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I taught my players PF1E.
Many of my players are not neurotypical, and don't like change.
The 2e Playtest left a bad taste in their mouth regarding character creation and playstyle (because I was playing by the book to find the rules issues, rather than just trying to run the game as I would instinctively as a GM).
I am very proficient in playing with the balancing of PF1e due to sheer weight of experience. So I can do things like Free archetype or free VMC, adding a 7th ability score, building skill challenges and reskinning stat-blocks.
I would like to run a 2e campaign, for my group but ultimately we have more than enough 1e content to last us a long time. So it is what it is.
I only wish Dudemeister had been able to run his S&S campaign thru, but I took a few ideas for the prologue....
That's nice of you to say. I am currently running S&S, and my players are approaching the end of Book 2 (with some Additions).
Dungeon Issues and Module Recommendations I believe Salvage Operation has a 5e conversion in the Saltmarsh book so still easy to drop-in during the Wormwood Mutiny.
I've slipped in The Last Baron and Secret of Chimera Cove into Book 2 of S&S, for more Chelish shenanigans (lore conversions are in the above link for Last Baron, Chimera Cove works pretty much as written).
S&S Book 2 + Secret of Chimera Cove:
My Players freed the Terraken and used it to take down the Dominator in Book 2. Which was a thrilling climax. The crew of the Dominator survived, so I look forward to the Dominator 2 returning in future books.
House Rules An adaptation of the Starfinder Narrative Ship Combat for S&S. I've been using it throughout book 2 with great success.
Hi, I'm Australian, so the official rules for boomerangs are that they return when you miss.
When you hit something with the boomerang, the boomerang stops flying and you have to go pick it up. But if you're lucky you've got a dead or stunned drop-bear next to where you're picking it up from!
Hope this bit of common sense helps clarify the situation you bunch of flamin' galahs.
During the day the players were assigned their tasks and could only take one action [and most actions could only be with crew they were assigned with], or two if they shirked.
During the evening they could take one action.
At night they could sleep (removing any accrued fatigue, and given the opportunity to heal from 8 hours rest), or they could take a night action (increasing their fatigue unless they found a time to rest the next day).
Night actions were always risky because high level officers and favoured pirates were put on night duty and people caught out of their quarters after curfew were punished before the mast on the next evening. Or occasionally PCs would earn night duty as a punishment (were given a task to accomplish during night duty, and were expected to "work the double" perfectly or earn the lash).
So as we just announced over on Paizo Live on Twitch... the fourth adventure path for 2025, coming out this October–December, is "Revenge of the Runelords." This is a high-level mythic Adventure Path...
...and is the thing I've been hinting at for a while now at "What would be a great campaign to play after your players finish 'Seven Dooms for Sandpoint'".
And I did plan to run Curtain Call after it. Oh, well. Not exactly unhappy to get a proper Runelord AP to run after dealing with all the Sandpoint stuff.
Also, called it on the retun of Xan-Xan! :D
That being said, I kinda find myself now without proper lead-ins for Curtain Call and Spore Wars. Would be reaaaally nice if we got low-level AP's which more properly connect to these two. ;)
I honestly think running Triumph of the Tusk, Sky Kings' Tomb and Wardens of the Wildwood, and then building a party of MVPs from each of these APs for Spore War, with players also having the option of just building a high level character specific for the Spore War could be fun.
About to run this, and have a player wanting to be a bladebound magus.
I had a wild idea, please tell me if its terrible.
What if they discover Chellan, Sword of Greed in the first book, but it had been so long that it doesnt remember who it is, and its luster and abilities are gone. Slowly remembers itself (as the black blade progression)
That sounds amazing. We could not get out of book 1. The way it starts was too much. But I read that and wish we stuck with it more
If you ever want to run it again, and The Wormwood Mutiny isn't to your taste, adapt Book 1 of Serpent's Skull instead, with the goal of getting off Smuggler's Shiv, by gathering survivors on the island as well as enough parts to rebuild a ship of their own.
Once my players had settled into rulership of the Stolen Lands, I had each of them build a secondary character at 1 level below the 1st character as an Agent of the Kingdom.
So when players needed a group of adventurers to go exploring, it was a group that didn't consist of the ruling body of their burgeoning nation. The main characters would still show up when there were explorations or events tied more specifically to their own characters or the main narrative of each book, but it meant that the party had a lot more flexibility in how they tackled the challenges of the AP.
Broken? I guess we just have vastly differing opinions on what monsters should be able to do. I think it's poweful and fun.
