GM Doug Henderson’s Malevolence (Inactive)

Game Master Fiasko

Discuss the Malevolence here.

We can discuss character ideas here. The adventure takes place in Ravounel, formerly the northernmost archduchy of Cheliax. Characters will gather in the capital city of Kintargo before setting out together.

Thanks for inviting me, Doug! I’m excited to play this.

I’m considering a fleshwarp tiefling bard/vanguard. She is always covered up and in a Persona mask, but the mask slips off when she intimidating glares. Perhaps someone who looks like this, but with tiefling horns.

Specialties in occultism, performance (mime), intimidation; shield block and reactive shield to help on the frontline as support.

I would like her to be chelaxian with some noble lineage; perhaps one of the regional backgrounds like chelish rebel, and she can be an inheritor of the mansion.

Also open to other ideas of course. Happy to fill in the gaps where needed.

I've got a few ideas.

One is a fighter that's probably too gimmicky for a James Jacob module: an improvised weapon warrior who is a cook who uses pots and pans to defend himself.
One is a Paladin of Chaldira, potentially a halfling (yesterday's favorite concept).
One is a tiefling paladin who was an old idea from a home campaign in Cheliax (a bastard of House Sarini).
One is an Eldritch Trickster Rogue (today's favorite concept) using Diabolic Sorcerer as the multiclass archetype.

What playable levels does the adventure cover? 3rd through...?

I figure there will be haunts and at least one ghost-like being based on the blurb and cover. Can you give us a sense of what we will (or maybe easier won't) be encountering without giving away any significant spoilers?

Does the adventure take place entirely within the mansion or is there a home base type town? Are there mortal NPCs to interact with outside the mansion?

I've got a few ideas.

One is a fighter that's probably too gimmicky for a James Jacob module: an improvised weapon warrior who is a cook who uses pots and pans to defend himself.
One is a Paladin of Chaldira, potentially a halfling (yesterday's favorite concept).
One is a tiefling paladin who was an old idea from a home campaign in Cheliax (a bastard of House Sarini).
One is an Eldritch Trickster Rogue (today's favorite concept) using Diabolic Sorcerer as the multiclass archetype.

What playable levels does the adventure cover? 3rd through...?

I figure there will be haunts and at least one ghost-like being based on the blurb and cover. Can you give us a sense of what we will (or maybe easier won't) be encountering without giving away any significant spoilers?

Does the adventure take place entirely within the mansion or is there a home base type town? Are there mortal NPCs to interact with outside the mansion?

Great questions!

I'm generally fine with whatever players want to play, so long as they're not trying to break the game and they're not playing the silent loner type.

Players will start at level 3 and reach level 6 just before the final encounter.

You should assume that you all know and care about each other, and that you've come together to solve the mystery of Xarwin Manor. I think horror works best when we care about the characters. We can work out what your connections are after we have a better sense of your characters.

Among certain circles, Xarwin Manor has cultivated a reputation as one of Cheliax’s “most-haunted forgotten places.” But what does that even mean? How haunted can it be, really? People are scared of the wind and creaking floorboards.

You should expect haunts, and at least one ghost-like being. There may be some exceptions that I've forgotten about, but you shouldn't expect wilderness creatures, or wild beasts. Although there may be undead variations of such things and more, and lots of unique creatures with interesting variant abilities.

Research is an important part of this adventure, and as the PCs progress through the story, they’ll unlock new topics to investigate. You will each begin with one research topic and will have a chance to do an initial investigation before you leave for the manor.

The adventure takes place entirely within the mansion or grounds, so unfortunately there are no NPCs outside of the mansion. The town that once supported the manor has fallen to ruin, and with its current reputation, no one will go near the place. That doesn't mean there won't be (mortal?) NPCs inside the manor though.

Hey everyone! Thanks again for the invite! As I told Henderdoug, I have a big writing deadline Tuesday, so I probably won't have much time to work on a character until after that. Nevertheless, I will be keeping an eye on the thread and musing on options in free time when I get the chance.

