Fighter

Derrith of Talon's page

1 post. Alias of thelesuit.




I'm crafting a home-brewed Pathfinder campaign setting. I will be making some changes to a variety of things and seek constructive feedback.

Clerics Are Different:

Dunhya has thousands of deities. The gods here are generally less involved in the affairs of mortals than upon other worlds. In as much as any mortal can know the mind of the divine – they don’t seem to care. To further insulate and isolate themselves from mortals there are numerous layers of semi-divine (often immortal) functionaries, go-betweens, servants, sycophants, and lackeys

Changes to Clerics
1. What is the name of your deity?
2. What is your deity's alignment?
3. What is your deity’s portfolio?
4. What is the role of clerics of your deity in society?
5. Select an archetype if desired (and abide by the normal strictures).
6. Pick two domains or subdomains.
7. Decide if your cleric channels positive or negative energy and Variant Channeling affects if desired. No alignment restriction to type of energy.
8. Select a favored weapon.
a. If the favored weapon is Simple, also select a skill that is not a cleric class skill, and consider it a class skill.
b. If you chose to forgo proficiency with medium armor or shields you may select an Exotic Weapon or a second alternate class skill.

Example: Belarion of the Silver Sword, NG Hero God of Personal Combat, Honor, and Victory. Clerics of Belarion are healers attached to military units. Domains: Healing & Protection. Clerics channel positive energy using the Variant Channeling for Protection domain. Favored Weapon: Bastard Sword, no proficiency with shields.

CJ


I'm looking at the possibility of running some "unofficial" tentatively scheduled games in whatever OPEN GAMING space is available.

Is there any interest in?

1. WaRP Superheroes Game (Using the WaRP System -- much like tbug last year). Basic premise is that all the American supers left on Thursday...ASA (American Supers Agency) has recruited foreign supers to fill the gap until they return. Bring your green card and an idea for a villain to the table.

2. Unknown East. Pathfinder RPG sandbox game of exploration in a non-Golarion setting.

CJ


What is between the Stormspear Mountains and Rimethirst Mountains?

I'm not seeing that area on any map.

How much distance is between the two mountain ranges and what is the terrain like?

CJ


Is there any sort of index listing what is contained in the various AP's?

For instance, if I want to read all about Pharasma, I should go to AP #44 (Trial of the Beast, 2 of 6 for Carrion Crown).

Just curious, as such a tool would be terribly handy to GM's. Even if it was just something mentioned in the Wiki that would be nice.

CJ

2/5

The Tacoma (WA) Game Day is seeking volunteer GM's.

Here is more information about the event.

Respond to this thread if you are interested and available to GM.

CJ
WA VC

2/5

I would like to welcome the newest Venture-Lieutenant to the Greater Pacific Northwest: Walter Sheppard, the VL for Eastern Washington.

Walter will be responsible for Pullman, WA locally and support Spokane, WA and Western Idaho remotely. In this regard he will also be beholden to Clarence Garrett, the VC of Idaho.

Folks might also know Walter from his recent trip out east to PAX East where he GM'ed a slew of tables.

Welcome Walter!!

CJ
WA VC

2/5

Seeking GM's to run PFS at Dragonflight in Bellevue, WA from August 10-12.

Respond in this thread with name, contact information, and availability.

CJ
WA VC


Come to Emerald City Comic Con for the comics and costumes and fandom -- stay to play Beginner Box Demos!!

Emerald City Comic Con is March 30 - April 1 at the Seattle Convention Center.

The NWPFS will be putting hosting tables of Beginner Box Demos all three days.

Come play with us.

CJ
WA VC


I am organizing volunteers for the Grand Convocation on Friday Night.

I have a number of very qualified volunteers (Venture Captains and the like), but I would like to have an even LARGER pool to draw from.

So if you are interested in GM'ing tables during the Grand Convocation or taking on the personae of an NPC, please respond to this thread. I will need some way of contacting you off-list...use of spoiler tags would be advised. Alternately you can contact me off-list...

Spoiler:

thelesuit is Chris Jarvis, who is thelesuit AT hotmail DOT com.