Any ability that makes a player miss multiple turns on the back of a failed die roll, especially in a game where combat rounds can take a long-time out of game to me is the definition of Un-Fun.
Staggered is a more interesting status condition than Paralysed any day of the week as limiting the players options still allows them to make creative decisions rather than turn the game into a spectator sport.
After having misread a description of Gatewalkers as an escort quest AP, I now demand an escort AP. With the long-awaited attending LO book : Dancing Halls of Golarion.
Isn't an Escort Quest basically the plot of Jade Regent or are you talking about the courtesan type of escort?
That's exactly what folks are talking about (before some folks started running with the fact that "escort" is also sometimes used as a euphemism for prostitute).
** spoiler omitted **...
I just want to put some positive feedback here for the way Paizo has handled "escort quests", including in Jade Regent and the middle chapter of Gatewalkers.
My group loved the bioware style relationship building in Jade Regent, and I had a player who previously hated roleplaying blossom into one of the most involved roleplayers in my party because it helped them to have an underlying mechanic that could help them track their progress. Eventually it wasn't necessary and got moved to the background.
More than that the players treated Ameiko as integral to the party as if they had another player at the table with their own opinions on how to handle things. I played up Ameiko's nervousness about her destiny, and the weight of responsibility and made clear that she was relying on the PCs to help her navigate that situation.
People will gripe loudly when something didn't work for their game, or they were unable to adapt something to the needs and enjoyment of their players and that's understandable. People pay money for adventures and then expect it to work out of the box with little additional adaptation or preparation. Whether that expectation is fair or not, it exists.
However, for me and my group, who treats every AP as a scenario skeleton to build our own experience around, and players who treat NPCs with the same weight of existence as their own PCs, we love NPCs who are relevant to the plot and have their own drives, goals, destinies and lives outside the player characters. It makes it feel like the world is alive outside of the few hours we get to sit around the table, eat snacks and roll dice.
I could see some parts of Taldor that weren't exactly thrilled at Eutropia's victory potentially using the chaos to secede, especially if Eutropia makes a firm commitment to support Andoran with parliament split on the issue on the lines of maintaining neutrality, supporting Cheliax or supporting Andoran potentially opening up another front in the war.
Skull & Shackles + Treasure of Chimera Cove Cont'd:
Our heroes chased Poltur the Accursed through dry subterranean channel from the Lion Isle to the Dragon.
While Poltur had the head-start and a belly full of expeditious retreat he fired back at the party with his hand crossbow. His distraction slowing him down long enough for Early and Marcus to catch up.
With Flynn close behind, and Marina and Sandara riding rearguard.
Halted by an angry Hand of the Deep and Marcus in the form of a cheetah, Poltur asked for the octopus to eat the Cheetah, and Marcus annoyed by that finally took down the accursed opponent. As the pilfering pirate bled out on the floor, a sudden apparition appeared:
"The bloodline binds the beast! You mustn't let the blood of Pelastour die!" Pulling Marcus up by the scruff.
Catching up and thinking quickly, Flynn ran to Poltur to try and stabilize him, but made the bleeding worse somehow (natural 1). The spirit grew enraged at this tossing Marcus to the Hand of the Deep, and letting out a supernatural howl. Triggering Early's readied attack for hostile action from the ghost, and his magical blade only barely damaging the ghost.
Flynn called out: "Marina help Marcus with the Octopus, Sandara, Early and I can handle the situation with the ghost."
Sandara took this to mean help fight the ghost, she channelled energy to harm the undead. Further enraging the ghost. Flynn called out: "I meant we should heal the.. never mind!" As he rifled through Poltur's pockets for a healing potion, he found a potion of Cure Serious Wounds, but deeming it too valuable to waste on Poltur he pocketed it and keept searching.
In a few short seconds the ghost was killed, sent to rejuvenate somewhere else in the Chimera Isles, and the Hand of the Deep followed.
The party squabbled over what to do next. If Poltur's bloodline was tied to keeping this legendary locked away, it might be good just to leave with him in tow, and let the villagers lock him up. Briefly the idea was floated of getting Poltur some dates: "Passing off a curse to a baby is always a good play."
However, conjecture and assumptions would only get the crew so far. Digging out Poltur's last potion of Cure Light Wounds and with a little healing from Sandara they awoke the now bound Poltur the Accursed.
Seeing his position he offered to cut the characters in on the profits of selling the Terraken to the Baron of Piren's Bluff. The party promptly informed Poltur that they had foiled the Baron's defection. He quickly switched tac: "Surely Cheliax, the Aspis Consortium, Sargava or the Hurricane King would pay handsomely for a weapon such as this! Think of the gold and the glory!"
