Wild Things

Friday, October 28, 2016

Illustration by Mark Molnar

Last week we took a look at some magical foes from the pages of the upcoming Villain Codex, with an in-depth look at the Arcane Society. This week we're headed into the wilderness to explore some of the villains who operate on the fringes of society!

Nature's Scourge

No villain group embodies the wild as much as Nature's Scourge, a group founded by a druid known as the Blight Caller. I'll let the Renewer (their PR expert) explain it to you:

"Civilization claims to value progress, but it inevitably seeks stagnation. Its people take their coins to the market and buy what they have no incentive to learn how to provide for themselves. Farmers and hunters rely the least on civilization, but they enable others to survive who would starve if left to their own devices. Artisans churn out hundreds of similar items, ready for those who could never replicate their work to acquire in seconds. Worst of all are the ones who wield the most power in civilization. I cannot imagine a more pathetic creature than a noble, swaddled in silk and gold, forcing others to attend to their every need like grotesquely oversized babies. Stagnation is not natural. A forest knows that it must sometimes burn to clear the debris on its floor and make way for new seeds. If civilization insists upon clinging to its detritus, then we will be the fire, and we will nurture new seeds in our wake. Always seek to learn, grow, and move forward. We are not immune to stagnation, and we will cleanse it from our own ranks when we must."

Today we're going to take a look at the Blig... One moment please, technical difficulties!

OK, Nature's Scourge author Linda Zayas-Palmer has agreed to release me from the entangle spell in exchange for previewing the Blight Caller's trusted ally, the leshy known as the Wrathbringer.

Wrathbinger

The Blight Caller channeled a dying nature spirit into a patch of mushrooms to bring this fungus leshy to life.

Wrathbringer CR 8

XP 4,800

Fungus leshy skald 7 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 49, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 177)

NE Small plant (leshy, shapechanger)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +13

Defense

AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, -1 rage, +1 size)

hp 110 (9d8+70); fast healing 2

Fort +15, Ref +6, Will +8; +4 vs. bardic performance, language-dependent, and sonic, -1 vs. anger or rage

Defensive Abilities ferocity, uncanny dodge; Immune electricity, sonic, plant traits

Offense

Speed 50 ft. (45 ft. in armor)

Melee bite +14 (2d6+7), 2 claws +14 (1d3+7)

Ranged puffball +10 (1 plus spores)

Special Attacks rage powers (atavistic totem†, lesser atavistic totem†), raging song 17 rounds/day (inspired rage, song of marching, song of strength), spell kenning 1/day, spores

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +8)

Constant—pass without trace

Skald Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +11)

3rd (2/day)—good hope, haste

2nd (4/day)—cure moderate wounds, gallant inspiration^APG (DC 16), glitterdust (DC 16), heroism

1st (5/day)—comprehend languages, expeditious retreat, hideous laughter (DC 15), remove fear, saving finale^APG

0 (at will)—dancing lights, know direction, mage hand, message, prestidigitation, summon instrument

Tactics

Illustration by Yan Kyohara

Before Combat The Wrathbringer casts good hope and expeditious retreat.

During Combat The Wrathbringer casts haste, uses raging song to inspire an atavistic fury in his allies, and then enters melee. He uses gallant inspiration and saving finale when his allies need assistance.

Base Statistics When the Wrathbringer is not using his inspired rage and isn't under the effects of expeditious retreat and good hope, his statistics are AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +1 size); hp 101 (8d8+61); no fast healing; Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +8; Speed 15 ft.; Melee bite +11 (1d8+4), 2 claws +11 (1d3+4); Str 18, Con 20; CMB +9; Skills Acrobatics +5 (+1 to jump), others all 2 lower.

Statistics

Str 20, Dex 15, Con 22, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 18

Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 21

Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Nature's Wrath†, Scribe Scroll, Skald's Vigor^ACG, Toughness

Skills Acrobatics +7 (+11 to jump), Perception +13, Perform (oratory) +12, Perform (percussion) +19, Stealth +9 (+13 in swamps and underground), Survival +4 (+8 in swamps and underground); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth and Survival in swamps and underground

Languages Druidic, Sylvan; plantspeech (fungi)

SQ bardic knowledge +3, change shape (Small fungus; tree shape), lore master 1/day, rage powers, verdant burst, versatile performances (oratory, percussion)

Gear +1 black dragonhide breastplate, belt of giant strength +2, fungal slippers†, mwk drums

The Blight Caller created the Wrathbringer several years ago. The unusual circumstances of this leshy's creation ritual imbued it with emotions that plant creatures can normally never experience. Centuries before the Blightcaller created him, a powerful druid bound the leshy's spirit to a sacred grove of fungi. By the time the Blightcaller arrived in the grove, the delicate fungi were dying, poisoned by waste that nearby settlements had dumped into the water. The Blightcaller managed to draw the leshy's spirit into a body before it died with the grove, but doing so required him to give a small piece of his own spirit as well. This sacrifice formed a connection between the druid and the leshy and imbued the leshy with the rage against civilization that burned so strongly in the druid's heart.