Here's a link to my stat sketch of my eldritch trickster rogue: LINK

I changed him around a bit, using Cleric Multiclass Archetype and Sarenrae to make him into a former barber turned ghost/demon/devil hunter.

I'll sketch out the paladin ideas I had sometime later, but this idea was burning a hole in my pocket. :)

I've had a cleric/rogue concept in my brain since playtest. If you choose it, I am excited to see how it plays out!

Very cool.

I've been able to research Ravounel and Kintargo lately, so this should be fun. Not yet sure what I'd want to play, but as it sounds like we may have our roguish role covered, but I'm starting to brew up some ideas.

What are the restrictions on ancestries, backgrounds, and/or archetypes? Not sure that it will matter, but just want to be clear.

Any chance we could play with the free archetype variant? No biggie if that is a no.

I can say that I do not have any characters in the following classes:
- Cleric
- Druid
- Fighter
- Sorcerer

So, there is a good chance that I will want to pick on of those classes, but can defer to what other folks are interested in!

Thanks!

In between writing, I had a blast of inspiration, and I think I'd like to do a fetchling wizard

Yarr,

I'm currently picturing myself playing a Cheliaxian Infernalist who has bargained for physical perfection (monk) who has been tasking with exploring this house as his infernal payment...

Of course that may change between now and when I get off work tonight and actually type my character up.

Doug's tiefling made me consider making a tiefling as well to create a link through membership in the Cloven Hoof Society prior to its dismantling who banded together to support one another and became trouble-shooters, investigators, or ghost hunters (a la Ghostfacers or the Lone Gunmen). However, I do recognize taking a versatile heritage can come at a mechanical cost that anyone might not want to pay (e.g., a lot of fetchling flavor comes from their heritage and the human's free general feat is hard to pass up).

Regardless, the pre-existing team, be it ghost hunters or investigators or a band of ne'er-do-wells, that has recently been working together would be helpful in building that "caring about each other" aspect among the party members.

Anyhow...

I continue to sketch out mechanical concepts. The rogue is still my favorite, though my use of Dubious Knowledge with no INT bonus might drive Doug crazy. I had started envisioning him as a Sarenrite who bonded with DougH's tiefling fleshwarp, seeing her as a misunderstood being who needed protection from Cheliax's prejudices (or if I went tiefling, too, a fellow misunderstood person who needed to stick together). I could easily switch out the current rogue build with Chaldira and make him more of an adventurous soul who befriended the fleshwarp just because.

I'm not super stoked by my halfling paladin of Chaldira build. I'll make him human and see how I feel. I'll also build my Sarini tiefling paladin and see how that feels five years later.

Yay, I'm very excited to see our party is taking shape!

You all have great ideas.

I'll post more info on some hooks soon. This adventure makes use of the Research subsystem. You'll each start with a lore topic to begin your investigations.

Really quickly, some things to consider: Desna or Pharasma make ideal deities in this adventure, especially for Clerics, .

Also, the following list of lore options, in no particular order, should give you some hints:

Astronomy Lore
Chelish Lore
Heraldry Lore
Ghost Lore
Library Lore
Boneyard Lore

Doug's tiefling made me consider making a tiefling as well to create a link through membership in the Cloven Hoof Society prior to its dismantling who banded together to support one another and became trouble-shooters, investigators, or ghost hunters (a la Ghostfacers or the Lone Gunmen).

I like this a lot!

Quick question, 'cause I am too used to PFS builds...

So I assume a more standard build (no training, etc).

Also, for starting items at level 3, should we use this table for starting wealth?

Oh… ideas are coming… I was originally thinking a Pharasman cleric as I have never had a worshipper of her, but then I thought that a Desnan would make a lot of sense, as they may have escaped from Nidal… gives me a few hooks as to background, etc.

Yes, standard wealth. No bonus archetypes. With five players we should be able to cover all the bases.

Pharasmins would be a great contrast, as the main inspiration I'm drawing on would be Ianthe Tridentarius from The Locked Tomb trilogy. A caustic, superior exterior but ultimately more of a follower than a leader, happy to just tag along and make snarky comments while she does her own thing.

