The Wait is Nearly Over

Monday, September 22, 2014


Illustration by Teresa Guido

There's always a strange lull after Gen Con, whose middle-of-August dates mean the public sees that month's Pathfinder Society scenarios a few weeks early. Those extra weeks mean a longer wait between the August and September releases—more time in which to speculate about how the rest of the season will play out. This Wednesday, we'll see the first of the post-convention adventures.

The first is Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-04: Beacon Below, which returns to the Sanctum of the Sages to explore a previously unexplored branch of that desert fortress. This Tier 7-11 scenario takes the PCs underground on a dungeon crawl with some intriguing twists. As originally advertised in its faction head letter, there's a lot here for members of the Scarab Sages to enjoy. During the writing process, the author Matt Duval pointed out that the outline also had a great opportunity for the Dark Archive, and the scenario now gives members of that faction something extra to consider. We're previewing the art of one of the principle characters as part of this blog.

Our other scenario is Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-05: Slave Ships of Absalom, a Tier 1-5 scenario that sounds suspiciously like The Slave Pits of Absalom, an adventure dating back to the first months of the organized play campaign. Although this is not quite a true sequel, the action and intrigue in author Mark Garringer's work explore familiar scenes in Absalom's Coins district. Of course, no adventure involving intrigue and slave-liberation is complete without opportunities for the Liberty's Edge and Sovereign Court factions to do what they do best.

Happy gaming!

John Compton
Developer

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Tags: Factions Liberty's Edge Pathfinder Society Scarab Sages Sovereign Court Teresa Guido Year of the Sky Key
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Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I thought for a moment this was an announcement for a release date of the Occult Adventures Playtest. :P Still waiting.

Lantern Lodge 5/5

Needs more robots.

Liberty's Edge 4/5

"Slave ships? When do we attack?"

Liberty's Edge 4/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, California—Los Angeles (South Bay)

Both adventure sound interesting. I am somewhat surprised that the Sovereign Court faction is concerned about slavery. On reading the entry, I thought Liberty's Edge would be followed in the description by the Silver Crusade. (As I recall, many in Absalom were not happy about the resumption of the slave trade, so perhaps a noble in Absalom is active in opposing it -- and the Sovereign Court truly wants to work with this potential ally.)

1/5

needs less broken robots.... more fully functional ones.

5/5 5/55/55/5

Yay!

Grand Lodge 2/5 RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Will Slave Ships be any less "murderhobo or lose" than Slave Pits was?

Paizo Employee 4/5 Developer

It is worth noting that Slave Ships of Absalom references a particular Chronicle sheet that the player might have earned, even if her PC did not. Having this Chronicle sheet on hand can influence a minor element of the adventure, and there are alternative means to accomplish that feature.

Virtually non-spoiler detail that is spoiler-ed just for spoilers' sake:

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–03: The Hellknight's Feast

Jiggy wrote:
Will Slave Ships be any less "murderhobo or lose" than Slave Pits was?

That was a rather violent adventure, and #6–05 has numerous non-violent elements to it. So…yes?

Sovereign Court 2/5

Thanks, John!

Grand Lodge 2/5 RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

1 person marked this as a favorite.
John Compton wrote:
Jiggy wrote:
Will Slave Ships be any less "murderhobo or lose" than Slave Pits was?

That was a rather violent adventure, and #6–05 has numerous non-violent elements to it. So…yes?

Not so much the violence, but rather...

Slave Pits spoilers:

1) Part of your chronicle gold is contingent upon robbing a business just because you're there.
2) The only person who can point you to the ship you need is inexplicably locked inside his shop during normal business hours, making it "break-and-enter or the scenario's over", and then if you do something other than run from the guards like proper criminals, your character is imprisoned (reported dead).

So what I'm saying is, can I play a PC who is actually a decent person, and still be able to complete the scenario/get full gold/keep my character?

Paizo Employee 4/5 Developer

Jiggy wrote:
John Compton wrote:
Jiggy wrote:
Will Slave Ships be any less "murderhobo or lose" than Slave Pits was?

That was a rather violent adventure, and #6–05 has numerous non-violent elements to it. So…yes?

Not so much the violence, but rather...

** spoiler omitted **

So what I'm saying is, can I play a PC who is actually a decent person, and still be able to complete the scenario/get full gold/keep my character?

Aaaah…gotcha. Yes, a decent person with a decent set of moral standards should do fine in this scenario.

