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Prey for Death: an adventure about being members of the notorious Red Mantis Assassins. I have personally had an obsession with the Red Mantis Assassins since I first learned of them because they are just so cool to me. So now that my offline game of Prey for Death (where I was a player) has finished, I need to come back to tell the story myself.
First off, For some of the NPCs there is sometimes no image given so I have to improvise using Google and my own lackluster editing skills. If there is a discrepancy between the image and what I write as a description then that is why. All credit to the original artists, etc. etc. etc.
Okay, important stuff:
Once again, I expect posts as frequently as possible, but bare minimum of once per day (with some leeway for weekends).
I frequently use spoilers to keep things organized and not too crowded, so for future reference, any spoilers in any of my posts contain public information that can be viewed by everyone with three significant exceptions: Any spoiler labeled with a specific check along with the DC (i.e. "Perception 30"), any spoiler specifically directed toward a particular player, or any spoiler labeled "GM Screen." Additionally, I sometimes put spoilers inside of spoilers, but I have to get creative with the labels for spoilers inside of spoilers (you can't label it normally or else the coding breaks), so I put such labels in bold and ooc; if there isn't such a label directly above such a spoiler then don't open it unless prompted to do so. Example :
I do have a google document of my personal house rules/GM interpretations for certain things in 2e; I keep the link to it in the profile of my GM alias here on the website, but I will also link to it right here and will put it at the top of the campaign thread. This document is mostly full of minor adjustments to keep the game internally consistent or to bring the RAW in line with the RAI. I periodically update this document when other weird stuff comes to my attention. Most of it has to do with some minor stuff in monster statblocks, but there are some changes to the wording of specific spells that I added in. Most of the document is written to the benefit of the players or to the benefit of internal consistency.
Finally, I believe that Pathfinder is a game of remembering, so if you forget an ability, a bonus, or anything of the like and don't correct yourself of said mistake soon thereafter and I as the GM don't call you out on it, then we continue onward; I'm not going to do a fleshed-out retcon to satisfy a single mistake and if you expect that of me, then I'll shrug and say "Sorry! Remember next time." Likewise, if I make a mistake and am not called out on it in time, then I will say "Welp, the players reap the rewards of my lack of remembering" and move on. There are exceptions to this, such as when a retcon would be simple ("Just heal X damage since you didn't take it because the attack missed.") or if PC death is on the line.
Some campaign-specific stuff to follow.
The following is stuff taken from the opening pages of the adventure, which acts as a pseudo-players'-guide. My comments will be written in {curly brackets and italics}.
The Red Mantis assassins worship the Mantis God Achaekek, but their living leader is a powerful assassin known as Blood Mistress Jakalyn. In Prey for Death, the PCs take on the roles of some of Jakalyn’s favored agents—members of the Red Mantis who have either proven their loyalty to her in the past, impressed her with their abilities, or whom she trusts at the very least to act to their own natures and not betray her goals or support. For she suspects there are leaders among the Vernai—the ruling order of the Red Mantis assassins— who seek to depose her and take her place as head of the order.
The Red Mantis assassins are killers for hire who worship a cruel deity and rule over the city of Ilizmagorti. This adventure assumes that the PCs are part of this society, and as long as all of the players agree to this core assumption, the fewer personality clashes they’ll have with this adventure’s story. The core events that play out in Prey for Death don’t require the PCs to assassinate anyone that isn’t already of a villainous nature, and the plot doesn’t require them to pursue particularly vile or cruel activities in order to achieve their goals and survive. Still, you should work with your players to make sure they understand the kind of story they’re getting into.
While Prey for Death is written with the assumption that the PCs are working for the Red Mantis assassins, and thus are likely to be evil in temperament, this should not be taken as an excuse by players to make the game uncomfortable for anyone—be they fellow players, the GM, or observers of your game. Before you run Prey for Death, have a talk with your players to make sure they’re comfortable with the idea of playing evil characters—or at the very least, characters who won’t have an issue allying with evil organizations.
A Shared Goal: This adventure assumes that the PCs are on the same side, and presents them with challenges that assume they work together. Inter-party strife is a surefire way to bring about the early end of a game session, and care has been taken in this adventure to avoid tropes where the PCs are expected to keep secrets from each other, work at odds from one another, or otherwise set up situations where working together isn’t the best option. Part of this requires that the PCs themselves build characters that not only work well together, but are, as a group, comfortable with tasks involving assassinations and other activities typically reserved for the villains in a campaign.
Safety Tools: Evil PCs often do evil things, and it’s important to consider your and your players’ comfort level performing in-game crimes. Chat with your players about what to expect, where their boundaries are, and whether to include safety tools like those described on pages 6–8 of Pathfinder GM Core. This adventure features violence against combatants, but the PCs might also decide to endanger noncombatants, interrogate captives with the use of fear or threat, destroy property, or just generally terrorize onlookers. Remind the PCs that while Achaekek encourages the use of fear as a tool and condones the act of assassination, his faith (and thus the precepts of the Red Mantis assassins) don’t encourage acts of wanton sadism, and neither does this adventure. {For context, when I played this, I played a character with a personal anathema of “Intentionally kill a sapient creature I have not been tasked to assassinate,” and it worked out very well.}
Make sure the players are familiar with Achaekek’s edicts and anathemas [REDACTED]. These guidelines should be followed by PCs in this adventure, and are explored below!
Edict—Conduct assassinations: [REDACTED] This edict should not be interpreted as “You must always be conducting an assassination” or “Kill lots of people all the time.”
Edict—Spread the Red Mantis’s infamy: The PCs should seek to maintain the Red Mantis’s reputation as a frightening one, but not in a way that makes the Red Mantis seem overly sadistic, destructive, or blatantly vile. For the Red Mantis, subtlety is preferred.
