Tears at Bitter Manor

Game Master flykiller

This is an open recruitment for ‘Tears at Bitter Manor’, which is a 64-page module for levels 5-8. I will be looking for 4 players. I don't want to drag it out too much, so I will be announcing my picks as soon as I make them.

I also want to use this as a chance to try out the Unchained rules, so will be looking to implement them along with my own take on some of them. If you need help keeping track of stuff, you can PM me your character choices and I’ll send you the Hero Lab output for your character.

Character creation rules:

• Level 5, 20 point buy, 2 traits.
  
• Races: core only
  
• Character options: PFS-legal only.
  
• Alignment: no evil or CN.
  
• Hit Points: PFS Style.
  

• auto bonus progression,
  
• diseases & poisons,
  
• wound thresholds,
  
• consolidated + background skills,
  
• skill unlocks (apply to all uses of a consolidated skill),
  
• spell attack rolls.
  

Combat Stamina: all creatures gain a stamina pool equal to their Con score -10 (to a minimum of 0), which recharges at a rate of 1 point per hour. Combat Stamina feat increases this pool by BAB, and the recharge rate becomes 1 point per minute. Fighters get this feat for free at level 3.

Limited Magic: by default, spells are cast at their minimum CL and DC. There are two ways to increase the spell’s potency (‘supercharge’ it):

• Passing a Concentration check DC 20 + spell level + minimum CL (take 10 is allowed out of combat). Failure by less than 5 still allows the spell to be cast at minimum potency. Failure by 10 or more causes a spell fumble.
  
• Spending costly esoteric components worth 5 x spell level x actual CL in gp. I will not be tracking different types of components per school, but feel free to use the names for flavor or invent new ones.
  

Rolling a natural 1 on a supercharged spell attack roll is a confirmed spell fumble, natural 20 is a confirmed spell critical.

If you use the costly esoteric components and pass the concentration check, you can further charge up the spell beyond its normal maximum, choosing to increase either CL or DC by 2. This is a risky affair: Failing the check wastes the spell slot, and failing by 5 or more, or rolling a natural 1 or 2 on the spell attack roll, triggers a spell fumble.

If the spell is cast without supercharging it, a concentration check of DC 25 + spell level + minimum CL allows to not expend the spell slot.

Starting wealth: 5,250 gp. However, it is reduced by the assumption that the character has used a portion of it to cast spells with costly esoteric components, as per below table:

• Full casters: -450gp for 4,800 gp.
  
• 6-level casters: -250gp for 5,000 gp.
  
• 4-level casters: -50gp for 5,200gp.
  

Background:
2-4 paragraphs should be enough. The plot is primarily driven by a married couple who have been members of a retired adventuring party called ‘The Golden Watch’. They have been famous decades ago but have now reached advanced age. There are a few reasons why your character could get involved: you could have been asked by the Pathfinder Society to safeguard the respected old-timers; one of the Golden Watch could have saved your character’s life in the past; or you could be a friend, relative, or an associate of theirs. Whatever the case, you are directed to meet the pair at the Sword Point Inn in Cassomir.

Verus “Igneous” Crandel: Brawny and strong-willed, Verus is reliable as a rock. He owns a small ranch in southern Andoran that he bought with treasure he gained adventuring. Igneous is married to Branda Tulles, and the two split their time between the ranch and Absalom.

Branda Tulles: The public face of the Golden Watch, Branda has always had a way with words and a penchant for snagging precious treasures - but only if they belonged to evil people. After she stopped adventuring, she invested her gold well and has been free to do what she pleases ever since. She rents a posh penthouse in Absalom, and has made waves among higher social circles. As Igneous is far less social, the couple takes frequent trips back to Andoran.

I present Najmah for your consideration

Najmah is a Kellish woman. She has trained with Verus in the past. Verus has taught her that she shouldn't take life so seriously and that there is joy to be found in all endeavors. Before she was taught this lesson Najmah was a very earnest girl who took life way to serious. She is now more fun to be around and although she still has an earnest streak a smile can be found on her face. She works as a teacher throughout the Keleshite Empire and is looking forward to meet with Verus and his wife again.