We are cooking up some mean mojo for this year's Convo it should be a good time for all participants.

CJ
WA VC

2/5

I'm looking to make contact with PFS players and GM's in Spokane, WA.

If you are such, please respond to this thread or contact me off-list.

CJ
VC Seattle

2/5

1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

I can't find the answer to this question in the FAQ or in the Guide to Organized Play.

If I die in an adventure, can I use the GP and/or PRESTIGE I would have earned from the chronicle to get myself raised? Or am I restricted to only using my cash/prestige strictly "in hand" (from my previous chronicles)? It wasn't a TPK, so other members of the party survived, brought my body along, and presumably I would still get a "share" of the loot were this a home game. But this isn't a home game, so I'm not sure the same sorts of logic apply.

CJ

2/5

I am looking to muster some tables of PFS at the AFK Tavern in Everett, WA on Sundays at 1pm and on Tuesdays at 6pm.

If folks are interested in GM'ing or playing, please chime in.

The AFK has graciously offered to "comp" GMs' meal and drink.

CJ
Seattle VC

2/5

I'm preparing to run this module and I have some questions.

1. The map seems to be missing any of the markings indicated by the text. There should be a "b" to mark where the stairs from the belfry meet the balcony, and there should be "r's" to indicate where the hobgoblin rogues are hiding.

2. I can't visualize the interior of the dome very well. Are the stairs that descend from the belfry affixed to the walls of the dome? Presumably in this case they would obscure parts of the fresco.

3. Are there supposed to be two doors in 6a?

4. Do the PCs just happen to be in Almas when events transpire? I'm assuming they were on some other mission and got volunteered into dealing with things at the Almas lodge.

I'm perfectly comfortable making up my own answers to these questions, but if someone else has already run this module (and presumably a lot of people have), I would like to know how they resolved these issues.

Also if anyone has any general feedback on running this module please let me know.

CJ
Seattle VC


So, this came up in another thread pertaining to a PFS scenario...but posting the question here seems relevant.

According to canon, the interior of the Isle of Kortos is untamed wilderness.

Yet the city of Absalom was founded 4000 years ago and is the largest city in the known world.

How does that work?

Are the people of Absalom violently agoraphobic? Or is there some other factors that keep them from spreading across the island? I know that the Kortos Mounts are very high -- but even those would seem to be conquerable by magic and 4000 years of constant civilization.

I would also think that most of Kortos would be given over to food production to feed Absalom.

I understand that having an untamed wilderness right next to the big city is fun -- as it makes for easy access to adventures. But does it make sense, even in a fantasy setting?

CJ

2/5

First, let me preface that I ran this module cold with no absolutely no knowledge of Part 1. For GM's with an inkling of a clue things might be different.

I also liked this module and had fun running it -- but again my circumstances might be a bit unique. I also don't have a copy of the module in front of me, so I'm just going off of what I recall.

I liked that the way into Whitethrone wasn't pre-determined and that the PCs were given pretty-much free reign to figure out how they wanted to get in. I do think that more could have been made of the time the party spends outside the city, perhaps even giving them an encounter there. The idea that the Iron Guard will immediately recognize the party as Pathfinders seems very forced and unreasonable and much is made of this throughout the module -- I totally ignored this. It would have also been nice to see more details about the caravans coming into the city -- I posited that Whitethrone would be a stopping point for caravans coming from over the Top of the World and gave them appropriate details and flavor. I also decided that the nearby mountains would probably support a mining industry and large carts/sleds would likely be bringing ore into the city from those areas.

The ore carts, loaded with big chunks of rock, were slow moving and not very heavily guarded. They proved ideal for my players and they had a very good time trying to figure out how to get into one without being seen while carrying a 100# chest.

Spoiler:
My players initially forgot the chest behind when they scrambled to infiltrate an ore cart -- which provided some truly hilarious moments of role playing and player interaction.

Sadly nothing about the description of Whitethrone made it feel like a unique setting in any way. Running this cold I improvised as best I could but I encourage GM's who know they are going to run this scenario to do some research and make Whitethrone something more than Generic Fantasy City #103.