Edict—Wield sawtooth swords: {Including this for the sake of clarity. See a later post} While this uncommon advanced weapon is unlocked for all PCs in this adventure [REDACTED], not every character will be proficient with sawtooth swords, and thus not every PC needs to fight with this weapon—and even those who do can choose other options in combat as makes sense. Worshippers of Achaekek who aren’t particularly interested in melee traditionally observe this edict by carrying a sawtooth sword on their person; even if it’s not used in combat, an agent of the Red Mantis who visibly carries a sawtooth sword honors this edict.
Anathema—Kill a rightful ruler: This is a very specific anathema and shouldn’t become an issue in Prey for Death, beyond the adventure’s {dramatically ironic} central mystery about Achaekek’s actions against Gorum {since this anathema was born from Achaekek’s apparent inability to kill deities} [REDACTED]
Anathema—Become fixated on petty matters (such as others’ gender or ancestry): While evil, the followers of Achaekek do not preach bigotry, prejudice, or exclusion, and the PCs should avoid this activity as well.
Anathema—Abandon an assassination contract you agreed to pursue: [REDACTED] {The only assassinations in this adventure are against morally reprehensible individuals; you will not be asked to assassinate a high priest of Sarenrae or the head of a child orphanage}
Traditionally, Red Mantis assassins were female humans, elves, or half-elves, but the teachings of Achaekek make it abundantly clear that sex, gender and ancestry are not things to become fixated upon. These traditions need not force player choices during character creation. Any gender or ancestry is welcome to join the Red Mantis, and the city of Ilizmagorti is quite cosmopolitan, so PC options here can be as unrestricted as the GM is comfortable with when it comes to allowing uncommon or rare ancestries. {I am okay with any ancestry, if you can justify it to me. Just don't go crazy.}
The plot of Prey for Death revolves around a fair amount of combat, dungeon exploration, and infiltration. The traditional classes one would see among Red Mantis assassins include clerics of Achaekek, fighters, monks, rangers, rogues, and swashbucklers, but all classes offer their own set of abilities and talents that could potentially be of value to the Red Mantis’s pursuits. Those who must follow edicts of chaos or good, such as certain clerics or champions, may find it difficult to reconcile their beliefs with what they’re asked to do in this adventure—work with a player to determine how best to go forward if they’re eager to play a potentially problematic class like this in Prey for Death. {Class archetypes are also an interesting thing; see Archetypes below}
[REDACTED] {Achaekek; see next post}
Many skills are useful in this adventure, but you should let the players know during character creation that, apart from any other skill specializations their characters might pursue, being at least expert in Achaekek Lore or Ilizmagorti Lore or master in Society will help them play the roles of Red Mantis assassins or their agents.
Multiclass archetypes work well in this adventure (but with the same advice applied for full classes above). [REDACTED] {See next post. Some new class archetypes, such as avenger, vindicator, or battle harbinger would make good choices in a deeply-religious adventure such as this}
[REDACTED] {Redundant with similar section in next post}
Each PC in this adventure has some sort of link to the blood mistress of the Red Mantis as this adventure begins—a reason why the PC is favored by Jakalyn, although not to the extent that they’re considered anything near to a close friend or confidant. [REDACTED] {Redundant with similar section in next post}
[REDACTED] {Redundant with similar section in next post}
A PC who is a full member of the Red Mantis likely has (but isn’t required to have) one of the following backgrounds: Acolyte, Acrobat, Animal Whisperer (with Jungle Lore as their associated Lore skill), Artisan, Bandit, Bounty Hunter, Criminal, Cultist, Detective, Field Medic, Gladiator, Guard, Hired Killer, Martial Disciple, Nomad, Occult Librarian, Pilgrim, Press-Ganged (escaped), Prisoner, Sailor, Scholar, Tax Collector, Teacher, Undertaker, Ward, or Warrior. [REDACTED] {Also Raised by Belief.}
Rare Backgrounds: The following rare backgrounds can be chosen with the GM’s permission: Blessed (by Achaekek), Haunted (by someone assassinated by a parent or ancestor), Otherworldly Mission (vision from Achaekek), or Revenant (potentially previously slain by a worshipper of Gorum).
The following is character-creation rules as they pertain to my running of Prey for Death:
Prey for Death begins at level 14, and ends right as the PCs reach level 18 (you will not play as these characters at level 18)
This game uses the Free Archetype variant rule. However, the ONLY archetype you can take with Free Archetype is Red Mantis Assassin. Remove the dedication trait from Red Mantis Assassin dedication, meaning you are allowed to take another archetype in your main class feat slots without needing to take two more feats in Red Mantis Assassin. Finally, to facilitate being able to TAKE Red Mantis Assassin dedication at 2nd level without needing to jump through weird feat hoops: All PCs are automatically trained in sawtooth sabers in addition to their normal proficiencies.
The PCs, as members of the Red Mantis Assassins who have worked closely with Blood Mistress Jakalyn, gain access to the following uncommon/rare options:
Each PC begins with the following:
One 13th-level item
Two 12th-level items
One 11th-level item (I would recommend greater doubling rings)
Two 10th-level items
1500 gp to spend on consumable items of 13th-level or lower, or permanent items of 9th-level or lower
Reminder that fundamental runes count as one item. E.g. a +2 greater striking sawtooth saber is a singular level 12 item, but a +2 greater striking unholy sawtooth saber would count as using your level 12 item (for the saber with fundamental runes) AND your level 11 item (for the unholy rune)
In addition to all their other features, all PCs begin this adventure with Achaekek’s favor in the form of Achaekek’s minor boon. A PC who dares to use this boon to escape in a cowardly way rather than to bolster their chances to do violence may become affected by Achaekek’s minor curse.
