my blue skin and hearing me reply to her in Aquan, she was throwing her arms around me and talking about how lonely she'd been.
Everyone seemed to think that was the coolest part of the scenario up to that point (got trumped by the end, though). The GM then informed us that it was the optional encounter, and he'd skipped some random combat near the beginning to make time for it. He said he'd been thinking of doing that already (just because the optional encounter was so much better), and my playing an undine tipped him over the edge.
Why in the world was that encounter the optional one?
Every other encounter either happens too early to be suitably optional or else is part of the final showdown.
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So, with Part 3 coming soon:
Using the mythic boon, giving a character 3 mythic tiers and choosing Legendary Item as one of the paths, can a character, during Part 3, use the Upgradeable legendary item ability to get a one time half-price upgrade on an item?
I imagine you could do that, but if your character's mythic tiers only lasted for one scenario (as indictated on the Chronicle sheet), the item would cease to be legendary and lose all of its mythic benefits--arguably including any subsidized enhancements gained through the upgradeable property. I doubt there would be any refund.
Let's avoid gaming the system in this way, please. I vacilated for a while on whether or not to exclude the legendary item path ability, and I decided to leave it in so that folks could have a talking hat or a mythic Gamin the Misforged for an adventure.
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So, with Part 3 coming soon:
Using the mythic boon, giving a character 3 mythic tiers and choosing Legendary Item as one of the paths, can a character, during Part 3, use the Upgradeable legendary item ability to get a one time half-price upgrade on an item?
I imagine you could do that, but if your character's mythic tiers only lasted for one scenario (as indictated on the Chronicle sheet), the item would cease to be legendary and lose all of its mythic benefits--arguably including any subsidized enhancements gained through the upgradeable property. I doubt there would be any refund.
Let's avoid gaming the system in this way, please. I vacilated for a while on whether or not to exclude the legendary item path ability, and I decided to leave it in so that folks could have a talking hat or a mythic Gamin the Misforged for an adventure.
hm. my reading was that legendary items wouldn't be allowed, as the boon specifically states that only the character options in chapters 1, 2, and 3 were available, and while the actual Legenday Item is listed in those chapters, the actual rules for creating a legendary item are in chapter 5, which isn't allowed.
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Let's avoid gaming the system in this way, please. I vacilated for a while on whether or not to exclude the legendary item path ability, and I decided to leave it in so that folks could have a talking hat or a mythic Gamin the Misforged for an adventure.
Sweet, it's legal! Other than granting domains (you should definitely worship me) this was the thing I was most looking forward to doing in Part 3.
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So, with Part 3 coming soon:
Using the mythic boon, giving a character 3 mythic tiers and choosing Legendary Item as one of the paths, can a character, during Part 3, use the Upgradeable legendary item ability to get a one time half-price upgrade on an item?
I imagine you could do that, but if your character's mythic tiers only lasted for one scenario (as indictated on the Chronicle sheet), the item would cease to be legendary and lose all of its mythic benefits--arguably including any subsidized enhancements gained through the upgradeable property. I doubt there would be any refund.
Let's avoid gaming the system in this way, please. I vacilated for a while on whether or not to exclude the legendary item path ability, and I decided to leave it in so that folks could have a talking hat or a mythic Gamin the Misforged for an adventure.
All I have to say is PLEASE please PLEASE..do NOT make this a one off. I would like to see this sort of thing again in the future. One offs of mythic stuff works really good.
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All I have to say is PLEASE please PLEASE..do NOT make this a one off. I would like to see this sort of thing again in the future. One offs of mythic stuff works really good.So, with Part 3 coming soon:
Using the mythic boon, giving a character 3 mythic tiers and choosing Legendary Item as one of the paths, can a character, during Part 3, use the Upgradeable legendary item ability to get a one time half-price upgrade on an item?
I imagine you could do that, but if your character's mythic tiers only lasted for one scenario (as indictated on the Chronicle sheet), the item would cease to be legendary and lose all of its mythic benefits--arguably including any subsidized enhancements gained through the upgradeable property. I doubt there would be any refund.
Let's avoid gaming the system in this way, please. I vacilated for a while on whether or not to exclude the legendary item path ability, and I decided to leave it in so that folks could have a talking hat or a mythic Gamin the Misforged for an adventure.
In rebuttal, all I have to say is PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...make this a one off. Adding this to a scenario pretty much guarantees I'll do what I can to never run it. The fact that it's at the tail end of a 3 part story arc really was a kick in the gut for me as it means 3 low level scenarios from season 5 I'll avoid.
I was extremely hyped and looking forward to more Osirion based adventures, but not this. I'm waiting to see exactly what they've done to part 3, but early indications are not promising =(.
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Less mythic!
More mythic (I think)!
I can understand why someone might not be excited about seeing a dab of mythic peanut butter in his PFS chocolate. Whether or not we see another adventure that includes mythic rules depends in part on the feedback that #5–16 receives, but consider your preferences noted.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Less mythic!
More mythic (I think)!I can understand why someone might not be excited about seeing a dab of mythic peanut butter in his PFS chocolate. Whether or not we see another adventure that includes mythic rules depends in part on the feedback that #5–16 receives, but consider your preferences noted.
** spoiler omitted **
I want to say I was psyched about the mythic content. I was *hoping* to see mythic, but was expecting it in specials, or EX, or Paizocon/Gencon things, where I'm unlikely to go.
I understand that it's likely everything goes away at the end of Pt III. I'd like it if the characters had a chance to retan something.
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Ok, the alips mythic initiative. I don't have the mythic book, so the sage of plagues acts on initiative +5 and -15, and I can spend a mythic power to make that inits 25 and 10 ?
The Dual Initiative is just something that some mythic monsters have. It doesn't have Mythic Improved Initiative, just regular Improved Initiative, though it does have Mythic Lightning Reflexes letting it roll twice anytime it needs to make a Reflex and take the better result.
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The Dual Initiative is just something that some mythic monsters have. It doesn't have Mythic Improved Initiative, just regular Improved Initiative, though it does have Mythic Lightning Reflexes letting it roll twice anytime it needs to make a Reflex and take the better result.Ok, the alips mythic initiative. I don't have the mythic book, so the sage of plagues acts on initiative +5 and -15, and I can spend a mythic power to make that inits 25 and 10 ?
AHhh ok, So is the dual initiative thing always on, only works on the first round... ?