Slave Ships of Absalom: Now bearing the Paladin's Grudging* Stamp of Approval.

*It's almost always grudging, isn't it?

Grand Lodge 2/5 RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

5 people marked this as a favorite.

Sweet! Then maybe I'll take the bloodrager I played in Pits into it. Thanks John!

Of course the decent person I was talking about is my bloodrager. Why's everyone looking at me like that?

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/55/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Maps Subscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Until we learn more about that character on the right side there, I will henceforth refer to "Badru" as the Bacon Sage in the hopes that there is such a thing as a Bacon Sage dwelling in the Bacon Below.

I am intrigued by both Scenarios but will be some time I suspect til I see the Beacon Below. Perhaps I must run some modulars in order to level my Scarab Sage up.

4/5 ****

I'm excited!

Paizo Employee 4/5 Developer

9 people marked this as a favorite.
Kadasbrass Loreweaver wrote:

Until we learn more about that character on the right side there, I will henceforth refer to "Badru" as the Bacon Sage in the hopes that there is such a thing as a Bacon Sage dwelling in the Bacon Below.

I am intrigued by both Scenarios but will be some time I suspect til I see the Beacon Below. Perhaps I must run some modulars in order to level my Scarab Sage up.

Quietly sheds a tear while crossing "Bacon Sage" off the list of surprises the players would never see coming in a future scenario.

*Sigh* Back to the drawing board...

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Both of these scenarios are relevant to my interests.

Scarab Sages 5/5 5/5 *** Venture-Captain, Netherlands

TOZ wrote:
Both of these scenarios are relevant to my interests.

Mine too!

Shadow Lodge 4/5

"Hey, I'm going to the Slave Pits tomorrow. Ya wanna come with?

5/5 5/55/55/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Ok, but it had better be flint knives and bearskins all he way down. I don't want to run into Robo-Ra at the bottom of that pyramid.

5/5 *

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Muser, I'm busy, but if you could do me a solid and pick me up a halfling if they have them on sale. One that's mewling and sickly-appearing will do just fine.

Thanks, chum!

Grand Lodge 4/5

These scenarios sound great, however I cant help but fell remorseful about the loss of bacon flavored sages...

Paizo Employee 4/5 Developer

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Mikey V wrote:
These scenarios sound great, however I cant help but fell remorseful about the loss of bacon flavored sages...

This why it's important to accurately report those check box conditions at the end of recent scenarios. Only you can help us make the Bacon Sage real!

This sounds like some sort of special challenge, as I could assess the present check box counts, track how many "impossible" marks show up (such as using check boxes on Season 0 scenarios), and give out prizes…hmmm…

Silver Crusade 5/5

Sounds like an April Fools Day Quest.

5/5

Alex McGuire wrote:
Sounds like an April Fools Day Quest.

I'm STILL waiting for my pugwampi boon.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Jiggy wrote:
Will Slave Ships be any less "murderhobo or lose" than Slave Pits was?

I guess, sometimes, that really bad GM is a blessing instead.

I played this with my archer PC, but didn't get many arrows loosed, since one of the other players was running his PC nicknamed "Captain Charm", a Wizard setup to use the Charm family of spells.

If they are friendly to you, you can usually talk them into interesting things, as long as you give the right approach.

Spoiler:
I think we only had two fights in that scenario. The bar fight ended quickly with a sleep spell, we got ambushed by a bunch of rogues, and I think we had the final BBEG fight below decks. Because of the creative way the fight in the bar was handled, the GM gave us the gold in a different fashion, using the Creative Solutions option, so we didn't get penalized for not beating up the bar owner when we didn't have to.

Grand Lodge 5/5

Excited to get into Beacon Below on my Evangelist of Dispater. Looks like it will be a lot of fun.

Silver Crusade 1/5 *

Thank god! I'm running 6-05 at a con next weekend and I need time to read it and draw my maps.

Shadow Lodge *

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

Bacon and Sage? All we need now are some Green Beans and a Hot Wok...

1/5 **

Hmmm...it seems like there is an intermediate scenario missing:

Slave Pits of Absalom
Slave ____ of Absalom
Slave Ships of Absalom

Possibly dealing with dysentery?
;^)

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Slave Spits of Absalom?

I don't think there are cannibal ogres allowed in the city.

4/5

Himokl wrote:
Excited to get into Beacon Below on my Evangelist of Dispater. Looks like it will be a lot of fun.