Each PC should come up with a reason why they’re favored by Blood Mistress Jakalyn by choosing one of the following advantages and incorporating this element into their character’s history as they see fit.
Recently, you received a gift from Jakalyn—a pouch containing 6 uses of 13th-level or lower common consumables (you can mix and match consumables as you see fit as long as you have 6 uses overall).
Recently, you received a gift from Jakalyn—a common worn magic item of 13th-level or lower.
Recently, you received a gift from Jakalyn—a runestone inscribed with either a keen rune, a shockwave rune, or a spell reservoir rune. You can automatically have this rune inscribed onto any qualifying weapon you begin the game with.
Recently, you received a gift from Jakalyn—a wand of a common 6th-rank (or lower rank, heightened to 6th) spell.
Achaekek’s Clutch Note that the spell only deals damage when the target gains persistent bleed damage (the condition), not when they take persistent bleed damage (the thing that immediately lowers HP). Whenever the target gains persistent bleed damage, even if it is less severe than the persistent bleed damage they are already taking, they still take slashing damage equal to the bleed damage they would have gained. For example, if a creature taking 6d6 persistent bleed damage is hit by a wounding weapon for 1d6 persistent bleed damage (which is not as bad as the already-existing 6d6), Achaekek’s clutch would cause that creature to take 1d6 slashing damage.
Mind Reading This spell has the subtle trait
Rewrite Memory This spell has the subtle trait
Rogue Omit the last sentence of Rogue’s Resilience. No, the rogue does NOT increase their degree of success on ALL of their saves. That’s silly.
If you’ve been following along with the lore of Golarion this past year, you know that the biggest even was the recent death of the god of war Gorum at the hands of the mantis god Achaekek. This adventure features a veritable ton of dramatic irony, as Prey for Death directly explores why Gorum died, and why it was at the claws of Achaekek, a being supposedly incapable of killing a true deity. The adventure begins prior to Gorum’s death, with Our Lord in Iron’s death occurring at some point during the adventure itself, though I will not specify where at this moment. Just know that that is where the story is headed, even if your characters are unaware of that fact.
You all have been playing with me for a while now anyways, so no further preamble is really needed beyond "Please don't look up anything and subsequently spoil it for the rest of the players" and "I reset Hero Points back to 1 at the 1st of every month."
I have gotten confirmation of playing from three people already; just haven't gotten the explicit "yes/no" from the fourth person I asked yet.
Many skills are useful in this adventure, but you should let the players know during character creation that, apart from any other skill specializations their characters might pursue, being at least expert in Achaekek Lore or Ilizmagorti Lore or master in Society will help them play the roles of Red Mantis assassins or their agents.
Also, quick reminder that Additional Lore makes it so that the Lore skill you chose automatically becomes expert/master/legendary at 3rd/7th/15th.
Hi,
Nice to meet you all.
There's a lot going on with this character creation. I haven't made a 2E character not starting at 1st level before so it's a bit overwhelming but I'm sure I can put it all together.
Did any of you have any character class ideas you wanted to play as? I haven't settled on anything yet. I was waiting to see what other people were thinking first. Although I was looking at possibly oracle.
A little bit about me:
My name's Michael.
I'm 43 and live in New York.
I'm currently playing in GM Xavier's Hell's Rebels campaign and GMing my own War for the Crown pbp game. I'm also GMing a Carrion Crown game on Roll20 with some friends.
As for comfort levels, I can't really foresee anything that would come up in this campaign that would make me uncomfortable.
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Here!
I'm "the wizard" in the Strange Aeons campaign. A bit of a moody, nidalese wizard who keeps himself busy learning new skills (alchemy, and now rogue skills).
For this game, I (a month or so ago) had a very strange idea of a wayang thaumaturge. I'm honestly not fully locked down on the class, but I find something fascinating about a wayang red mantis. Perhaps Blood Mistress recruits from the Netherworld due to their shadowy abilities.
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Okay. I've put together my character concept and background. The crunch of the build will take longer to put together.
I'm going to be a NE Female Human (Empyreal Dragonblood) Oracle/Red Mantis Assassin.
Her Oracle Mystery will be Flames.
She'll have the Servant Background.
And for Favored by the Blood Mistress, she'll have Impressive Student.
Appearance and Personality:
Age: 22
Eyes: Viridian; Hair: Jet
Height: 6’; Weight: 140 lb.
Ethnicity: Tian
Despite her draconic blood, Mimi outwardly appears as a tall, muscular Tian woman. Her jet black hair is cut at her shoulders. Her viridian eyes are ice-cold and she holds herself in a haughty stance. She looks down upon and deems others as less-talented and unworthy of her notice unless proven otherwise. She single-mindedly focuses on her task at hand and is able to ward off unwanted distractions like love or fun. Her failure rate is near-zero and she privately chastises herself for public mistakes. She prides herself in earning the favor of the Blood Mistress at a young age but even that is just a stepping stone for her own ambitions.