I had built the rogue with Risky Surgery because I felt it gave a grittier, riskier feel to healing appropriate to a horror story, but it does take consent since even taking Assurance, there’s no guarantee that 4d8 healing will overcome the 1d8 damage inflicted. So, if that’s something the majority would not find fun (either receiving or just getting stressed out that the party might not be at full strength), I can easily work it out of my build.

Ianthe once just attached another person's arm to her stump because she needed one in the middle of a fight, so I would say Risky Surgery sounds like something she'd be up for.

I'm fine with risky surgery

I can switch from Sarenrae to Desna.
For the small price of +2 fortitude, I can be a tiefling. ;)

The more I try to build away from the Eldritch Trickster, the more I like him, but I am theorycrafting other builds.

Going to join the mistreated tiefling squad and make my monk an archer I think. Gonna have to wait until morning to finalize though.

Also risky surgery is fine.

To help tie things together, here are a few hooks based around research topics.

The first one has already been claimed by Doug Hahn:

The second one is a place of interest, the Xarwin Manor, which has stood silently over the ghost town of Crooked Cover for decades.

A person of interest, Fulvia Nostraema, was committed to the Darakole Sanitarium in 4656 by Ioseph Xarwin.

And finally, two objects of interest, mysterious magical relics said to have been in the possession of Ioseff Xarwin. The Void Mirror and The Starless Scope.

You each have an interest in one of these topics. You can decide why and how, and you'll have a chance to do some initial local research before you set out from Kitargo.

With a renewed interest in claiming and rebuilding Ravounel’s hinterlands—the parts of the nation that Cheliax had left alone for so many years, including Crooked Cove—newcomers will be arriving soon. The time to explore is now!

Pirate Rob here with Tuco the escaped Tiefling farmhand. Still finalizing equipment but happy to be searching for the Void Mirror.

I'll defer the Starless Scope to Silberg's character who looks to be a dedicated Desnan and take interest in the Xarwin Manor itself.

Having read Tarandor's rogue guide, I have found Cleric multiclass to not be very useful with Eldritch Trickster, the prime benefit being sneak attack damage on Spell Attack rolls vs. flat-footed targets and the Divine list having barely any Spell Attack spells.

If I'm not taking Magical Trickster early at 2nd, I can put Cleric multiclass in its place and not feel any real difference in the build. That means I can take Thief (more damage on any melee hit) or Mastermind (since I'll be rolling dubious recall knowledges all the time, it might gain me some benefit). Probably Thief.

I'll defer the Starless Scope to Silberg's character who looks to be a dedicated Desnan and take interest in the Xarwin Manor itself.

That will work for me.

Still working through ideas, and have been at a conference today.

Finding many of those lore skills are not easy to get without additional lore!

Yeah, I don't know who James Jacobs wrote those lore options for, but I'm pretty sure this came from his home game.

He does note that GMs should allow other appropriate lore skills, so don't be too worried.

Mostly I thought they would reveal certain themes to help guide your character creation. I just don't want people to get into the game and think they're going to be encountering mobs of kobolds ;P

Worked a bit more on Abella last night. Necromancy specialist wizard with fighter dedication because I had my heart set on a rapier. Fetchling with tiefling heritage. I was wondering if perhaps I could flavor the claw from Form of the Fiend as a golden skeletal arm?

Worked a bit more on Abella last night. Necromancy specialist wizard with fighter dedication because I had my heart set on a rapier. Fetchling with tiefling heritage. I was wondering if perhaps I could flavor the claw from Form of the Fiend as a golden skeletal arm?

Sure, sounds fun!

Hoping to have my PC built tonight.

Running through what I think we have cooking:

Bard - Doug H
Rogue - me
Monk - Pirate Rob
Cleric - Silberg
Wizard - Hrothdane

EDIT: Doug Henderson: would Infernal and/or Shadowtongue be available as regional languages for Humans/high intelligence?

Yes, that seems fine, but I want everyone’s choices to be as meaningful as possible. I think characters will be best served by knowing Aklo. Not that all your choices should be mechanical.