Her main goal in life is too perfect herself. She holds herself to high standards and expects others to set high standards for themselves too. She is eager to help others achieve their goals if that does not conflict with her own goals. She can't stand backstabbing and people that get ahead by using others.

Will adjust gear and make alias if I am chosen for this

Thanks for your application Magabeus. Bumping up the thread; I think I'm going to keep the recruitment open for no more than a week.

One question: will this one be run for Pathfinder Society credit? You can do so in campaign mode with house rules and still get the chronicles for PFS characters.

I am interessed. I would need time to construct the background and the character.

I am between an andoran fighter or umchained monk who work in the ranch or an unchaîned rogue elf who serve as herald for brenda.

interested if it is for PFS credit.

I've never ran games for PFS credit before, but I can try. I've registered a PFS session #71070 for this. I'd appreciate a link to a summary of differences between PFS campaign mode and a non-organized game. The characters playing must be non-PFS, but the chronicle sheets will be applied to level 7 PFS characters, right?

@ Gayel Nord - all your concepts are sound, though the unchained ones are more interesting to me from a crunch perspective. Looking forward to see what you can cook up by the next weekend!

thinking of submitting either a fighter or a paladin. are you allowing archetypes?

Yes, archetypes are allowed. Though as mentioned, please stick to the PFS-legal ones.

Good stuff, now let's see if anyone is brave enough to submit a caster under the Limited Magic rules :)

I actually am considering a Halfling Magus (eldritch archer)..... :)

I'm interested to see how this will work out.

One question - for you, does the Warslinger racial trait apply to the Halfling Sling-Staff? I'm planning on taking the Slipslinger Style feat ASAP in any case, but if don't really need it, then may be able to wait on it. :)

I've never ran games for PFS credit before, but I can try. I've registered a PFS session #71070 for this. I'd appreciate a link to a summary of differences between PFS campaign mode and a non-organized game.

There are no differences in gameplay between a module run in campaing mode and a non-organised game. There is a difference in administration: the GM fills and hands out chronicles after the game. Chronicles for the module can be found here.

From that download
"Alternatively, you may play the entirety of Tears at
Bitter Manor, afterward receiving credit for playing
the sanctioned portions of the adventure as if you had
played a pregenerated character. In this case, GMs
running the module are not bound to the rules of the
Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign (such as
20-point buy, unavailability of hero points, etc.) when
running the campaign or the sanctioned portion of the
adventure. Pathfinder Society characters and characters
playing through this alternative format may not play in
the same adventure."

The characters playing must be non-PFS, but the chronicle sheets will be applied to level 7 PFS characters, right?

Almost, the characters must be non-PFS, the first chronicle sheet can be applied to a lvl 5 to 7 character while the second can be applied to a lvl 6 to 8 character. Note that there are rules regarding assigning credit to lower level characters, but I won't go into that amount of detail here.

One question - for you, does the Warslinger racial trait apply to the Halfling Sling-Staff?

I'll go by the FAQ on the trait, which seems a pretty clear 'no' (and probably the reason for the slipslinger feat to be worded as it is).

From that download

"Alternatively, you may play the entirety of Tears at
Bitter Manor, afterward receiving credit for playing
the sanctioned portions of the adventure as if you had
played a pregenerated character. In this case, GMs
running the module are not bound to the rules of the
Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign (such as
20-point buy, unavailability of hero points, etc.) when
running the campaign or the sanctioned portion of the
adventure. Pathfinder Society characters and characters
playing through this alternative format may not play in
the same adventure."

Yes I got this far, but I am confused by this: "as if you had played a pregenerated character."

If you do not have a character in the correct level range, you may use a
Pathfinder Society pregenerated character, available on paizo.com. You may apply the credit for the adventure to a Pathfinder Society character as soon as she reaches the level of the pregenerated character played.

Then the PFS page says:

Each character is provided at levels 1, 4, and 7.

Additionally, I suppose it still means that even in campaign mode, all players must have PFS numbers and characters in order for me to report the chronicle?

I see the confusion, and unfortunately I can not remove it by quoting written rules. My opinion is that looking at the available pregenerated characters is overthinking it.