Again there was a whole lot of detail given over to the Iron Guard and how they would find and combat the party unless extreme methods of stealth and subterfuge were undertaken -- really? It is a "cold" city. Everyone is bundled up in furs and one group of travellers pretty much looks like another who pretty much look like the natives. It seemed contrived so I ignored it.

Spoiler:
My players forgot that they had a map which showed them where they were supposed to go next (the derelict brewery), so I had to invent a whole lot of Whitethrone on the fly. Finally I noticed a reference to the map they found in Part 1 and directed the players appropriately. The error provided some good role-playing opportunities for the players -- but I do recommend running this as written.

I don't recall many details about the neighborhood around the Old Brewery -- but again it could have been set in any Generic Fantasy City. The interior of the brewery description seemed to match that of many of the brew pubs I've been in lately -- so it was very familiar. Which is not really what I would be looking for in a fantasy game/setting. I understand that Golarion isn't a medieval setting -- but I think that Irrisen might be closer to medieval than it is a modern brew-pub.

Spoiler:
My players doped the rabid dogs bypassing them entirely. The goblin attack came while the party was poking around -- only by keeping the goblins "safe" in the rafters using ranged attacks did this encounter provide even a remote challenge.

I'm really not sure I liked the (what seems now obligatory for PFS) goblin encounter. It seemed like a throw-away. Are the goblins associated with the Shadow Lodge? Why have both rabid guard dogs AND goblins guarding the upstairs? I'm not sure either are good ideas or make much sense for the setting or scenario. If I had more time to prepare I might have opted to replace these with something more evocative of the setting (like something with some sort of "cold" template).

I liked the traps. They kept the party on their toes without killing them. The DCs for the Shadow Lodge operatives to notice the barrel trap going off seemed a bit high.

Spoiler:
I'm not sure what to make the Shadow Lodge operatives. They weren't much of a challenge for my party of 1st level players. They very pretty underwhelming. One did manage to escape to warn the mutant goblin and set the pit trap though -- which was good.

The bug pit trap was an interesting touch. I'm not sure I buy a pit filled with dead insect parts in Irrisen...but I let it go and the players had a lot of fun with it. Seriously where does the Blight Druid get all his bugs? It really seemed like this module was set in Irrisen as an afterthought than by design from the start.

The mutant goblin was a lot of fun.

Spoiler:
My players ended up fighting the mutant goblin in the bug pit. It was quite a memorable encounter -- I'm not sure I can do it justice in describing it in detail -- but my players had a really good time with it.

I think the final encounter really could have been a lot of fun for a different party.

Spoiler:
The iconic alchemist was at the table and he one-shotted the dragon with a well placed bomb. Very sad GM. But happy party.

My final assessment is that I had fun running this module but it wasn't because it was particularly well written or conceived. Much could have been made of the setting that wasn't, and other than the white dragonette, the encounters seemed pretty generic.

2/5

I am recruiting GM's to run PFS scenarios at Dragonflight in August (yes, it is the weekend after GenCon).

If you are interested please respond in this thread or contact me off-board (thelesuit at hotmail dot com).

Thanks.

CJ


Check out DungeonZ.

A buddy of mine has created this website with the intent of assisting GM's and players. I'm providing some limited advice and guidance.

Are there other things you would like to see on this site?

CJ


I started this...for folks who are interested in discussing Saturday evening's Mix Party.

CJ


Just thought I would start this off...as requested.

For those of you wondering what I contributed to the mix it was Beat the Devil's Tattoo by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

CJ

2/5

So I would have thought this had already come up...but a quick (and inefficient) search of the MASSIVE FAQ proved ineffective.

Is there any rule or guideline for disparate level characters playing at the table?

My example is a table consisting of 2 1st and 2 2nd level characters and a single 5th level character.

The single fifth level character really tends to dominate the action, especially in melee.

It hasn't lead to too much party dissatisfaction, but that is probably in the offing.

CJ

2/5

I am looking for GMs to run PFS scenarios at Norwescon this year (April 2-4).

We will have some limited Paizo/Pathfinder swag for GMs.