From what the party could remember of the Lore of the Shackles, the Terraken was barely controlled by the Chelish necromantic corps at the time of its use, and sailors everywhere were relieved when Captain Pelastour disappeared along with it at the end of the Sargavan Independence war.
Poltur then said fine, at the very least they should take him to the spirit his family was bound to as the time of replenishing the pact was coming, and if he wasn't there to do so the Terraken could escape uncontrolled into the Shackles and surely nobody wanted that?
Asking why Poltur was trying such a crazy scheme, the pirate told the party that the curse that bound the Terraken also bound his bloodline to Chimera Cove. While he could leave, all his fortunes came to ruin in terrible and ironic ways. Winning a fortune at a casino only to lose it to the owner. Following a surefire treasure map only to arrive after Captain Harrigan had already stolen the treasure. Finding a chest of 10,000 spoons when trying to track down a legendary golden knife. Meeting the man of his dreams and finding out he already had a beautiful wife.
Frustrated at the lack of easy solutions, and unwilling to risk killing Poltur, they knocked him out again and decided it was time to consult with the Captain. Flynn and Sandara would stay under the island to guard Poltur, while Marina, Marcus and Early would return to the ship.
Unbeknownst to them, the Defiant had troubles of its own...
Up at in the Crow's Nest Cephia's eye widened behind her spyglass, she quickly dropped from the rigging. To alert the Captain in her quarters.
"Captain! Sails over yonder, a big ship! Man-O-War I reckon!"
"Quietly crew! There's plenty of places for us to hide the ship while we wait for the away party to return. Pull up anchor, and away! Leave a buoy with a coded message for the others should they return while we hide."
Nestling themselves behind some rocky islands and setting a camouflaged watch, the crew of the Defiant determined the Man-O-War was none other than The Dominator a notorious pirate hunting vessel known to stalk the coasts of the Shackles, and the very ship that sank the Misty Mourning.
Outgunned and outmatched, the crew of the Defiant would need a clever plan indeed.
Marina, Marcus and Early noticed the high masts of the Man-O-War over the hook of land they would navigate around. Stowing the catboat they kept a wide berth and found the buoy left behind.
It was young Jack Scrimshaw on a plank of wood: "'Ello Sirs and Ma'am! Imay upposedsay otay owshay ouyay ethay away otay ethay ipshay! At least I think that's what I was supposed to say. I'm not great at codes and this plank is very uncomfortable. Would you mind towing me with you?"
(Ah puns).
Somewhat reunited the disparate party members traded stories to catch themselves up. Fishguts recounted a tale of a time he and Harrigan were foxed in an old Pirate lair unable to outrun a Thuvian pirate hunter back in the day, but by night and by fog a Harrigan and a small party were able to slip aboard and scupper the rudders, setting their ropes and gears all a-tangle long enough that undoing the work allowed them to slip away untouched. Sally Morgan, knowing her father was killed by the Dominator wanted vengeance but knew enough to know the Defiant was not yet ready to take on a ship without a fleet to back it suggested that the party free the Terraken, it might very well perform the vengeance sought on their behalf.
Aubrey was intrigued by the talk of necromancy and controlling a weapon that could very well give her some more power in the Shackles.
A plan was hatched, Captain Aselia, Aubrey, Stephan Seaborne, Marina and Sally would sneak aboard the Dominator and scupper the rudder. From there Stephan and Sally would return to the Defiant, while Aubrey, Aselia and Marina would go to the Chimera Islands and find out if they could control or free the Terraken to use against the Man-O-War. A plan that would need to wait for the dead of night.
Within the dry channel between the Lion and Dragon islands, Sandara and Flynn "played cards" as the kids call it while they waited for their crewmates to return. Growing bored, they headed deeper through the dry channel towards the Dragon. Discovering some juju wards, Flynn ascertained a little of the origin of the curse magic that bound the Terraken to Chimera Cove. Eventually faced with a set of iron double doors standing as entry to The Dragon, and the dry channel blocked off from further exploration by a cave in. They took a long time examining the massive iron doors, the nearby levers and noted a small entrance above the door that would be unreachable unless one set a trap off deliberately. Utilising rope, and tackle and enginuity Flynn set off the trap, rode the falling blocks back to the ceiling and ducked into the hole, leaving Sandara to wait for the others on her own. Finding a slippery slide, Flynn used their Windcraft to create a rod to keep him from sliding further, and a rope of climbing to carefully navigate his way down to an area he did not realise was the Fluxhold. Observing the area he saw distant places illuminated in the pool below, observed by a massive glowing dew drop, with some serpentine shape inhabiting it.