Regarding your additional question: no, it does not. If only some of the players wants the chronicle you can still hand them out and report the game. I GM regular games for a group of people where only 1 (beside me) has a PFS number, we still use the PFS rules and report the games.

Regarding your additional question: no, it does not. If only some of the players wants the chronicle you can still hand them out and report the game. I GM regular games for a group of people where only 1 (beside me) has a PFS number, we still use the PFS rules and report the games.

likewise.

Ok, so assuming we assemble a party in the first place, I'll report the game for credit. I still don't have any healers submitted.

@qwerty1971 - are you OK with using the Unchained rules for Vigfus' rage?

Backstory would be along the lines that he helped the couple on their farm in Andoran and how best to live alongside wild nature. Or they could have met in Northern Avistan when the couple adventured there. Maybe Keld rescued them from a storm or they got stuck in a storm together and that is when Keld decided to focus on storms.

You mean this specifically?

@qwerty1971 - yes, that and rage powers when you get them.
I'm happy to have Keld and Vigfus on board, waiting for one of Gayel Nord's Unchained submissions and Arknight's magus.

front line, divine, arcane (Magus) and hopefully a face or sneak from Gayel Nord actually a thiefy bard would work well also.

Character validation time!

Keld - you should have started with 4,800 gp as a full caster. Your equipment is worth 2,075 gp (15+60+2000), leaving 2,725 gp by my count.
You get 2 stamina points (can't see a way to adjust the calculated value in HL), restoring at 1 per hour, which you can spend on your Dodge combat trick.
Also note that in my rules supercharging spells requires Concentration rather than Spellcraft (though again HL asks for it to display adjusted DCs)

Vigfus - I won't be using Lore and Artistry skills. Also under Consolidated skills, I think you should be getting only 2 skill ranks/level (1 class + 1 racial).
And you get 11 stamina points, replenishing at 1 per minute.

this still open DM Flykiller?

I got 2 applicants who expressed interest but didn't submit their characters yet, so I'd say it is open for a backup spot.

okay, i will try to get something soon if I can, I am not familair with unchained at all though

Keld got renamed into Alomar, turns out the alias Keld was already taken.

I changed gear around and bought a druid's kit. GM: if you do not want me to have 3750 tied up in one item I am fine with changing it.

See profile for new sheet.

Done!

Goston was raised by his human family in Absalom. They were rich enough to send him to school but he had great difficulties. His elven blood was easily remarked and he was bullied for it. In home, His human parent, thinking that he needed to be more free because of his blood didn’t give him rule or a frame to live inside.

His biological mother received each month letter that she ripped instantly. When he happen to have the equivalent cognitive of a 10 year old human. He decided to reconstruct them. It was letter from his elven father. The biological one. One by one, Goston knew what happen between his mother and father and how life was in Kyonin. His father was old by elven standard and he thought that the difference was too high to educate a children.
That doesn’t mean that Goston understand that. He feel like abandoned.

When he was 20 year old, Goston was being consider by his entourage to be quite a delinquent. He had quit school and his home started to steal for a living. He intercepted each letter from his father and started to respond to him when had the money for. His last missive from his father was his heritage. A cold iron elven curve sword. His father had sacrificed himself to protect a family from a demon attack. Wanted to honor him, Goston decided it will be his main weapon. It was difficult at first to wield it. He hadn’t lived in an elven culture, after all. But his had master it anyway.

He could have turned into an assassin if he hadn’t meet Breeda. Who she stole, his purse before he was able to do that to her. Impressed by her talent, Goston wished to she would be his mentor. She accepted in condition that Goston tell his full name and became her herald because she needed one more than a thief. Goston accepted.

Personality.
Goston has been affected by his herald training. So he is quieter than he was in his youth. He has still has a sarcastic mind. He is loyal to Brenda because of what she gave him. He is a little trigger happy to start a fight if there a danger for her.