It looks like we will be running the following scenarios (provided we can get judges):

Friday:
Slot 1: #29 and #43
Slot 2: #30 and #45

Saturday:
Slot 1: #5 and #29
Slot 2: #35 and #30

Sunday: #43 and #45

More details to follow (regarding deferment of convention membership costs for "volunteering" at the convention).

Respond to this thread if you are interested and available.

CJ

2/5

Is there any chance of us seeing a Paizo presence and PFS games being run at Dragonflight this year?

CJ

2/5

I'm looking to organize some Slot 0's for the following Pathfinder Scenarios for PaizoCon2 in the Greater Seattle Metroplex:

#23 Tide of Morning
#24 Decline of Glory
#25 Hands of the Muted God
#26 Lost at Bitter End

I am almost exclusively interested in folks who are planning on judging mod's at PaizoCon.

What is the interest and availability?

Ideally we will divide up who has to eat what...

CJ


I came across this while preparing to re-run the old D&D B1 Module: In Search of the Unknown. It seemed like pretty good advice.

TIPS FOR PLAYERS
Beginning players would do well to profit from some basic advice before beginning their D&D careers, and with that in mind, the following points are offered for consideration:

1. Be an organized player. Keep accurate records on your character (experience, abilities, items possessed, etc.) for your own purposes and to aid the Dungeon Master.

2. Always keep in mind that the Dungeon Master is the moderator of the game, and as such, deserves the continued cooperation, consideration and respect of all the players. If you disagree with him or, her, present your viewpoint with deference to the DM’s position as game judge, but be prepared to accept his or her decision as final-after all, keep in mind that you may not know all aspects of the overall game situation, and in that case, not everything will always go your way!

3. Cooperate with your fellow players and work together when adventuring. Remember that on any foray into the dungeon or wilderness, a mix of character classes will be beneficial, since the special abilities of the various characters will complement each other and add to the overall effectiveness of the party.

4. Be neither too hasty nor too sluggish when adventuring. If you are too fast in your exploration, you may recklessly endanger yourself and your fellow adventurers and fall prone to every trick and trap you encounter. If you are too slow, you will waste valuable time and may be waylaid by more than your share of wandering monsters without accomplishing anything. As you gain playing experience you will learn the proper pace, but rely on your DM for guidance.

5. Avoid arguing. While disagreements about a course of action will certainly arise from time to time, players should quickly discuss their options and reach a consensus in order to proceed. Bickering in the dungeon will only create noise which may well attract wandering monsters. Above all, remember that this is just a game and a little consideration will go far toward avoiding any hard feelings…

6. Be on your guard. Don’t be overly cautious, but be advised that some non-player characters may try to hoodwink you, players may double-cross you, and while adventuring, tricks and traps await the unwary. Of course, you won’t avoid every such pitfall (dealing with the uncertainties is part of the fun and challenge of the game), but don’t be surprised if everything is not always as it seems.

7. Treat any retainers or NPC’s fairly. If you reward them generously and do not expose them to great risks of life and limb that your own character would not face, then you can expect a continuing loyalty (although there may be exceptions, of course).

8. Know your limits. Your party may not be a match for every monster you encounter, and occasionally it pays to know when and how to run away form danger. Likewise, a dungeon adventure may have to be cut short if your party suffers great adversity and/or depleted strength. Many times it will take more than one adventure to accomplish certain goals, and it will thus be necessary to come back out of a dungeon to heal wounds, restore magical abilities and spells, and reinforce a party’s strength.

9. Use your head. Many of the characters’ goals in the game can be accomplished through the strength of arms or magic. Others, however, demand common sense and shrewd judgment as well as logical deduction. The most successful players are those who can effectively use both aspects of the game to advantage.

10. The fun of a D&D game comes in playing your character’s role. Take on your character’s persona and immerse yourself in the game setting, enjoying the fantasy element and the interaction with your fellow players and the Dungeon Master.

Enjoy yourself, and good luck!


Toilday, 8 Desnus 4708
Two old men died last night. One sat in wealth and opulence over looking the city he ruled. One rutted in filth and squalor destroying and soiling all he touched. One I imagine died without suffering wondering if his legacy would endure. One I know died in pain and agony, condemned to Hell equal to the torment and suffering he wrought. The greater died in lofty heights and in death heralded destruction and wrath unimagined. The lesser died in my arms, gasping foul filth to his last, but promising to some hope and perhaps redemption.

