[Outpost VI, PF2/Farol] #4-04 To Seek the Heart of Calamity (Inactive)

Game Master Farol

This is a discussion thread for 4-04 To Seek the Heart of Calamity run as part of Outpost VI. The recruitment for that game is managed by the recruitment sheet and only players that sign up there, should post and dot to this campaign.

Few things about myself:
- I will post once per workday and expect the same from you, I will try to post at least 1 during the weekend, but this is subject to other duties. There could be times when I end up posting more than 1-time per day, but I will not push the story faster than that.
- I want this to be a safe place, and we will be following the society standards
- I want us all to have fun here, you as well as me,

I will create a presentation, macro sheet, and RPG chronicles link later on for you to fill.

Hello all. Tess is now Level 6 (4 XP from Level 7), so I will be slow-tracking this adventure so that I can put both this and it's sequel 4-08, The Battle for Star's Fate on Tess.

The Pathfinder Society recently discovered that a rune-encrusted dagger in its vaults is somehow connected to an ancient weapon buried in the remote deserts of Thuvia. The weapon's precise location is unknown, so the Society dispatches a team of agents to explore the desert, using the dagger to guide the way. Unfortunately, the dagger is one of a matched pair, and the Society's enemies have its twin! Can the agents reach the weapon before their enemies do? What other surprises lay in wait?

The store blurb says that we're exploring the Thuvian desert, so here are some of my purchases for the concept of days or weeks in the desert:

I am looking forward to this adventure. This is my Thuvian wizard who I will be bringing to the adventure. I need to update their profile still.

Will we be using some version of Doug H’s macro spreadsheet for rolls? If not, I will want to improve my Botting spoiler.

It looks like we have a person at minimum level. They would get a level bump. I can offer a Magical Mentor via Grand Archive. What other mentor boons do people have available?

I have three glyphs. That gives half the table two hero points to start.

Oh, right! Level bumps and Glyphs! Thanks for reminding me, Brekovi.

Tess's Mentor Boon

I can offer Combat Mentor via Vigilant Seal. This will give Henri Hart a boost to his combat abilities if he chooses this as one of his two mentor boons.

Glyphs

Like Brekovi, I have 3 Glyphs, which means that everyone will be getting 2 Hero Points to start.

Hey there Tess of Tosof & Brekovi. It is great to meet you yet again at the boards. As far as I remember you haven't played with me as a GM, so it would be an honor to play that role for you.

I am still considering using macro sheet, I did it in the past. But then was thinking in which configuration I was using it, and I felt that the time needed to put all the information is not really worth it. But let me maul on that idea.

@Test of Tosof - would you like me to record the purchases on the chronicle?

Since I know every other player as well, I will welcome then when they post.

The Macro sheet is great for botting, and even more importantly, it is great as a snapshot of party skills. I hope you do use it! And yes, this is our first time signing on with you as players.

You do not need to record all the purchases on the chronicle (so much work!) -- I record them in my ITS. However Tess had almost two levels of GM or Adventure Mode credit, and so I am very publicly catching up with my purchases.

Thanks for the welcome. As I said, I’m looking forward to this game.

I am still considering using macro sheet, I did it in the past. But then was thinking in which configuration I was using it, and I felt that the time needed to put all the information is not really worth it. But let me maul on that idea.

I was hesitant to use it at first. If the GM has to fill it all out, it probably isn’t worth it.

If each player fills it out, as a player I come out about even. I fill it out once then copy skill checks and saves from the macro sheet. Come out ahead on scenarios with a lot of different skill checks, come out a little behind on a heavy combat, low skill check scenario.

Given that we are traveling through a desert, I expect there will be some skill checks.

I also like it as a player because it gives me a broad view of what characters are strong at which skills.

As a GM, it saves me from having to update my scratch sheet each time someone decides to change their exploration activity.

I always make the players do the Macro homework!

Yeah, I like macro sheet for the purpose of broad view as well. Especially with my character that can decide which skill they are proficient with due to Ancestral Longevity.