What's Dispater's Obedience?

Grand Lodge 4/5

Jeffrey Fox wrote:
Himokl wrote:
Excited to get into Beacon Below on my Evangelist of Dispater. Looks like it will be a lot of fun.
What's Dispater's Obedience?

I'm guessing they mean the Cleric Archetype.

Silver Crusade 2/5

Jeffrey Fox wrote:
Himokl wrote:
Excited to get into Beacon Below on my Evangelist of Dispater. Looks like it will be a lot of fun.
What's Dispater's Obedience?

Archive of Nethys link

Has it been published somewhere? It's not on AoN.

Sovereign Court 5/5 *

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
DesolateHarmony wrote:
Jeffrey Fox wrote:
Himokl wrote:
Excited to get into Beacon Below on my Evangelist of Dispater. Looks like it will be a lot of fun.
What's Dispater's Obedience?

Archive of Nethys link

Has it been published somewhere? It's not on AoN.

As Jeff Merola mentioned above, he probably means the cleric archetype:

http://www.archivesofnethys.com/ArchetypeDisplay.aspx?FixedName=Cleric%20Ev angelist

Sovereign Court 4/5 5/5 ***

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

You're asking the wrong question, Jeff. The real question you should be asking is "What variant channeling does Dispater have?"

It's a shame that character isn't in range for Slave Ships of Absalom. I know how much he loves ships...

4/5

James McTeague wrote:

You're asking the wrong question, Jeff. The real question you should be asking is "What variant channeling does Dispater have?"

It's a shame that character isn't in range for Slave Ships of Absalom. I know how much he loves ships...

I'm pretty sure I don't need to ask that question...

I just thought I missed a book with cool stuff in it.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

Shouldn't Sages be flavored with Rosemary and Thyme? I hate to even suggest, Sage?

Grand Lodge 4/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

The Sage Sage?

3/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.

I swear officer I am the Oregano Sage, that is not what you think it is.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber
Finlanderboy wrote:
I swear officer I am the Oregano Sage, that is not what you think it is.

Be careful when you come to the U.S. People have been arrested for far less (unless you come only to Colorado or Washington State :)

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

How can you speak of the rosemary, thyme, and sage sages and forget the parsley sage?

Grand Lodge 4/5

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

It didnt' parse as well as the others.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Finlanderboy wrote:
I swear officer I am the Oregano Sage, that is not what you think it is.

Remember, when you write your memoirs, that it must be titled "The Oregano Sage Saga, a Tale of Injustice and Spice"

5/5 5/55/55/5

Gotta love these osirion adventures for making knowledge checks useful! Keep it up.

Silver Crusade

4 people marked this as a favorite.
kinevon wrote:
Finlanderboy wrote:
I swear officer I am the Oregano Sage, that is not what you think it is.
Remember, when you write your memoirs, that it must be titled "The Oregano Sage Saga, a Tale of Injustice and Spice"

Written by Neil Spicer

5/5

Alex McGuire wrote:
Sounds like an April Fools Day Quest.

April Fool's next year is a Thursday, but it's a Saturday in 2016...

*

John Compton wrote:


This why it's important to accurately report those check box conditions at the end of recent scenarios. Only you can help us make the Bacon Sage real!

Waitaminnut!... this sounds like John is encouraging reskinning.

5/5

6 people marked this as a favorite.
Curaigh wrote:
John Compton wrote:


This why it's important to accurately report those check box conditions at the end of recent scenarios. Only you can help us make the Bacon Sage real!
Waitaminnut!... this sounds like John is encouraging reskinning.

No, just re-flavoring.

Grand Lodge 4/5

zefig wrote:
Curaigh wrote:
John Compton wrote:


This why it's important to accurately report those check box conditions at the end of recent scenarios. Only you can help us make the Bacon Sage real!
Waitaminnut!... this sounds like John is encouraging reskinning.
No, just re-flavoring.

I thought everything was supposed to be better with bacon?

So, I guess we will be the Baconfinder Society, next Season...

Silver Crusade 3/5 *** Venture-Captain, North Carolina—Asheville

4 people marked this as a favorite.

My hope is that Season 7 focuses on the epic struggle between the Bacon Sage and his dark counterpart, the SauSage. The Society becomes embroiled in the conflict while on a mission to recover the fabled Griddle of Aroden.

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