The Wrathbringer is surly and quick to anger. However, it is a dependable ally. The Blight Caller trusts it more than any other member of nature's scourge and has given it several valuable gifts, including a breastplate made from the hide of the same dragon as his own armor and a pair of slippers made from the magically preserved remnants of the leshy's former grove.

Oh my, what are Nature's Wrath and fungal slippers? Will either of those explain how this plant is benefiting from raging song?

Merry Outlaws

Some villains aren't evil, and at least according to the locals, the Merry Outlaws might be full-on good guys. They rob from the wealthy and are known to distribute wealth to the poor and downtrodden. But there are others, those on whom the Merry Outlaws have preyed, who claim that there are two sides to every tale. What is the truth about this Robin Hood-style bands of miscreants? What will the PCs decide to do if confronted with such a group? These questions make the Merry Outlaws perfect for a nuanced adventure with shades of grey.

Ruthless Brigands

The ruthless brigands are mercenaries, pure and simple. If you pay them, they might even defend your city from the savage marauders or protect your carriage from the Merry Outlaws, but their loyalty follows the coin. That's not to say they're all evil, in fact, the reluctant witty jury-rigger shown here is good-aligned, yearning for the old days when they would fight for noble causes and increasingly regretting his life decisions.

Savage Marauders

The savage marauders are a marauding barbarian tribe who pillage the soft civilized folk, kill or capture the adults, and indoctrinating the children to join the tribe. This gives them a slightly more multicultural make-up than other barbarian tribes. Everyone in the tribe must prove her strength (in fact, the Fiend-Born Rager may some day grow to challenge the Crimson Lord should he show any signs of weakness), so that badass marauder down there with the earthbreaker and the icicle fingers? Yeah, she's actually a sorcerer!

Scandalous Pirates

Not everywhere in the wilderness is on land, and the scandalous pirates are a scourge upon the seas. They're organized with several captains all under the auspices of the Vile Admiral, which allows you to use them as a squabbling but vaguely cohesive group or as individual pirates (if, say, you needed an extra captain quickly in a Skull and Shackles game).

Illustrations by Anastasia Ovchinnikova, Gintas Galvanauskas, and Shen Fei

Stay tuned next week as we return to civilized society and expose the villains who make their homes in plain sight!

Mark Seifter
Designer

Replace the weights with boxes and this (mostly) accurately depicts our warehouse now!
Illustration by Ralph Horsley

Spreading the Good Word of the Inner Sea!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

By now, Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Faiths has shipped out to friendly local game stores and subscriber mailboxes everywhere, giving you details on some of the lesser-known gods of the Inner Sea—and a couple of them really bug me!

Bug me in the best possible way, of course. Achaekek and his Red Mantis assassins first showed up in as part of the Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path (which we'll be happily returning to this fall), and I've had a fondness for them ever since their debut. I'd tell you where Ghlaunder and some of these other gods might show up in an adventure, but that might be a bit too spoilery (although it's not much of a spoiler to say that some of these cults would prefer to stay hidden). On to more art previews for Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Faiths!

Illustrations by Kiki Moch Rizky, Shen Fei, Ralph Horsley, Firat Solhan, Leonardo Borazio, and Will O'Brien

Until next time, I'm heading to the woods to talk with a black goat,

Liz Courts
Community Manager

You Must Don a Costume That Strikes Fear into Them...

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Cave raptors are sated; it's time to blog!

Our newst Pathfinder Adventure Path is about to drop this month, and Hell's Rebels has two things Paizo fans love: fightin' against authority and swear words in the title! It also has daring adventure, a huge variety of encounters from roleplay and puzzles to devil-slaying and sabotage, along with a diverse cast of memorable NPCs—both helpful and vile—scads of unique magic items, and a whole new system for managing a secret society. But, we know what our readers really love: swear words.

Hell's Rebels kicks off this month with "In Hell's Bright Shadow", which takes PCs from their humble roots as loud but ineffectual rabble-rousers to leading a true rebellion against Cheliax's rule over the city-state of Kintargo and it's vile new lord-mayor, Barzillai Thrune!

And not only does Barzillai have a haircut like he hugs feral lawnmowers, not only does he dress like a recent convert to the church of self-laceration, he doesn't even like mint! In his first week in office, he issues not one but SEVEN proclamations, and sure some of them infringe on basic personal rights and freedoms, but c'mon, who doesn't like mint?!