Background:
Huang Mimi claims to be the secret 12th child of King Huang Shixin of the kingdom of Lingshen. Birthed as a contingency only for the unlike event that all others of the noble line perish, she was spirited away to Mediogalti Island and the city of Ilizmagorti. She was sold to a pirate as a servant girl and there, she was all but forgotten. But Mimi was old enough that she did not forget her lineage nor her history. She was ill-content to be merely a backup and desired to forge her own destiny, across a path of blood if necessary. Her pirate master was the only father-figure Mimi had ever known and as far as pirates go, he treated her fairly. However, Mimi knew she would never know freedom under his thumb, so at a mere 10-years-old, the first step along her path to notoriety was to brutally murder him and escape. As luck would have it, the murder was quickly discovered and Mimi was captured and would have likely been hanged if not for the Blood Mistress Jakalyn’s interference. Impressed by Mimi’s cold-hearted resourcefulness, Jakalyn made Mimi an offer. Become a Red Mantis assassin and receive her personal training and never be caught again or refuse and die under the Pirate Code. Mimi accepted the offer, and over the next decade, she dedicated herself wholly to her training and became a prized student. During this time, she also developed oracular abilities from her royal and draconic bloodlines. Flames reacted to her very presence and her ability to foretell others’ harm, caused the other students to give her a wide berth. This was fine with her. She understood the benefit of allies but in the end, she would carve her future out of her own achievements and nothing would get in her way.
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Hi Folks!
I'm Tom, I've been playing a Dwarven Fighter/Wizard (i.e a Fighter with Sure Strike & Mirror Image) in GM Xavier's Strange Aeons along with PaleDim. I'm in the UK so I like to add extra "u"s to words and am frequently asleep when everybody else is posting :)
I always play good characters, frequently paladins, I love Superman and noble sacrifice and fighting injustice, so I didn't initially think I'd be interested in this module. That said I am fascinated by the big events in the Lore, so I'm going outside of my comfort zone somewhat for the rare chance to get to play through some of them. I like what I see about the lack of orphanage burning and so forth in the actual module content.
Character wise I had been thinking of a Psychic, since psychic powers seem so well suited for assassination (though sadly Cranial Detonation is a level 18 feat :().
It's probably wise for us to have at least one character covering healing (though I think as long as someone is taking the main medicine feats that's probably fine), and at least one character who fights in melee (and two is probably better than one for flanking reasons). With Mimi sounding wonderful (and terrifying) I don't want to get too attached to Psychic yet in case our fourth is also planning a caster.
Starting at level 14 is a great boon for character flexibility though, so if necessary I couild do a Rogue or a Swashbuckler with the Psychic dedication and lean into the Psychic stuff. Were you thinking of a Melee focused Thaumaturge PaleDim?
That's funny because the first time I played Starfinder, I went straight to a mental spellcaster who could explode heads, because exploding heads is just cool.
My oracle will take a number of healing spells that should hopefully cover a lot of the party healing. Although, I also will try to build her so she can dish out some nice damage as well. I don't think she is going to end up with the Medicine skill.
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Hi, I guess I'm the late-to-the-party 4th invitee. I play the bard in Xavier's 2E Hell's Rebels conversion. I had been thinking about a melee-focused thaumaturge - I played one up to level 5 in a recently-deceased Strength of Thousands campaign and was interested in seeing how the class handles at high levels - but if @PaleDim has settled on playing a thaum, I'll come up with something else tonight. Whatever the class, I'm looking forward to playing this adventure!
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Hi. Welcome!
GM question:
You said: "All PCs are automatically trained in sawtooth sabers in addition to their normal proficiencies."
When my class gains Weapon Expertise, it says "Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increase to expert."
Would Weapon Expertise also include the Sawtooth Sabers or if I want to become Expert or better in the weapon, do I need to take a feat like Weapon Proficiency for it?
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Were you thinking of a Melee focused Thaumaturge PaleDim?
I was, but I'm also starting to shift more towards Avenger Rogue (but keeping the wayang ancestry).
I had been thinking about a melee-focused thaumaturge - I played one up to level 5 in a recently-deceased Strength of Thousands campaign and was interested in seeing how the class handles at high levels - but if @PaleDim has settled on playing a thaum,
Not at all. Please take it. See above :)
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I guess I should flesh out my intro like others :)
I live in the PNW of the US. I work in software (I'm part of the problem? I dunno, I grew up enjoying programming.)
I generally have gravitated towards playing wizards or "the mage" in most games, as Tom is familiar with from Strange Aeons. However, I'm expressly not doing that this game. I began playing TTRPGs in the early 90s with AD&D2e. Thankfully my spouse and most of our kids are into the hobby so we can share it.
Okay, that's not much more, but it's probably enough.
GM question:
You said: "All PCs are automatically trained in sawtooth sabers in addition to their normal proficiencies."
When my class gains Weapon Expertise, it says "Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increase to expert."
Would Weapon Expertise also include the Sawtooth Sabers or if I want to become Expert or better in the weapon, do I need to take a feat like Weapon Proficiency for it?
Well, yes. Because that's what Red Mantis Assassin Dedication gives you XD
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And I suppose I should do my intro as well: 25 male living in Mormon Central (Utah). I've been playing TTRPGs for less than 10 years XD But my weirdly-amazing ability of encyclopedic recall makes it so that I'm usually the most knowledgeable one despite usually being the youngest.
This year has been weirdly tumultuous for me because I graduated, began working full-time for the first time (designing wastewater treatment plants), and met the love of my life and subsequently got engaged! So...yeah.
This year has been weirdly tumultuous for me because I graduated, began working full-time for the first time (designing wastewater treatment plants), and met the love of my life and subsequently got engaged! So...yeah.
Congratulations!
Okay. I've picked out all my spells and feats. I think the last things I need to do is pick out the equipment and then put everything into some kind of organized format. Also I'm changing the character's name to Yujin.
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@PaleDim - Thanks, but I ended up getting intrigued by the Vindicator and will probably stick with that class.