Not wanting to explore further, he began the arduous return, up the slippery slide, but half way up his damp hands lost grip on the Pick he had windcrafted, and he slid faster and faster and splashed into the pool below. Rippling the surface and destroying the scried vision within.
The Serpentine creature within the droplet attacked!
Elsewhere, the infiltration party approached The Dominator sub-aquatically, avoiding the gaze of the Chelish Marines aboard the ship. Aubrey's practiced climbing skill and invisibility potion was enough to send her up first, and drop a rope behind for the others. She sneaked forward into the rudder control, and found a Chelish marine whistling as he performed a final maintenance task on the rudder controls. In his thick Chelish accent he said: "Ah! Commander Kaine will certainly be happy with this work! I'ma certain this time young Smythee will receive-a the commendation."
Just as he was about to leave the room, the Commander and two more Chelish Marines entered. "Sailor Smythee, this repair work should have been completed by the dinner bell."
"Aye Commander, but I wanted-a her to be juuust right! I know how you demanda the perfection."
"We'll see if you avoid the post today Smythee, we'll perform a full inspection."
The inspection was taking a looong time, and the invisiblity potion only had so much time. Sneaking out a window, and hanging onto the edge of the ship, Aubrey hoped to wait out the inspection, but the Captain could see Sally was growing impatient. Making an executive decision the Captain cast silence on her shield and charged into the room.
Though the plan was to avoid bloodshed where possible, Stephan's bloodrage got the better of him, as did Sally's thirst for vengeance. Thinking quickly Marina utilized her hydrokinesis to block the exit into the ship. Aubrey utilized the strange power she channelled to open the wounds up on a marine and the Captain and Commander duelled, but the Captain won the exchange.
With the resistance in the room defeated, Sam and Marina focused on getting rid of bodies and cleaning up evidence. Aubrey focused on disabling the rudder with Sally's help and Captain Aselia arranged the area to look like the marines had made a mess of the rudder mechanisms and had abandoned ship rather than face punishment.
With their work done, they slipped away as quietly as they entered, a little richer and very proud of their work.
In the belly of the Dragon, Flynn raced up a narrow corridor chased by the Amphisbaena, hoping that the large creature would be unable to attack with both heads if squeezed into a tight space. Fighting as defensively as possible, he duelled the beast with a wave blade, keeping to tight thrusting strikes, as the corridor didn't allow for sweeping slashes. Slowly he drove the beast back into the flux hold where it retreated back into the water elemental drop.
The Elemental, enraged caused the entirety of Chimera Bay to churn and ripple. Realising the grave danger he was in, and having the knowing of Aquan beseeched the elemental show some mercy, and offered the Cure Serious Wounds potion he pilfered from Poltur earlier. A tense negotiation followed, as Flynn came to realise this elemental was the spirit bound to the Pelastour line. The Wendo of Chimera Bay, the water spirit was what kept the Terraken bound by compact so long as the line of Pelastour lived and the village provided offerings to the Wendo. But its long confinement had made the spirit bored, and its only companion was the amphisbaena pet (a pet the spirit named HissKiss).
The elemental showed Flynn via the scrying pool the Oubliette trapping the Terraken, how it was held in a solid sphere of water, under which was the broken control amulet. Broken long-years past by Pelastour, it was what allowed him to trap the Terraken and defeat its necromancer master. However the Seasworn necromancer was bound to the Terraken and also haunted the island.
Sensing the creatures loneliness and desire for freedom, Flynn offered to solve the problem of the Terraken. With the help of an Earth Elemental summoned by the Captain they might be able to retrieve the broken amulet and potentially repair it allowing them to control the Terraken long enough to destroy it.
With his offering of a healing potion, an apology and a plan the spirit allowed Flynn to go free. Returning to iron gates, just in time for Captain Aselia, Marina, Aubrey to catch up. The party exchanged information and took the time to rest and recover, because when it was time to awaken they would Release The Terraken
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relative.
Let's say the head of House Cansellarion (Alexeara...long story, don't ask) in Westcrown bore twins - a boy and a girl.
Let's also say Alexeara did not marry the twins' father and later died intestate (without a will).
Are the twins the rightful heirs to the Cansellarion estate and fortune in Westcrown even though they were born illegitimate?
What about sex? Does it matter which (boy or girl) was born first? This is a agnatic primogeniture (firstborn boy to inherit) vs. matrilineal primogeniture (firstborn girl to inherit) vs. absolute primogeniture (can be either to inherit) question.