Ok, I attached links to maps, macro sheet and rpg chronicles. Since we cleared the situation with glyphs, just let me know if you have any campaign coins or similar.

Please keep the exploration activity updated in the macro sheet. Also if your PC have some odd abilities: Trap Finder, Dubious Knowledge and similar.
@Tess - I will ask you as well to track in any way the ancestry part of your curse, so which ancestry is predominant at given time (if such situation happens).

Around a week before we start I will begin RP scene giving you chance to introduce your PC's, since I can't use scenario material for that, I will set up a scene before the scenario itself.

I have a Campaign Coin.

Also, Tess tracks the Ancestry part of her curse like this:

I have updated my profile but still need to create a Botting spoiler.

I will most likely do that next week. I am preparing for a local in person convention happening this weekend.

Looks like my single glyph won't be needed. Meadow does have Worldly Mentor which would provide an additional +1 to perception and initiative checks for a lvl 3 character.

Hello all. Tess is now Level 6 (4 XP from Level 7), so I will be slow-tracking this adventure so that I can put both this and it's sequel 4-08, The Battle for Star's Fate on Tess.

Seeking the Heart of Calamity blurb wrote:

The Pathfinder Society recently discovered that a rune-encrusted dagger in its vaults is somehow connected to an ancient weapon buried in the remote deserts of Thuvia. The weapon's precise location is unknown, so the Society dispatches a team of agents to explore the desert, using the dagger to guide the way. Unfortunately, the dagger is one of a matched pair, and the Society's enemies have its twin! Can the agents reach the weapon before their enemies do? What other surprises lay in wait?

The store blurb says that we're exploring the Thuvian desert, so here are some of my purchases for the concept of days or weeks in the desert:

Warhorse - I named her Silk. - 30 gp

Tack - Gear for Silk - 4 gp

Saddlebags - .2 gp

Two Weeks extra Rations - .8 gp

Wand of Create Water - 60 gp

That extra two gallons of water each day should help us conserve our water resources with the assumption that water is scarce.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

In addition, I'm purchasing some other items that I missed along the way:

Armor Potency Rune - 160 gp

Wand of 2nd Level Longstrider - 160 gp

One can never go wrong with additional AC and speed.

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Finally, I am grabbing two other items for the flavor of them:

Perfect Droplet Spellheart - 55 gp

I grabbed this for two reasons. One, I am always looking for more attack cantrips in case the Ancestors want me casting spells. Two, I love the ability to walk through enemies that this spellheart offers when affixed to my weapon. You never know when you might want to reposition in a fight.

...

Well well well look at Ms Moneybags over here...

Don't mind me. I'm just jealous.

Also if we do need to search for water, Meadow is trained in survival and has Forager

Also if we do need to search for water, Meadow is trained in survival and has Forager.

Brekovi is also has the Forager feat, but decided that a horse, tack and saddlebags might be a good idea.

This is what happens when you GM a character through almost 2 levels of play. You don't spend anything, and then go on an absolute spending spree all at once! If we're traveling for weeks, horse, tack and saddlebags is a great idea for those who can afford it.

Taking a look at characters I have available in level range, I realized I only have Symeon here, a medicine focused investgator, free. He'll be here to make sure everyone stays alive, healthy and in a good mental state.

Isaku Beru checking in. Let's see if I've learned anything from Zendel's lessons on how to be an Investigator. Isaku can function as a secondary medic (Assurance Medicine).

This is also my first game at Lvl 5.

If anyone's read stuff by Clive Cussler, then this character will sound familiar... :)

So it looks like we have two prepared and two spontaneous casters for this mission.

Jayma’s regular spells are:
Cantrips: Detect Magic, Gouging Claw, Message, Ray of Frost, Telekinetic Projectile

Level 1: Magic Missile (signature, triggers: Blood Magic), Charm, Hydraulic Push, True Strike

Level 2: Dispel Magic (triggers: Blood Magic), See Invisibility, Scorching Ray (signature), Acid Arrow

Level 3: Haste (triggers: Blood Magic), Fireball (signature), Horizon Thunder Sphere (H+2), Slow

Level 4: Dimension Door (triggers: Blood Magic), Fly, Invisibility (H+2) (signature)

She also has a Staff of Fire and several wands and other items that give her other spells.