Adding to my introduction as well: I'm an attorney in Chicago, played a lot of AD&D through most of the 80s, stopped playing for about 20-25 years until my two kids were old enough to play, and started with Pathfinder on the recommendation of a game store clerk who said "guys your age don't usually like the current edition of D&D" (this was around 2012-13). I have completed precisely one AP: I ran Rise of the Runelords for my wife and kids and their friend - it took about 7.5 years, but we finished right before the youngest of them started college.
An initial draft of my Vindicator is in the spoiler below. Given that we're starting at level 14 and I've never played the character or the class before (I usually play Charisma-focused primary casters), I'd welcome any comments or suggestions. (@Peachbottom, I can't figure out why my Vindicator and Vitalis have the same +26 attack bonus with their respective +2 weapons, even though the Vindicator is one level higher - if you see something I'm missing, please let me know.)
Two notes:
- While his Background is Field Medic, he isn't likely to go past Trained in Medicine. It's enough to let him do a little healing, but he's not built to be the healer.
- He is untrained in Nature. Despite his ancestry, he's not that kind of ranger.
Tusk's Vindicator Draft TBD
Male awakened bear ranger (vindicator) 14 (Advanced Player's Guide, Howl of the Wild 22, Lost Omens Legends, Lost Omens World Guide, Pathfinder Adventure: Prey for Death, Secrets of Magic, War of Immortals)
Rare, Large, Awakened Animal, Beast, Unholy
Heritage climbing animal
Background field medic
Perception +26 (+28 when using one of your senses from Natural Senses); scent (imprecise) 30 feet
Languages Common, Hallit
Skills Achaekek Lore +21 (M), Acrobatics +14 (+16 to Maneuver in Flight.), Assassin Lore +17, Athletics +27 (M), Deception +19, Intimidation +23 (+2 to Coerce or Demoralize when you can physically menace target) (M), Medicine +20, Religion +24 (M), Society +17, Stealth +20, Survival +20, Warfare Lore +17
Str +5, Dex +0, Con +2, Int +1, Wis +4, Cha +3
Items +1 resilient breastplate, +1 striking composite longbow, +2 greater striking wounding greater fearsome sawtooth saber, +2 greater striking wounding greater fearsome sawtooth saber, armbands of athleticism, arrows (20), cloak of the bat, greater doubling rings, greater mask of the mantis, propulsive boots, scroll of heal (2nd rank) (2), scroll of heal (3rd rank), sleeves of storage[APG], wand of crushing leaps[TV], purse (297 gp, 8 sp)
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AC 33; Fort +23 (Successes are crit successes instead); Ref +21 (Successes are crit successes instead); Will +23; +1 circumstance bonus to saves vs. foe you have demoralized in the last 24 hrs
HP 178
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Speed 30 feet, climb 25 feet
Melee [1] [i]+2 greater striking wounding greater fearsome sawtooth saber[/i] +27 (magical, twin, agile, finesse), Damage 3d6+8 S +1d6 pers bleed +frightened 2 on a critical hit
Melee [1] [i]+2 greater striking wounding greater fearsome sawtooth saber[/i] +27 (magical, twin, agile, finesse), Damage 3d6+8 S +1d6 pers bleed +frightened 2 on a critical hit
Melee [1] claw +25 (agile, finesse), Damage 1d4+8 S
Melee [1] fangs +25 (finesse), Damage 1d6+8 P
Ranged [1] [i]+1 striking composite longbow[/i] +21 (magical, propulsive, volley 30, deadly d10, range increment 100 feet, reload 0), Damage 2d8+5 P
Divine Red Mantis Spells DC 31, attack +21; 5th blink charge[SoM] 4th invisibility 3rd clairaudience, ring of truth 2nd blood vendetta, resist energy 1st fleet step, sure strike Cantrips (7th) shield, stabilize
Focus Spells 3 Focus Points, DC 32; 7th Achaekek's Clutch, Athletic Rush, Debilitating Terror, Enduring Might, Vindicator's Judgment, Vindicator's Mark
Ancestry Feats Fierce Grasp[HW], Natural Senses[HW], Sharpened Senses[HW], Tooth And Claw[HW]
Class Feats Achaekek's Grip[LOL], Advanced Domain[WI], Basic Red Mantis Magic[LOWG], Call The Hunt[WI], Domain Initiate[WI], Expert Red Mantis Magic, Gang Up, Interrogate[WI], Opportune Backstab, Red Mantis Assassin Dedication[LOWG], Red Mantis School Spell, Twin Takedown, Vernai Training[LOL], Vindicator Dedication[WI], Vindicator's Judgment[WI]
General Feats Fleet, Untrained Improvisation
Skill Feats Additional Lore, Battle Medicine, Consult The Spirits (religion), Group Coercion, Intimidating Prowess, Powerful Leap, Terrified Retreat, Terrifying Resistance, Wall Jump
Other Abilities hunt prey, hunter's edge, might, nature's edge, trackless journey, unimpeded journey, vindication
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Fortunate Foundling: Jakalyn’s history and personal life are mysterious and subject to much speculation. You aren’t related to her by blood, but you count yourself as one of the fortunate few whom she chose to take under her wing after an assassination left you alone in the world. The Red Mantis assassins are the only family you’ve ever known, and while Jakalyn has rarely spent time with you, for whatever reason she considers you to be one of her favorite foundlings.
Recently, you received a gift from Jakalyn—a common worn magic item of 13th-level or lower.
For folks looking into Vindicator/Avenger: Bear in mind that Paizo JUST released errata that affected one of their most prominent feats.
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(@Peachbottom, I can't figure out why my Vindicator and Vitalis have the same +26 attack bonus with their respective +2 weapons, even though the Vindicator is one level higher - if you see something I'm missing, please let me know.)
Looks like maybe you figured it out.