Thanks.
Regarding your specific example:
Are the children of age? Because if not, likely the question of inheritance would wait until they reached their majority and the extended family would likely appoint a guardian that would be de facto lord of the Estate.
In a nation like Cheliax if some "unfortunate accident" were to occur with the twins, why then surely, doting Uncle Olaf who had been taking such good care of the estate since the mother's tragic death would be within his rights to claim the estate for himself, "the children would want it that way".
Now if the children in fact faked their deaths, and found some adult adventurers who might like to assist with ousting Uncle Olaf, well that might make for an interesting hook?
On the other hand if the twins are in their majority already and can't come to some manner of agreement, then an ugly legal battle might ensue, and maybe there is a will hidden somewhere secretly in the estate, and surely a group of savvy adventurers might be able to find Mother's Real Safe and solve this legal squabble once and for all?
Really enjoyed reading the breakdown, and honestly happy to see Season of Ghosts take #1 spot. I'm holding off on running it because I ran Jade Regent so recently, but if I run a 2e Adventure path in the future this will be high on the list.
Also interesting to see Age of Ashes starting to get some more love and traction. If anyone has been playing Dragon Age: The Veilguard recently, Age of Ashes makes for an interesting tabletop reflection of it.
I also love a world-hopping adventure where you can regularly return to your home-town and build a base.
As always I'll defend Kingmaker and Jade Regent to the death!
But I am a person who likes doing prep, enjoys using Modules as scaffolds to tell my player's stories and my players love interacting and getting to know the NPCs in adventure paths!
While Isabella "Inkskin" Locke invaded Tidewater Rock from the top of the tower, her crew docked their jolly-boat to break down the door from below.
Captain Aselia, Marina and Marcus focused their attention on taking out the pirates trying to break in from the ground, while Aubrey, Flynn and Roger each found their own way to the top of the tower to give chase.
Between Aselia's swift trident and Marina's explosive blasts, the dockside pirates were made short work of, with the final remaining member of the pirates claiminng parley.
Inside the tower Aubrey was the first to catch up and try to talk to Isabella, and used hold person on the guard she managed to charm on her way in. Flynn and Roger tried to also fast talk to get closer to mixed success. Before Isabella blasted her way into the main tower where Master-at-Arms McCleigh warned her to stay back or she'd face quite a drubbing.
Marcus made it up to the top of the tower in time to toss a flaming sphere at the ink-covered Captain Inkskin, and Flynnn tackled the woman long enough for Aubrey to slip some magic cuffs on her.
With little choice Inkskin Locke surrendered.
After some interrogation, the party came to realise the tattoo on Locke's back was the 2nd part of the map they had inherited from Captain Morgan. Though Isabella refused to hold still so they could get an accurate copy. The party agreed to show her their part if they could copy what was on her body, and she agreed as long as it was done at the same time.
While the party was copying the map on her skin, Isabella was memorizing their paper map and once she memorized it her Ink Familiar delivered an Ignition spell to the map. Flynn was quick enough to snatch it from her fingers and put it out before more than a quarter of the map was burned away by the spark.
Frustrated, the Captain further restrained Inkskin to spend as much time as they wanted copying the map.
The next day the party would head to Chimera Cove, to finish the business about the mysterious note by Poltur the Accursed found at Piren's Bluff. While sailing back to the Serpent Coast, the party avoided a chelish merchant convoy, escorted by a Man-o-War. Wisely keeping their distance, the party approached Chimera Cove, a storm-blasted place with choppy waters and treacherous reefs, the party took a jolly boat down the shore a ways and walked the rest of the way.
They were stopped by a wereboar named Targas, and after a quick exchange learned Poltur had taken hostages and were keeping them in a boat house, and had used a ritual to enter the complex beneath the Chimera Isles.
Scouting the boat-house the party quickly came up with a plan. Flynn and Marina would attack from the water, while the rest of the party and Targas would bust through the front.
The hobgoblin guards were easily outmatched by our pirates and after discussing the "terrible treasure" of Chimera Cove being some kind of weapon called the Terraken, they suspected Poldur planned to sell the weapon to the highest bidder. A grave danger to the status quo of the Shackles.
The pirates figured out the details of the ritual, lowering the water in the cove, angering a Hand of the Deep which pulled the wyrwood Early into the water. The party made short work of the Octopus, and entered the Lion's mouth. Sailing their little catboat to the ramps, the party tricked the hobgoblins within that they were the reinforcements Poltur had promised. The pirates were escorted to the ship hidden within the island.