@Alomar - the money doesn't quite add up:

@Goston: I think you have 22 skill ranks spent out of 20 available.
Also, as mentioned, I don't plan on using the Lore skill, can you swap it for something else?
The money also don't entirely add up - I have 194 gp left after equipment. And I didn't count 5 (oil) because I wasn't sure what type of oil is it - mundane lamp oil or something else? By "Burn Torch" you meant Everburning Torch, right?
Your carried weight adds up to 34 lbs which is enough to trigger -3 medium load penalty to skills. Consider adjusting the equipment?
You can select an additional starting language due to Int bonus.

Here's the Hero Lab stat block I got for your character. Some of the things are slightly different (note I don't have access to the Mentored trait so I replaced the effects with two other traits):

@Alomar - the money doesn't quite add up:

** spoiler omitted **
Also did you intentionally pick Combat Stamina feat this time? If not, then you have 1 spare feat (Dodge I suppose?)

@Goston: I think you have 22 skill ranks spent out of 20 available.
Also, as mentioned, I don't plan on using the Lore skill, can you swap it for something else?
The money also don't entirely add up - I have 194 gp left after equipment. And I didn't count 5 (oil) because I wasn't sure what type of oil is it - mundane lamp oil or something else? By "Burn Torch" you meant Everburning Torch, right?
Your carried weight adds up to 34 lbs which is enough to trigger -3 medium load penalty to skills. Consider adjusting the equipment?
You can select an additional starting language due to Int bonus.

Here's the Hero Lab stat block I got for your character. Some of the things are slightly different (note I don't have access to the Mentored trait so I replaced the effects with two other traits):
** spoiler omitted **...

Goston have 12 int. in the consilided skill rules:worth 1/2 skill rank.

By burn torch, i meaned a ioun torch. And Goston have also a masterwork backpack, so now he is strong enough.

I suppose that Brenda don't wish to work. So Goston would have + 10 profession(scribe)

additional language:Sylvan

An other feat:why not. combat stamina

GM:

Feats are indeed incorrect: will correct on Wednesday (traveling until Tuesday and no access to herolab). I intended to take dodge.

Gear: I will check this on Wednesday also, my apologies. I will probably change the llamelar for hide or ditch the muleback chords.

Goston have 12 int. in the consilided skill rules:worth 1/2 skill rank.

I see where you're coming from! I interpreted this rule differently: bonus skill ranks at each level equal to 1/2 Int modifier rounded down. So bonus skill ranks are given only for Int 14, 18 and so on. Hero Lab and also the book as quoted in this thread seem to support my interpretation. So I don't think you should be getting partial skill ranks for 12 Int.

By burn torch, i meaned a ioun torch. And Goston have also a masterwork backpack, so now he is strong enough.

Understood, that removes the penalties but the remaining money is now 179 gp.

I suppose that Brenda don't wish to work. So Goston would have + 10 profession(scribe)
additional language:Sylvan

Sure, corrected.

An other feat:why not. combat stamina

Sorry, the missing feat remark was directed at Alomar/Magabeus. Goston has enough feats. But as I mentioned, everyone gets limited use of Stamina even without the feat - for Goston it's 4 points, restoring 1 per hour.

I will also allow the Rogue's Edge skill unlock to apply to all uses of the consolidated skill.

@qwerty1971 - yes, that and rage powers when you get them.

I'm happy to have Keld and Vigfus on board, waiting for one of Gayel Nord's Unchained submissions and Arknight's magus.

Here's the profile and stats for Arknight's Magus. I changed to the Myrmydarch archetype as the Eldritch Hunter isn't PFS legal apparently....

Cool, looks like I can close the recruitment and open the game proper!

Krumthi - I don't want to leave you out, so if you finish the submission by Monday, you may yet join the game.

Does anyone know if I am allowed to make adjustments to the encounters if I'm running the module for PFS credit?

Cherial - somehow I end up with 19 point buy for your stats. Was it intentional or did I miss something?
Did you intend to take Combat Stamina feat or did you just add it as a placeholder?
Also please provide a background for your character.

It is my opinion that you can make adjustments to the encounters in campaign mode. Of course that is a bit of a gray area: you should not adjust the module in such a way that it is not recognizable anymore as the module.

I see where my error is with equipment: I had starting funds of 4850...