But on Vitalis, I had: +13 Level, +6 Master, +5 Str, +2 Potency for a total of +26
So you should have: +14 Level, +6 Master, +5 Str, +2 Potency for a total of +27
Okay. Here's my character. I'll need to fine tune a few things, but all the basics are there.
As for the starting items. I went with:
One 13th-level item: Hellfire Boots
Two 12th-level items: +2 Greater Striking Rune, Greater Cloak of Illusions
One 11th-level item: Greater Mask of the Mantis
Two 10th-level items: Greater Invisibility Rune, Greater Staff of Elemental Power
Keen Rune from Favored by the Blood Mistress: Impressive Student
Standard-Grade Cold Iron Sawtooth Saber 260 gp
Standard-Grade Silver Sawtooth Saber 260 gp
+1 Resilient Mantis Shell 510 gp
Magic Wand of Soothing Blossoms (3rd) 360 gp
Doubling Ring 50 gp
Silver Needles 10 gp (for Needle Darts spell)
Cold Iron Needles 10 gp (for Needle Darts spell)
Silver Religious Symbol of Achaekek 2 gp
Backpack 1 sp
Oilskin Pouch 5 sp
Waterskin 5 sp
Candles (10) 1 sp
1,463 gp 2 sp, spent with 36 gp, 8 sp remaining
Correct me if I got anything wrong.
Okay. Here's my character. I'll need to fine tune a few things, but all the basics are there.
As for the starting items. I went with:
One 13th-level item: Hellfire Boots
Two 12th-level items: +2 Greater Striking Rune, Greater Cloak of Illusions
One 11th-level item: Greater Mask of the Mantis
Two 10th-level items: Greater Invisibility Rune, Greater Staff of Elemental PowerKeen Rune from Favored by the Blood Mistress: Impressive Student
Standard-Grade Cold Iron Sawtooth Saber 260 gp
Standard-Grade Silver Sawtooth Saber 260 gp
+1 Resilient Mantis Shell 510 gp
Magic Wand of Soothing Blossoms (3rd) 360 gp
Doubling Ring 50 gp
Silver Needles 10 gp (for Needle Darts spell)
Cold Iron Needles 10 gp (for Needle Darts spell)
Silver Religious Symbol of Achaekek 2 gp
Backpack 1 sp
Oilskin Pouch 5 sp
Waterskin 5 sp
Candles (10) 1 sp1,463 gp 2 sp, spent with 36 gp, 8 sp remaining
Correct me if I got anything wrong.
Quick point of order for Yujin: the doubling rings would make it so that the keen rune would only be on ONE of the sabers; you'd need greater doubling rings (level 11 item) for that.
Also, not to be a major stickler, but...restoration kinda-sorta isn't a thing anymore. You're looking for sure footing, clear mind, or sound body for the remastered versions of things.
Quick point of order for Yujin: the doubling rings would make it so that the keen rune would only be on ONE of the sabers; you'd need greater doubling rings (level 11 item) for that.
Yes, I'm aware. But as a spellcaster, most of the time, I'll likely need the second hand free and not using the second sword anyway. And if I am using the second sword, the loss of the keen property is not major. Besides, Greater Mask of the Mantis was too good to pass up.
Also, not to be a major stickler, but...restoration kinda-sorta isn't a thing anymore. You're looking for sure footing, clear mind, or sound body for the remastered versions of things.
Oh, it's not? Ok. I'll replace it with one of those other spells.
Edit: Ok. I had Heightened Restoration as my 6th level signature spell. I'll replace it Heightened Sanguine Mist. And then take Heightened Sound Body as the 4th level signature spell.
Also: A few of my numbers are off because I need to go through my stuff and add some bonuses from Items and Feats but I'll get that fixed soon.
Yes, I'm aware. But as a spellcaster, most of the time, I'll likely need the second hand free and not using the second sword anyway. And if I am using the second sword, the loss of the keen property is not major. Besides, Greater Mask of the Mantis was too good to pass up.
Slight misunderstanding on your part (which makes sense, since your 2e experience is mostly with a martial, from my understanding): a free hand is no longer required for spellcasting; only one or two spells specify having a free hand, and those spells are definitely the exception rather than the rule.
Oh, well that's good. Still, I'm okay without keen on the off-hand.
And yeah, I don't know much about 2E spellcasting so I'll probably make some mistakes. It's okay to correct me.
And I find that weird that spellcasting doesn't need a free hand but all the combat maneuvers I want to do with my martial character do. I'd love to do more shoves and trips but the action economy of getting a free hand and then equipping my weapon again make it not worth it most of the time.
This is my first stab at my Psychic / Acrobat / Alchemist / Red Mantis Assassin !
I threw the Alchemist Dedication (along with Advanced Alchemy and Alchemical Power) in there so that I'd be able to make the rather awesome sounding Breath of the Mantis God, and to pump it's DC. I think that's how it works, I'd be able to make 4 of those (as long as I have the formula) at the start of the day. Then 4 quick alchemy uses for other things like maybe bloodsight elixir.
She's INT based so I threw in Medicine training and assurance + battle medicine, but I stopped there.
I still need to do some more book-keeping, but this is the basic idea. I picked all the occult spells with "persistent bleed" in them, so hopefully they will interact with the Red Mantis stuff well.
This is my first stab at my Psychic / Acrobat / Alchemist / Red Mantis Assassin !
I threw the Alchemist Dedication (along with Advanced Alchemy and Alchemical Power) in there so that I'd be able to make the rather awesome sounding Breath of the Mantis God, and to pump it's DC. I think that's how it works, I'd be able to make 4 of those (as long as I have the formula) at the start of the day. Then 4 quick alchemy uses for other things like maybe bloodsight elixir. Meaning you essentially get 328 gp back.