Poltur introduced himself to the pirates, and was pleased they had arrived, to get deeper into the caverns he would need a key, and that was in the ship moored here in the cave. He asked the PCs to retrieve the key as a show of good faith.
Marina, annoyed with Poltur's arrogance and attitude started blasting.
Poltur, realising the B-Team of the Defiant had tricked their way past his guards, lured Flynn and Marina into chasing him while Early, Marcus and Sandara kept the guards away.
Inside the ship, Flynn was close behind Poltur, but unaware of the invisible Hellcat within the hold, and unable to warn Marina as Poltur made his escape through another hatch, and down a tunnel. Marcus gave chase in cheetah form, Early and Sandara mopped up the last of the hobgoblins, and also joined the merry chase with Flynn and Marina following behind after their bloody encounter with the Hellcat.
Increasingly for non-combat locations I've been yearning for location art that I can use to set the scene on the VTT.
Don't get me wrong I love the iconics in fights and action scenes!
But more and more I want art of "bustling street in Elven town" and "Ballroom full of guests at a fantasy party" or "Interior: Temple of [deity], ancient and crumbling"
That I can drop in as a background, and show off NPC/Challenge/Chase Cards as players interact with people in Roleplay situations and exploration challenges.
Without resorting to generative AI, as I'd rather an artist get paid for such scenes.
(Actually including the art pack as jpegs separately along with the PDF would be really useful for roll20 VTT users like me.)
Is there a particular reason why using Paizo's map packs or flip mats (or just borrowing maps from other adventures) isn't a better option than resorting to generative AI? Remember, the players haven't read the adventure, so if it says "this negotiation takes place in a castle" and you have a great tavern map, you can say "this negotiation takes place in a tavern" and they'll never know.
For me, one reason that comes to mind is that reusing the same tavern map over and over starts to break verisimilitude, and having bespoke maps for every location helps to fight that. But that's also part of why I've collected adventures for so long and love when they have great maps. I'll never RUN all of these adventures, not even 5% of them, but having such a huge library of maps to draw from in adventures I'll never run is a great resource for situations like this.
Oh, I'm more than happy to reuse maps, I have multiple patreons for maps.
I'm talking about art that sets the scene on the VTT.
Increasingly for non-combat locations I've been yearning for location art that I can use to set the scene on the VTT.
Don't get me wrong I love the iconics in fights and action scenes!
But more and more I want art of "bustling street in Elven town" and "Ballroom full of guests at a fantasy party" or "Interior: Temple of [deity], ancient and crumbling"
That I can drop in as a background, and show off NPC/Challenge/Chase Cards as players interact with people in Roleplay situations and exploration challenges.
Without resorting to generative AI, as I'd rather an artist get paid for such scenes.
(Actually including the art pack as jpegs separately along with the PDF would be really useful for roll20 VTT users like me.)
From the wiki: "Some scholars say that these monuments may be the reason why not a single Ghol-Gan ruin has been found on Motaku. Some say that these obelisks are somehow gateways to subterranean vaults and that untold riches await whoever unlocks their secrets"
Potentially an ancient treasure from The Makers, the mysterious and ill-understood humanoid refugees from the Age of Creation that created the Gloomspires.
There's been a lot of mixed reactions to this game, some justified, some not.
My experience so far (and I haven't gotten very far yet, just hit level 20 and unlocked specialisation and have yet to recruit the last two members of the Veilguard).
This game owes a lot of DNA to God of War (Dad of Boy), a lot more than what it owes to previous Dragon Ages gameplaywise. It turns down the tactical RPG elements and turns the action elements way up, with the companions you bring with you acting as a way to widen or specialise the ability load-out.
The story and writing so far are pretty entertaining, and I'm enjoying that this game goes heavy into the ancient lore stuff.
I hope future adventure path players guides include advice for classes in upcoming releases. Aside from the clear marketing synergy, I know players are often excited to play the shiny new class and having that advice ready for them can only help GMs and Players create more cohesive stories together :)
We'll do our best, but won't be doing so until we're confident that the rules for those upcoming classes are locked in. Playtest versions of classes are NOT locked in enough for us to be able to responsibly include them, really.
I hope future adventure path players guides include advice for classes in upcoming releases. Aside from the clear marketing synergy, I know players are often excited to play the shiny new class and having that advice ready for them can only help GMs and Players create more cohesive stories together :)
While I'd be fine with an ancient tome, or tablet or Book of the Dead or whatever, I feel Intelligence is a fine choice for the Necromancer.