I have removed Combat Stamina and added Spell Specialization, assuming that will add 2 to the minimum casting level if cast without supercharging.

I was thinking more along the lines of 'scaling the encounter' in the later season PFS scenarios. Certainly not a complete overhaul - I don't even have time or desire for that.

When were you thinking of starting this up DM Flykiller?

I have already posted the first message in the gameplay thread yesterday!

So no skill with the int. Ok then.

I would like to insist about the additionnal feat. As a half-elf, Goston have in exchange of the adaptability racial trait, have the ancestral arm trait.(ARG) With give him the Exotic weapon feat. With the free weapon finesse at level one.

So that leave

1th dodge

3th mobility

5th?

This one will have improved initiative feat.

And i am now ready to play!

I am opening the recruitment again, as a player has gone missing as soon as the game started.

The party currently consists of a storm druid, a viking fighter and an unchained rogue, so we are looking for someone with arcane ability. But be mindful of the limited magic rules detailed in the original post!

Shameless bump!

I'd be interested in this and certainly would like to get the PFS credit.

I live in England and it's getting pretty late here so i'll make a start on a character now and try to get it finished off tomorrow.

Sure, my timezone is +2 from England so it's about 1AM as I'm typing this :) Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

My initial mechanical concept is a Human female on the path to becoming a dragon disciple.

For a very basic background (requiring fleshing out and more details):

Vashara Bainbridge was born into a middle class family in Taldor. In her early teens she discovered her sorcerous powers after accidentally setting fire to a pile of refuse littering an alleyway during an encounter with a mugger. Her friends and family were surprised by her new found powers but helped as as best they could as she tried to control her new powers and how they changed her life. Nothing in her families history could explain the power she had discovered.

She's spent a many years trying to work out how and why she is manifesting these powers. She initially turned to scholars for any information she could find. A diviner discovered that her powers come from the blood of dragons, and in her case the blood of a gold dragon lies somewhere very far back in her family tree.

Having nowhere else to turn to for more information she sought the aid of a priest of the dragon god Apsu. The priest taught her what he knew of dragons and the ways of Apsu. Vashara found meaning in these teachings and eventually pledged her life to Apsu as a paladin. She now travels around trying her best to emulate her god and fully embrace her draconic heritage.

I'm throwing some things in Hero Lab to see how they come out. She would have a few good skills including diplomacy +10, Spellcraft +9, Knowledge Arcana +9 and Perception +7. She would have the ability to detect magic and some other useful cantrips too. She would mainly be a melee character who fights at reach and is protected by her magics rather than wearing armour. She wouldalso have her sorcerous powers to turn to when attacking with her guisarme isn't an option.

I've added a character sheet to this alias.

I'd like to do more but i should head to bed now as it's getting late. I'll check here again in the morning.

Thank you for considering me :)

To link the character to the adventure-

In her search to learn as much as she can about dragons Vashara has sought out many adventurers and ex-adventurers while traveling across Taldor.

When in Cassomir a couple of years ago she was pointed in Verus and Branda's direction as known members of "The Golden Watch", a rather famous group of adventurers. The pair shared what encounters they had with dragons and draconic creatures (if any) and Vashara took to the couple so well that she kept in contact with them ever since.

Vashara shares much in common with Branda and sees her as a hero. Whenever she is near Cassomir she makes a point of calling in on the couple to hear more about the adventures of 'The Golden Watch'.

I'm now reading up on the Unchained rules you listed above and making adjustments as needed for things like 'auto bonus progression'. I've never used these variants before as I mostly play PFS.

As a multiclass spellcaster how much would you like me adjust Vashara's wealth by?

It would be -150gp for a total of 5100gp for you.
Note that belt of giant strength +2 (and similar items which do nothing but boost stats) does not exist with the auto bonus progression rules.
I also haven't used them before (and I modified some of them), so it's a playtest for me!

I think the character should be updated properly for the Unchained rules you're using. I did it 'by hand' on my lunch break at work. Hero Lab certainly gave me a good base point to work from though.

I'll need to spend the refunded gold for the belt and then adjust the 150g then i should be good. Playtesting new rules is always interesting to do :)