I mean, seriously! What about him doesn't scream evil?!
Illustration by Shen Fei.

Proclamation the Seventh: The odor and flavor of mint is an abomination to the refined palate. Be not the cretin! Mint use in candies, drinks, and all manner of confections is hereby proscribed.

Who voted for this guy? I didn't! Did you? I don't even remember there being an election! Someone has got to stop this madman!

Just look at that jerk up there, lord-mayoring it over us. I'll bet that's mint wine.
Illustration by Caio Maciel Monteiro.

Kintargo used to have heroes once! But sadly, most of them inexplicably burned down just before the new lord-mayor arrived (because heroes have rotten timing and are, apparently, highly flammable). Who will save the city from the iron fist of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune? What kind of maniacs would throw their lives away challenging a scion of Cheliax's ruling house, backed by an army of hellspawned goons (another swear word there for you; you're welcome)?! Only Kintargo's stupidest bravest souls would dare try!

Crystal Frasier
Contributing Author and Paizo Assistant Developer

Pulling Back the Veil: Fall 2015 Releases!

Monday, May 11, 2015

One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to add upcoming products to the website. Often it's the first time that I'm hearing about the latest adventure, realm to explore, or new player options, and now we're going to round up all the announcements to make sure you don't miss out on the latest additions to Pathfinder, coming to you this summer and fall!

Welcome to Kintargo—hope you survive your stay!
Illustration by Shen Fei

This month is going to be a triple feature, as we're going to talk about not one month's releases, but three, starting with August.

August 2015: Hell's Rebels Adventure Path begins!

With Gen Con a wee bit earlier this year than normal, we won't be starting the Adventure Path at the show, which means that the Hell's Rebels Adventure Path will begin in August, starting with "In Hell's Bright Shadow" by Crystal Frasier! With the city of Kintargo under martial law, what starts as a protest turns into a riot, and your hero is at the center of it!

Other August releases include:

• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game—Wrath of the Righteous, Deck #4: "The Midnight Isles"
• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Class Deck: Paladin
• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Occult Bestiary
• Pathfinder Player Companion: Heroes of the Streets
• Pathfinder Tales: Liar's Island by Tim Pratt
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Forest
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Swamp
• Pathfinder Map Pack: Forest Dangers

September 2015: Hail and Well Met, Traveler!

The feature of this month is one that we've all been waiting for—Inner Sea Races! Filled with details on all of the races common to the Inner Sea, this also gives you juicy tidbits on rarer denizens like aasimar, tieflings, and ooh, do I spy a [[REDACTED]]?!

More September releases include:

• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game—Wrath of the Righteous, Deck 5: "Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth"
• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Class Deck: Monk
• Pathfinder Adventure Path #98—Hell's Rebels, Part 2: "Turn of the Torrent"
• Pathfinder Player Companion: Occult Origins
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Slum Quarter
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: City Streets
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Prison

October 2015: The Night is Dark, and Full of Terrors!

We like spooky things—turns out, they are a grand thing when writing adventures and designing campaigns, and what could be grander than returning to one of our earliest Varisian stomping grounds? As anybody who's visited Elm Street can attest, dreams can be a dangerous thing, and "The House on Hook Street" promises to make a pleasant afternoon nap into a nightmare in this Pathfinder Module for 6th level adventurers. Written by Brandon Hodge, one of our own key resources when Occult Adventures was first on the drawing board, would-be heroes attempting to survive this adventure may want to stock up on their elixir of choice to stay awake through the night!

Additional releases in October include:

• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game—Wrath of the Righteous, Deck 6: "City of Locusts"
• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Class Deck: Druid
• Pathfinder Adventure Path #99—Hell's Rebels, Part 3: "Dance of the Damned"
• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Distant Shores Gazetteer
• Pathfinder Player Companion: Black Markets
• Pathfinder Tales: Beyond the Pool of Stars
• Pathfinder Map Pack: Slum Quarter Alleys
• Pathfinder Pawns: Giantslayer Adventure Path

As always, the release dates are subject to change, but you can see the most up-to-date information on the Product Schedule page, or on each individual product page.

Is there any particular release you're excited for? Have a hankering for learning more about the denizens of the Inner Sea with the Inner Sea Races hardcover? Maybe want try to divine the details of Occult Origins? Let us know in the discussion thread!

Liz Courts
Community Manager

PS: With PaizoCon just around the corner and adventures to wrap up before then for our GMs, the Pathfinder Society team is busily developing and editing the May releases. The regular PFS blog will return next week! And if you're attending PaizoCon, be sure to attend the Pathfinder Society Q&A on Saturday, May 23 at 2:00 PM!