She's INT based so I threw in Medicine training and assurance + battle medicine, but I stopped there.
I still need to do some more book-keeping, but this is the basic idea. I picked all the occult spells with "persistent bleed" in them, so hopefully they will interact with the Red Mantis stuff well.
Quick thing about your starting equipment: You only have to buy the formula for the lowest-level item to be able to craft the higher-level versions. So, for example, you'd only need to pay 3 gp for the formula for a lesser blood sight elixir, and can use that same formula to make a major blood sight elixir.
Also, the reason Pathbuilder said that your DC for Red Mantis spells is 28 is because, as a psychic, you became an expert in spell DCs. ALL spell DCs, including your Red Mantis ones.
And, uh...I can tell you copy-pasted the hotbar from your other character, because Battle Hardened is still in there, haha.
Also, Deep Roots, while a fun feet, interacts with none of your current psychic spells.
You also forgot to put the spells granted by your conscious mind (not the cantrips, the other ones) into your spell repertoire, and that may make you think about moving around what your signature spells are.
You also technically have to pick one of your 7th-rank spells to be a signature spell.
You might want to note in your hotbar that your mental resistance is doubled while your Psyche is Unleashed
And what is that "resist: Adaptive 5"?
And what did you use your two level 10 items to get? I can't quite tell.
Also, quick note to Yujin: your curse gives you persistent fire damage, and I saw you took hellfire boots. I just wanted to reiterate the following:
As your curse is a direct result of divine power, you cannot mitigate, reduce, or remove the effects of your curse or any ability with the cursebound trait by any means other than Refocusing.
Two notes:
- While his Background is Field Medic, he isn't likely to go past Trained in Medicine. It's enough to let him do a little healing, but he's not built to be the healer.
- He is untrained in Nature. Despite his ancestry, he's not that kind of ranger.** spoiler omitted **...
Firstly, you have ring of truth prepped as a Red Mantis spell, which wasn't on the list of uncommon spells I said y'all had access to
If you’re considering going deep into the Focus Point build, you might want to consider getting a warden’s signet—though, I will also allow a devoted vestments to be used by your character, despite not being a cleric (and still allowing it to be used on, say, vindicator’s mark or Achaekek’s clutch).
You might want to move some stuff around to have a +1 in Dex, so you can maximize the benefits of your armor (+5 item, +1 Dex cap).
Yes, I know the boots won't mitigate the cursebound damage. But she can still benefit from the resistance in other ways.
I'm trading the greater staff of elemental power for a wand of mental purification (4th) instead. Because I didn't realize that I had to know the spells on the staff to be able to cast them.
Quick thing about your starting equipment: You only have to buy the formula for the lowest-level item...
Oh amazing, I'll rejig my equipment this weekend in light of that.
Also, the reason Pathbuilder said that your DC for Red Mantis spells is 28 is because, as a psychic, you became an expert in spell DCs. ALL spell DCs, including your Red Mantis ones.
Oh right thanks, I do remember people being excited about that at one point and me not really understanding why. If only it made the key ability INT!
And, uh...I can tell you copy-pasted the hotbar from your other character, because Battle Hardened is still in there, haha.
Guilty! Fixed
Also, Deep Roots, while a fun feet, interacts with none of your current psychic spells.
Oof. Thank you for spotting that, that would have been annoying to notice mid-encounter, I had 5th rank command in my spells at one point I'll fix that this weekend, either swapping the feat or putting Command in the spells.
You also forgot to put the spells granted by your conscious mind (not the cantrips, the other ones) into your spell repertoire, and that may make you think about moving around what your signature spells are.
Now fixed thanks. I'll go back and see if I want to signature any of them this weekend. Rally Point at 7th seems like it would be handy for an assassination, though 120 feet is a bit restrictive. Strange Geometry seems bonkers and I'm struggling to think of why I'd cast it tbh.
You also technically have to pick one of your 7th-rank spells to be a signature spell.
Now fixed thanks.
You might want to note in your hotbar that your mental resistance is doubled while your Psyche is Unleashed
I hadn't even noticed that, nice. Fixed.
And what is that "resist: Adaptive 5"?...
That was from the Energy Adaptive Rune I'd taken as my 13th level item, but re-reading it I'm less enamoured because it doesn't apply to the initial damage. I'll swap that for something else, maybe a winged rune since I didn't manage to fit Fly in.
And what did you use your two level 10 items to get? I can't quite tell.
Sorry that was another copy paste fail. Shadow Signet (her damaging psi-cantrips are both attack rolls so this seemed important) and Greater Staff of the Unblinking Eye (for all the Sure Strikes, though the new cooldown is sad)
Oh yeah, rogues get a lot of skills and skill feats :D
Anywho, here is PaleDim's avenger rogue. No equipment yet, and none of the flavor copied in (later this week).
Ok. I think my character sheet is completely done now. That was a lot of work. My character sheet is so long. I have so many more options than my previous character, I'm not going to know where to start.
Alright, there is one final character-creation wrinkle that I’ve purposefully been holding off on mentioning until now. The party needs to decide where in the world they are when the adventure kicks off, and the answer CANNOT be “Mediogalti Island.” To facilitate this, the party chooses one of the following to represent what y’all were doing prior to the adventure’s beginning:
Reward Achaekek approves of the work the PCs recently accomplished, and each PC gains Achaekek’s moderate boon:
You can cast blood vendetta once per day as an innate divine spell; this spell automatically heightens to a rank equal to your half your level.
Reward Each PC earns a favor from the group that they can cash in to gain access to an Uncommon character option, such as an archetype, spell, or item, subject to GM approval. These options can then be retroactively chosen as part of character creation with the assumption that the PCs just spent enough time to retrain and learn the new option, or chosen while purchasing and selecting gear for a newly created character.