I have started setting up some google slides. If anyone has finalized their character, you can begin filling in the docs with your info!

Blake's Tiger wrote:

I'll defer the Starless Scope to Silberg's character who looks to be a dedicated Desnan and take interest in the Xarwin Manor itself.

That will work for me.

Still working through ideas, and have been at a conference today.

Finding many of those lore skills are not easy to get without additional lore!

You do know you can pick lores as the skills you get from x+int as aprt of your class right?

Also, took ghost lore.

Should be able to fill the slides tonight.

I have started setting up some google slides. If anyone has finalized their character, you can begin filling in the docs with your info!

"...where?" he asks timidly, fearing he is failing to see the obvious.

GM Doug Henderson wrote:

I have started setting up some google slides. If anyone has finalized their character, you can begin filling in the docs with your info!

"...where?" he asks timidly, fearing he is failing to see the obvious.

There should be a link above my avatar that says Malevolence. Let me know if it doesn't work.

Yes... just like that. :X

EDIT: But it appears to be view only.

Co-opted one of my PFS1 aliases. He was always supposed to be a tiefling anyhow. ;)

Sorry, quick question

Is it ok to go with 75gp, or do we need to do the level 2 item and the level 1s?

Asking, because I don’t see this character really using a weapon much, if at all, but if I have to go the items + good route, I will get a +1 starknife.

Here’s Evie/Hrothdane! I’ll get her stats done and up in the next day or so

I am planning on the lump sum too.

Yes... just like that. :X

EDIT: But it appears to be view only.

Oops! Sorry about that. Should be fixed now.

I am likely to have a bunch of scrolls (most level 1 heals)

Maybe a couple of other consumables, and a couple of interesting items

My Big Item will be expanded healers tools.

Yeah, he’s mostly going to be a dedicated healer, but is set up with a couple offensive cantrips and a couple of spells

(This is Doug).

Alright, think I have things pretty close. I wish there was more art on the Paizo site, particularly masks that were not Razmiran or ugly. Slides are filled.

Character profile drafted! Ended up being perhaps a little more "phantom of the opera" than I intended but I want to lean into the horror theme of the module and away from my normal lighthearted PCs (at least for now).

Time for bed. Looking forward to seeing everyone else's builds and am happy to alter things based on group needs.

Sorry, quick question

Is it ok to go with 75gp, or do we need to do the level 2 item and the level 1s?

Asking, because I don’t see this character really using a weapon much, if at all, but if I have to go the items + good route, I will get a +1 starknife.

That's fine. I believe you have the choice, and you can choose whichever way works best for you.

IS there a story behind how Phaedria became fleshwarped? How did she feel when she learned of Iospeh Xarwin and her inheritance?

Notes on my build for GM Doug:

1. Dubious Knowledge: When you fail (but don't critically fail) a Recall Knowledge check using any skill, you learn a bit of true knowledge and a bit of erroneous knowledge, but you don't have any way to differentiate which is which.

So I should always be getting a result from a Recall Knowledge check: 1 wrong for a critical failure, 1 right and 1 wrong for failure, 1 right for a success, and 2 right for a critical success. This is a little more work for the GM. If GM Doug usually pre-prints spoilers for players to open, I can totally add in my own erroneous information to my role-play.

2. Medicine: I have Assurance with Medicine, which gives me a result of 15. That's enough for a routine Treat Wounds check but probably not any other check. With Risky Surgery, using Assurance for a 15, I can reliable *inflict* 1d8 damage and then heal 4d8 HP (and remove the wounded condition).

IS there a story behind how Phaedria became fleshwarped?

I'm thinking a fellow performer at Chelaxian finishing school sabotaged her with magic that went horribly wrong! She then ran away and joined the Cloven Hooves.

Maybe this person appears as a nemesis of some sorts, or haunts her dreams.

How did she feel when she learned of Iospeh Xarwin and her inheritance?

Do we learn about Iospeh before the module starts? She was raised as a minor noble's or merchant's ward, so she probably knew, deep down inside, she might be destined for something like this.