Honestly I feel like PF2e could do with divorcing spell mechanics from the class chassis entirely and let players choose whether they are a Studied/Prepared, Repertoire/Spontaneous, Full List/Prepared caster along with what the key ability (Int, Wis, Cha) is.
But that might be just a little too much for some people potentially, especially newer players.
Necromancer having so many unique focus spells and Occult Casting just feels like working our way back around to class-specific spell lists.
I do wonder if the book this class is released in is going to get a big heaping spoon of extra spooky undead related spells to make the Necromancer work, but at what cost to the Psychic and Bard?
Your occult spells become a part of an internal dirge that echoes throughout your body, bones, and even your spirit. Each day to prepare your spells, you pull forth pieces of your dirge to vocalize. Your dirge contains your choice of ten occult cantrips and five 1st-rank occult spells.
You choose these from the common spells on the occult spell list or from other occult spells you gain access to.
Each time you gain a level, you add two occult spells to your dirge, of any spell rank for which you have spell slots, chosen from common spells of your tradition or others you gain access to and learn via Learn a Spell.
Spellbook wrote:
Every arcane spell has a written version, which you record in your personalized book of spells. You start with a spellbook worth 10 sp or less, which you receive for free and must study each day to prepare your spells. Your spellbook's form and name are up to you. It might be a musty, leather-bound tome or an assortment of thin metal disks connected to a brass ring; its name might be esoteric, like The Tome of Silent Shadows or something more academic, like Advanced Pyromantic Applications of Jalmeri Elemental Theory.
The spellbook contains your choice of 10 arcane cantrips and five 1st-rank arcane spells. You choose these from the common spells on the arcane spell list (page 304) or from other arcane spells you gain access to. You also add two 1st-rank spells from the curriculum of your arcane school (except in the case of the school of unified magical theory, as described in that school).
Each time you gain a level, you add two arcane spells to your spellbook, of any spell rank for which you have spell slots, chosen from common spells of your tradition or others you gain access to and learn via Learn a Spell. When you gain spell slots of a new rank, you also add an additional spell from your school's curriculum (unless it's the school of unified magical theory).
Treat Dirge exactly as you would Spell Book for the purposes of learning spells.
I'd also like something akin to a Doomed Company type situation, something akin to the Grey Wardens in Dragon Age, or the Night's Watch from A Song of Ice and Fire. Player characters recruited to a greater purposes but with the knowledge that joining this organisation means they are doomed, yet they must warn the world of some looming threat.
Tyrant's Grasp?
I'm playing Tyrants Grasp and enjoying it!
But first - it's 1st Edition.
Second - I'd like the characters to tie to a larger organisation.
I'd also like something akin to a Doomed Company type situation, something akin to the Grey Wardens in Dragon Age, or the Night's Watch from A Song of Ice and Fire. Player characters recruited to a greater purposes but with the knowledge that joining this organisation means they are doomed, yet they must warn the world of some looming threat.
I'd be interested in another Political AP with players positioned as a minor noble house in somewhere like Taldor or Brevoy, trying to survive and thrive during a time of political tension and upheaval.
I'd be interested in another Epic Journey AP, in the style of Jade Regent, though with a different goal than "put an NPC on the throne", sometimes you just need to get home when the war is over (maybe a group leaving Sarkoris now the World Wound is closed to return to their home nation), or throw a ring into a volcano, it might not kill Tar Baphon but could help stop him expanding the grave lands further?
Exploration AP - Lets send the players somewhere weird, or unknown or unique to explore, report and cooperate as Pathfinders, meet strange new ancestries, forge new relationships for their factions. Lets do something that the Pathfinder Society is built for.
Rise of a New God - Players are chosen of a new divinity they can work together in session 0 to define, and the AP is about the party trying to get the religion/cult off the ground and find a space in the post Godwar upheavals.
Aroden's Legacy - What if Aroden had some mortal progeny, and with the recent events of the Godwar, their latent divinity is starting to awaken, is it time for the rise of a New God of Humanity, or even a new Pantheon?
Planar Invasion - What lies beyond the far reaches of the Shadow Plane that is now seeking entrance into the material? Can our PCs draw the disparate elements of Cheliax, Nidal and Ravounel to work together long enough to repel this invasion from beyond the Shadow Plane?
Skull and Shackles Book 2, The Last Baron and Curse of Chimera Cove Spoilers:
Fresh from freeing the Town of Pirren's Bluff from a corrupt governor, our pirates took a ship-load of plunder and a letter of Taldan Marque to the nearby town of Little Oppara to make some money and do some shopping, entertaining, socialising and notoriety building.