Tess’s regular spells are:

Cantrips: Guidance, Disrupt Undead, Forbidding Ward, Message, Shield, Stabilize, Electric Arc, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost

1st: Bless, Disrupting Weapons, Heal (signature)

2nd: Calm Emotions, Dispel Magic (signature), Sound Burst

3rd: Circle of Protection, Comprehend Language, Searing Light

——

A fair number of these overlap with the spells that Brekovi normally takes.

I’m going to be swapping around my spells memorized before we start. Still analyzing which I will take. I will try to fill in the missing elemental cantrips to give us more variety and figure out what to do in the other cases.

I do not plan to take Dispel Magic since it looks like Tess can cover that.

Tess also has Spout thanks to the new Spellheart.

Isaku is also a semi-spontaneous caster with Psychic Dedication (Produce Flame). He also took the liberty of purchasing a Pearly White Spindle Aeon Stone and a Necklace of Fireballs... not to mention his Methodology is Alchemy... Lots of fire to be thrown...

You do know it is already hot enough in the Thuvian desert, right?

:)

——

I have added Henri Heart to the macros spreadsheet. I have not listed any untrained skills and have marked any skills that are trained or better as copied to GM.

I added one to each skill, save and perception for the level bump.

I do not know what Mentor boons they might want. I can offer Magical Mentor, Tess can offer Combat Mentor and Meadow has Worldly Mentor.

I don’t know what other Mentor boons the other players may have.

Henri gets to choose two to benefit from.

Hey @Sedoriku and @Gm Tiger - good to see you both! I am glad that you found your way to my table

@Halgur - nice to see Meadow and Silence again. I hope your owl would like desert surrounding.

Hey @Frozen Frost good to see Henri again.

@All - I think it has been said, but each one of you start with 2 hero points. You should fill in the RPGChronicle (and it is a good idea to fill in the emails, as there will be some lottery using emails), as well as macro sheet and slides.

You have a bit unusual team, as none of you is a natural frontline character, so just keep that in mind ;)

@Brekovi - regarding your long post describing spells and characters, I feel like you mixed characters from different tables. We don't have Jayma ( I think this is Palandri character, who is not playing here), and I don't think we have 2 prepared and 2 spontaneous casters here ;) (wizard + cleric for prepared and Oracle as spontaneous gives 3).

And thanks for inputting the data into macro sheet @Brekovi, in the past I was pestering players to fill it in before and during the game. Very much appreciated!

Doh!

I did mix tables. Sorry about that. Guess I need to only work on one character’s prep at a time rather than switching between several. Sorry for any confusion that may have caused.

It will make my spell choices easier though since there isn’t as much overlap in spells.

Thank you, Brekovi! And it is nice to be at your table again, GM Farol. As for the mentor boons, Henri will take the Magical Mentor and Combat Mentor boons. I will update my profile as well to incorporate those from the boons.

Glad to hear it! It makes me glad to be a member of the Vigilant Seal. Is anyone else picking up a mount for this trip?

So for spells I’m thinking of taking:
0: Detect Magic, Tanglefoot, Shield, Electric Arc, Telekinetic Projectile
1: Magic Missile, Mud Pit, True Strike
2: Acid Arrow, Resist Energy, Flaming Sphere
3: Aqueous Orb, Dispel Magic, Fireball

If you think a different spell of mine would help more, go ahead and suggest it.

Glad to hear it! It makes me glad to be a member of the Vigilant Seal. Is anyone else picking up a mount for this trip?

So am I seeing that correctly? A horse only costs 2 gold? Why aren't there any camels for purchase?

Tess of Tosof wrote:

Glad to hear it! It makes me glad to be a member of the Vigilant Seal. Is anyone else picking up a mount for this trip?

So am I seeing that correctly? A horse only costs 2 gold? Why aren't there any camels for purchase?

