Nice thoughts TBug:
I do like those Ground Sets, especially the Seabed one, very useful with this adventure if you don't want to print out the map in battlemap size.
Apologies KarlBob, I misread the thread. Let us know how your players go with the Tamarind. There's a thread for Spices and Flesh here:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2r5uo
I'm interested to know how your players find it.
I killed a PC with a toxic assassin vine last night.They managed to get her back, but it was a tough fight. I'd made the path a bit more of a switchback than shown on the map, and the party spotted a ring driven into a rock with indications that people had been ascending toward another ring further up (presumably using a rope that wasn't immediately visible). It was enough foreshadowing that they figured out afterward what was going on but not enough to prevent the fight.
Anyone else give an explanation why the crew of the Silver Narwhal doesn't get eaten by the assassin vines on their way up/down the path?
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
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I'll ping Matt and see if he wants to chime in, but you could simply decide that the assassin vine doesn't live there full time. It used to live somewhere else on the island and only recently moved into that spot, just in time for the PCs!
The assassin vines aren't usually near or on the path, but with the embargo of the island the pirates have run out of slaves/animals to use as bait or food to lure off the vines and keep the path clear.
The assassin vines can be a tough encounter especially if the PCs don't work as a team.
That makes complete sense. Thanks for the word from on high!
So with the release of the ACG, and me about to run Tarin's Crown as part of Book 3, I'm going to reskin Captain Tarin as an Inspired Blade Swashbuckler. I can post the stats here when I get around to doing it, if people would be interested.
Here's what I came up with. I'm using the scaling up rules (I thought that was a nice addition), so Captain Tarin should have plenty of lackeys helping him.
XP 3,200
Human Swashbuckler (Inspired Blade) 8
CE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +7; Senses Perception +14
Defense
AC 24, touch 18, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +5 Dex, +3 dodge + 1 shield)
hp 75 (8 HD; 8d10+23)
Fort +5, Ref +12 Will +4
Defensive Abilities Nimble 2, Charmed Life +2 (4x/day)
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 rapier +17/+12 (1d6+12/15–20 plus poison)
Ranged mwk dagger +15/+10 (1d4 + 9/19–20/×2 plus poison)
Special Attacks precise strike +8 (included above)
Before Combat If expecting combat, Tarin orders one of his lackeys to smear doses of black adder venom on his rapier and his daggers (doesn’t want to risk poisoning himself).
During Combat If aware of introducers, Tarin drinks his potion of aid (included above), then attempts to soften his opponents up by throwing his poisoned daggers. While fighting, he curses the PCs and claims that they’ll never take the pearl from him. In melee combat, Tarin uses the room’s furniture to avoid being outnumbered, and tumbles from place to
place to set up flanks with allies, using Confounding Tumble Deed and Superior Feint to provide sneak attacks for his crew.
Morale Paranoid and desperate, Tarin frantically fights to the death unless his enemies offer him quarter . If the PCs do, Tarin surrenders if reduced below 10 hit points.
Str 12, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14
Base Atk +8/+3; CMB +9; CMD 27
Feats Alertness, Dodge, Mobility, Canny Tumble, Combat Reflexes, Confounding Tumbling Deed, Improved Critical (Rapier), Iron Will, Weapon Finesse (rapier only), Weapon Focus (rapier), Wind Stance
Skills (Includes 8 FC bonus) Acrobatics +16 (+20 move through threatened squares), Appraise +3, Bluff +8, Climb +7, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +14, Profession (sailor) +10, Sense Motive +2, Swim +10
Languages Common
SQ inspired panache (3), inspired finesse, rapier training, deeds
Combat Gear potions of cure moderate wounds (2), potion of aid, black adder venom (4 doses: Poison—injury; save Fort DC 11; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con; cure 1 save);
Other Gear +1 mithral chain shirt, +1 rapier, mwk dagger (3),mwk buckler, belt of tumbling, cloak of resistance +1, Pirate Queen’s pearl, polished darkwood tankard (worth 50 gp), silver ring with beautifully cut garnet (worth 150 gp), 140 gp
Confounding Tumble, Derring-Do (Ex), Dodging Panache (Ex), Opportune Parry and Riposte (Ex), Kip-Up (Ex), Menacing Swordplay (Ex), Precise Strike (Ex), Swashbuckler Initiative (Ex),Swashbuckler’s Grace (Ex), Superior Feint (Ex), Targeted Strike (Ex)
My players retrieved the artifact and were disappointed not to find the ioun stones with it. They were also coveting the island as a base for themselves (not having cracked the Rock yet), but were very wary of the vegepygmies.
Their solution: flay Tarin, cast create treasure map on his skin, and leave half a dozen sailors behind with instructions to kill the vegepygmies and retrieve the treasure. I'm running this as its own campaign, which should hopefully be a lot of fun right up until I TPK them.