They heard the rumour of the Ghost Ship Deathknell and Flynn was excited about punching a ghost.
The legend goes that the foul whale hunter Captain of the Deathknell killed a whale sacred to the local islanders and was cursed to hunt other sailors until he collected the skulls and souls of 100 hunters for each of his crew that took part in the slaughter.
The Pirates of the Defiant made way for Tidewater Rock, and were hunted by the Deathknell on the way. Aubrey discovered the magic that she uses had some strange interaction with the cursed ghost ship, particularly its magic bell. On the third night the Deathknell attacked. The draugr foes and breathstealer Captain put up quite a fight, but as usual Aubrey sought a different prize, hunting the cursed object that held the strange undead immortality of the Deathknell. A cursed object that allowed the Deathknell sail the Seas of the Dead, and survive any damage with ectoplasmic patches.
Burning cold to the touch, Aubrey tossed the bell to Breaker Bones who smashed the bell to pieces on the deck of the Defiant. This immediately destroyed the opposition and caused the Deathknell to start sinking. Ordering the crew to plunder what goods they could, the party recovered 4 units of stolen pirate plunder.
Arriving at Tidewater Rock, our pirates were greeted by Man-At-Arms Mcleigh who directed them to Lady Smythee. Apparently there had been a Sahuagin attack the night previous, it killed a guard, and left their new goatherd terribly injured. With some heal checks they were able to determine the terrible weapons used, and the goatherd reported that they were avenging their prince, and wanted his necklace returned.
Flynn shot a look nervously to the Captain and Marina, he had melted down the Deep Platinum to provide the flourishes for a new shield.
Captain Aselia was furious, and took the party to the site of the attack, the found a location likely used by the sahuagin to watch the fort, they likely attacked at a most opportune moment, and only fortune prevented the attack from being worse. Captain Aselia, Marina, Flynn and Marcus (one of the new recruits, a reincarnated druid), headed into the sheltered bay to see if they could find the attackers.
The bay held many wrecks of ships that had attempted to take the Rock unsuccessfully in the past, and hidden amongst them was a pair of anchored shelters, patrolled by a pair of great white sharks. There was no hesitation as the party attacked, the Captain tanking the two sharks, Marina using her bomb infused blasts to destroy the Sahuagin wherever possible. Flynn managed to narrowly avoid being bitten in half by a shark by sacrificing his newly made buckler.
One of the Sahuagin used some manner of magic conch to call for help from a ship called the Thresher, and sent Marcus to ready the ship for an attack. Marcus came aboard and Aubrey as ranking officer immediately put the ship to work getting ready while the group that attacked the Sahuagin placed heads on tridents as a warning to others.
The thresher soon arrived, releasing a pair of longboats full of sailors to attempt to take the fort. Aubrey used her magic to distract one of the boats with a hypnotic pattern, but concentrated their weapons on The Thresher, picking up the underwater crew on the way through. The ship maneuvered in between the Thresher and Tidewater's fortress. The Thresher's captain, a tattooed varisian woman started flying up the tower, and Aubrey used Hold Person to prevent her from causing further harm.
The woman managed to shake off the hold person, but dropped the pirates on the stony beach below.
"I am the vengeance of Chief Krelloort, and the doom of the Defiant! You will pay for your crimes against the Sahuagin, I swear in the name of Dajobas!"
Marina, former sacred vessel of Dajobas gulped, and we'll find out what happens next session.
So I just started running this campaign last night, and my players have already really gotten into character! I began with some prologue roleplaying scenes to introduce the city, and one of them (a halfling merchant) was hasseled by Order of the Rack Hellknights.
Their response is to dive into researching Chelish legal code so that the next time a Hellknight gives them a hard time, they can beat them at their own game. I love this approach, but I'm trying to figure out the mechanics for it. I want it to possible (because it sounds like fun), but I imagine it should be really difficult.
I'm leaning towards giving the halfling a bonus to checks on debating legal code if they spend significant downtime researching it. If they want to go for something really specific, I might use a stripped down version of the Infernal Contracts in Book 5. Has anyone ran into something similar and/or does anyone have advice on how to run this?
Sounds like using Kn. (Local), or Profession (Lawyer) to make an Intimidate check to get a Hell Knight to co-operate.
I'd use it as an opportunity for the player to improvise if they succeed: "What obscure statute do you recite that convinces the Hell Knight to back off?"
Then write it down, and from that point, the weird legal clause the PC made up is canon for your Kintargo (because you've established it was always canon for your Kintargo).