Until recently camels were only available to those who had played a particular AP.

Now they are available as an animal companion with expenditure of ACP. I do not know of any way to buy them yet as normal animals.

You can't purchase carts, either. There's no putting the cart before the horse in Society play! Two gold is a bargain!

"Meadow" wrote:

Tess of Tosof wrote:

Glad to hear it! It makes me glad to be a member of the Vigilant Seal. Is anyone else picking up a mount for this trip?

So am I seeing that correctly? A horse only costs 2 gold? Why aren't there any camels for purchase?

Until recently camels were only available to those who had played a particular AP.

Now they are available as an animal companion with expenditure of ACP. I do not know of any way to buy them yet as normal animals.

That's pretty silly considering that the Society is headquartered in Absalom. In fact I was under the impression that horses were rare in Absalom and Camels were the common beast of burden.

Horses are rare on the Isle of Kortos, since the centaur tribes regard them as invaders and the harpies like to eat them.[17] Consequently, the most prominent beast of burden is the camel; farmers use them for agriculture, drovers use them to pull wagons and chariots, and many district guards field a camel cavalry.[17] Camel barding is more commonly available than barding for horses in the city.[17] After camels, axe beaks are most common mount and beast of burden, faster and better able to defend themselves than camels.[17] Dogs, lizards, elephants, and monstrous centipedes are also found; before the establishment of Hackamore House, much saddle and tack had to be custom made or ordered from dozens of shops due to the diversity of animals used in the city.[17][i]

--Guide to Absalom 2008

Absalom’s many cultural influences and waves of immigration have created
a vast array of mechanical and animal-powered conveyances that fill
nearly every niche. Any larger animal requires feed and stabling—a hefty
maintenance fee that means privately owning a steed or beast of burden in
the city carries with it some prestige. Fortunately, there are ample long-bench
wagons, swifter carts, and person-powered rickshaws that cater to the masses
and visitors alike. The following are draft animals, mounts, and vehicles
commonly encountered in Absalom.

Horses: Horses are just as popular in Absalom as they are anywhere else
across the Inner Sea region. Several breeders in the Swardlands fill the need for
domestic stock, while new varieties from all over the world arrive regularly
via Absalom’s harbor.

--Absalom: City of Lost Omens 2021

It looks like there has been a massive influx of horses from 4708 to 4721. Or maybe some sort of camel plague? At any rate no prices anywhere for either animal since PF2e launched is kinda ridiculous.

So the riding horse is listed as a level 1 creature and the horse from the equipment table is listed as level 0 and the price is 2gp+ I would imagine that the 2gp horse is only a pack horse or something. I'm not going to chance it. At any rate Meadow is the type to actually own a horse or camel. There probably isn't any room in the stables at Mrs. Mullinax's Home for Adventurous Young Ladies anyway.

CRB 295

Horse
Riding horse 1 sp per day 8 gp
Warhorse 1 gp per day 30 gp (level 2)
Pack animal 2 cp per day 2 gp

I chose a Warhorse because I didn’t want my horse to run away frightened each time combat broke out. At our level having to chase down a scared animal did not sound worth the 22 gp saved.

According to the bestiary the Riding Horse and Warhorse both have Speed 40, which is much better than my Speed of 25 or even 35 while using my wand of 2nd level Longstrider.

Also, the Society has stables where you can keep your animals. But what home for Adventurous Young Ladies wouldn't have stables?

BTW, is there space for Tess at this rooming house? It sounds delightful.

"Oh there's probably room. People come and go all the time as they head out on adventures. Mrs. Mullinax's Home for Adventurous Young Ladies is a boarding house for female adventurers. Lots of pathfinders live there. There's Yasmin, and Red and Joan and Zaza and Jun-Mei and a few others. Mrs. Mullinax used to be a pathfinder and I think she misses it. She seems to know Venture-captain Valsin pretty well. She wrote an introduction letter for me to give to him that got me into the society.