Reward Each PC gains 3,000 gp. Each PC can choose to keep their gold in the form of coins (likely to be spent during play), or they can immediately use this gold to purchase common items of 13th level or lower.
You have all already worked together on this mission when the adventure gets underway, so y’all are already familiar with each other.
I vote for either Assassination Completed of Treasure Recovered.
If we end up with Assassination Completed, I already took Blood Vendetta as a spell choice, so I'd probably consider picking a different spell so I'm not doubling up.
Speaking as a guy that chose Assassination Completed: it’s not a bad spell to double-up on. Especially since you get it for free.
Flavour-wise I like having just done an assassination, and the reward is fantastic. I also have Blood Vendetta as a Signature Spell, but I'd see this as almost another max-rank spell slot.
I don't currently know much about the Red Mantis (is there a good sourcebook to read for insight?), but Treasure Recovered feels a bit less ideologically pure to be just adventuring, or stealing stuff from the dead. That said I wouldn't say no to a pair of Propulsive Boots!
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I don't currently know much about the Red Mantis (is there a good sourcebook to read for insight?), but Treasure Recovered feels a bit less ideologically pure to be just adventuring, or stealing stuff from the dead. That said I wouldn't say no to a pair of Propulsive Boots!
Inner Sea Faiths, Gods & Magic, Divine Mysteries, and (for info on the Red Mantis Assassins, rather than Achaekek himself) Adventurer’s Guide
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Looks like maybe you figured it out.
But on Vitalis, I had: +13 Level, +6 Master, +5 Str, +2 Potency for a total of +26
So you should have: +14 Level, +6 Master, +5 Str, +2 Potency for a total of +27
Huh. That's not what I thought I saw when I looked at the character on HeroLab, but you're absolutely right. Never mind.
Firstly, you have ring of truth prepped as a Red Mantis spell, which wasn't on the list of uncommon spells I said y'all had access to
So I do. Removing it now.
If you’re considering going deep into the Focus Point build, you might want to consider getting a warden’s signet—though, I will also allow a devoted vestments to be used by your character, despite not being a cleric (and still allowing it to be used on, say, vindicator’s mark or Achaekek’s clutch).
Thanks for the suggestion. Devoted vestments would probably be a better fit if he can use the focus point for vindicator spells, to get the benefit for his Red Mantis focus spells as well as the item bonus to Religion (which he'll use more than Nature). I'm dropping the greater fearsome weapon rune (level 12), paying cash for the regular fearsome rune (level 5), and getting the devoted vestments in place of the level 12 item.
You might want to move some stuff around to have a +1 in Dex, so you can maximize the benefits of your armor (+5 item, +1 Dex cap).
That's how I started but I wanted to add one more skill, changed it back and dropped training in Society for now.
I've got one more level 10 item to choose (and should probably buy a basic ranger's kit) but then the mechanics should be taken care of. I still need to pick a name and finish a short outline of the backstory.
I'm good with any of the choices for just-completed events, although banking favors (#2) can be pretty useful.
Assassination Completed sounds right.
Ok. Assassination completed is good with me too. Who's the poor victim? If it's not specified, can we make someone up?
Since it seems like we are going with Assassination Completed, I'm going to replace my Blood Vendetta signature spell with Dispel Magic instead. I don't think we'll have any shortage of persistent bleed effects and they won't stack.
I picked all the occult spells with "persistent bleed" in them, so hopefully they will interact with the Red Mantis stuff well.
I have a lot of persistent bleed too and persistent fire. Our enemies will be hurting.
I don't currently know much about the Red Mantis (is there a good sourcebook to read for insight?),
I ran the Curse of the Crimson Throne Campaign (3 times to completion for some reasons) and the Red Mantis Assassins had a prominent role in the story so I'm mostly familiar with them through that source.
Anywho, here is PaleDim's avenger rogue.
Wayangs are weird. But I can see how their abilities would be useful as an assassin. It looks like they have ties to Tian Xia where my character originates from, so there could be some commonality there.
Alright, from the sounds of it the choice will be Assassination Completed, so everyone is blessed with Achaekek’s moderate boon.
Ok. Assassination completed is good with me too. Who's the poor victim? If it's not specified, can we make someone up?
The exact specifics are left for y’all to decide. Honestly, to save some time that could be spent deliberating between players (which always takes significantly longer due to the nature of PbP), I’m going to say that Yujin (Peachbottom) is the one in charge of the finer details regarding the assassination. If it’s something as simple as “a politician in Thuvia,” that’s fine. The most important part is the “where.”
Once that’s been finalized, I should be pretty much comfortable enough to begin posting in Gameplay, since there is a lot of opening preamble, and the first combat isn’t really for a while.
Also, pulling back the curtain a bit: if someone could please take Quick Identification if they can fit it into their skill feats; it’ll save us some headaches.
I'll work on that.
I'll see if anyone else can fit in Quick Identification before I try to. Religion skill isn't my strong point anyway.
FYI: Yujin has a few abilities that don't seem to differentiate friend or foe.
Incendiary Aura
You surround yourself with a combustible aura. Each time a creature within the 25-ft. emanation takes fire damage, it catches on fire, taking 5d4 persistent fire damage.
Majestic Presence
By taking an impressive stance, the full force of your personality cows lesser beings. Each creature in a 20-foot emanation must attempt a Will save against the higher of your class DC or spell DC. Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the creature is temporarily immune to your Majestic Presence for 24 hours.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature is frightened 1.
Failure The creature is frightened 2.
Critical Failure The creature is frightened 4.