There's not really stables but there is a big barn. It's often pretty full though with Mrs. Mullinax's goats other animals. I help out by milking the goats in the morning and gathering the eggs from the coop next to the barn."

So the riding horse is listed as a level 1 creature and the horse from the equipment table is listed as level 0 and the price is 2gp+ I would imagine that the 2gp horse is only a pack horse or something. I'm not going to chance it. At any rate Meadow is the type to actually own a horse or camel. There probably isn't any room in the stables at Mrs. Mullinax's Home for Adventurous Young Ladies anyway.

Meant to say Meadow is not the type to own a horse or camel.

Hey folks, I posted an introductory scene. It is meant to let you introduce your PC before the scenario starts. I usually make it fill in, your journey to the place where the scenario starts.

Since I can't use materials from the scenario before the Outpost starts all of the elements are so far made up by your humble.

Before we set out, is anyone else purchasing a mount for the journey? Meadow has a speed of thirty five, and can keep up with most horses. Most of the rest of us cannot.

GM Farol, since we have not started yet, can I change my Wand of Create Water to a Staff of Water? They are both the same price, but the Staff of Water has just been sanctioned from Treasure Vault.

I am hesitant to buy a mount for Henri because he does not have a Ride feat and he only has Nature +4 to Command an Animal, but he does not want to slow down the group as they travel. Any advice?

I am hesitant to buy a mount for Henri because he does not have a Ride feat and he only has Nature +4 to Command an Animal, but he does not want to slow down the group as they travel. Any advice?

Buy a warhorse. They don’t panic so you don’t need a nature check to keep them from running away.

The Mount action is also used for getting off a creature. It does not appear to require a Nature skill check.

Basically, ride until combat breaks off. Get off the horse (one action) and proceed with the battle. The warhorse will wait there until combat is over.

My Nature skill isn’t really good either, so I’m hoping for normal movement we will not need to do a lot of Nature rolls.

GM Farol, since we have not started yet, can I change my Wand of Create Water to a Staff of Water? They are both the same price, but the Staff of Water has just been sanctioned from Treasure Vault.

Hey Tess, sure. Until we start you can change your decisions related to purchase.

=====================

Regarding horses and stuff, I was not certain if I can and should I write this, but what the heck ;) This scenario uses hexploration rules which bases the amount of activities that you can do per day to the slowest moving person. So bottom line is: it is good for the slowest member to move with at least 30 ft.

When it comes to options there are those listed here Mounts War horse, warpony (I think the default for small races like Ysoki ;)), There are also Riding dogs, and how they behave in combat is a mystery as theire description states:

'Riding dogs are as loyal and devoted to their masters as guard dogs, and are ferocious in battle, regardless of whether they bear a rider or not.'

I will also allow for you to buy mounts after the briefing (it is not explicitly forbidden)

Anywho, just wanted to share

Aha! There's the price for mounts. Why would they hide the price for mounts under services and not animals? Get it together Paizo!

I'd bee down for messing with a riding dog, and Symeon does have expert in nature and a +12 as well. I'd also get to dust off this profile.

When it comes to options there are those listed here Mounts War horse, warpony (I think the default for small races like Ysoki ;)),

When one of the tall races needs a mount, you can’t loan them the Warpony or Riding Dog.

Although I think it totally ridiculous, when a small race wants to ride a warhorse there is no problem.

That is why I bought the mount that almost anyone could use.

I am hesitant to buy a mount for Henri because he does not have a Ride feat and he only has Nature +4 to Command an Animal, but he does not want to slow down the group as they travel. Any advice?

Henri, you are the Level 3 playing up, I will lend you my Warhorse, Silk, since Tess is already traveling at 30 speed (40 with longstrider.)

If at least one more person buys a mount in the party, we can have all the slower characters mounted.

So Symeon is going to pick up a few things in addition to a riding dog.

@Symeon will you cover tracking of purchases?

@Brekovi - got it, I respect the practicality of your move ;) And an image of Ysoki jumping up and down on a gigantic war horse will provide plenty of entertainment ;)

@Symeon will you cover tracking of purchases?

Already on it.