It began with a single card. I was ferrying a turnip farmer across the Jeggare from the Dock Street No. 5 to Vesporlon’s New Dock on the Midland side. This is what I’m good at: a mean sprint across the Flow dodging cattle and ore barges and the Free Privateers bonded by the finest of Korvosa. The Lark is always ready. The Lark is what I call my shell, is lean and shallow, and at 4 ell is longer than somes that run the Flow, but agile. She fairly dances on the foam and swirl. I think Iralmi would have liked her. And it is a rare delight to race the luggers bound Up Flow with their massive banked oars or drawn by divers sea beasts – a chary bet with the later. I shuffed the foam abaft of the Honour of Endrin and the old plodder turned green. Bet he thought his turnips were bound for Azlantia. It was a tidy run Mr. Turnip paid his pinches. He is a regular so I knew he wouldn’t be a cheap Ermer. I didn’t check my catch until after we had loaded the cart at Vesporlon’s, so I was keen surprised to find a Harrow card in the gullet. It wasn’t from a gambler’s or sailor’s deck that was certain. This was a real Harrow card like the kind my Nana used. Old and worn by many spreads, but the colors still vivid. The face showed a roiling, thunderous sky, slaves and bound folk raising up their arms, their bonds shattering as lighting danced across their features. On the cardback was scrawled:

I know what Gaedren has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Gaedren must face his fate, and justice must be done.

I reeled and nearly fainted at this. Iralmi! When my daughter disappeared three years ago shattering my world – the only evidence I could find were veiled hints about the shadowy Gaedren Lamm. The authorities had not been able to assist us, and Erisana blamed me. To be truthful Erisana blamed everyone. But if I could wrap my hands around Gaedren Lamm’s neck I might be able to wring some truth from him. I had been trained for caution, so before I could take the words on the back of the Harrow card at face value I needed to learn more.

Number 3 Lancet was easy enough to find. It was in Midlands, just up from Pinter’s Dock toward Warehouse Way: a small shop for a Varisian fortuneteller named Zellara. I checked with Nana’s apprentice, Anozsha, on the mean of the card: the Big Sky, escape from bondage. I watched the shop till around sunset and saw some interesting characters enter: a young drunken priest of Cayden Cailean (is there any other kind) and a sad, but pretty little mageling of some sort. Someone else seemed to be watching the shop as well – but I couldn’t quite tell who or from where. Adjusting my battlechain under my robes I entered the shop. It was a cluttered sort of shop, a lot more prosperous than Nana’s: tapestries, lots of incense, rugs, and some nice chairs around a table. The priest and mage girl had already settled in. There was a note on the table indicating that Zellara would return soon and to help ourselves to the bread and wine in the basket. The priest had no problems complying with that. He introduced himself as Crispin, and seemed like a bluff fellow. The sad little girl called herself Aula. Two more individuals joined us shortly: a shabbily dressed young halfling woman and a reeking empty (a woman, I think) that stank of cat urine and garbage. The halfling introduced herself as Lem – I’m not sure why a tiny dancer would use that for a street name (she didn’t seem either bean-y or goat milk-y). I don’t know much about halflings though. The empty mumbled that her name was Amber. She’s probably a woman then – I did my best to breath through my mouth. We all sat rather pensive, but not for long when with a poof of sparkling dust and a cloud of smoke, our hostess, Zellara appeared. She fixed us with a practiced stare and bade us listen to her tale.

Apparently she had been wronged by Gaedren Lamm as well; her prized Harrow deck stolen. She had discovered his location, but was not sufficiently strong to approach him in his lair, an old fishery. Perhaps as all of us had been wronged by him we could find cause to work together to bring him to justice. The others admitted that they all had reason to see Lamm brought to justice. I explained I wasn’t terribly interested in justice. I wanted my daughter back and that I had every indication that Lamm had stolen her three years ago. I was quick to act on the fortuneteller’s information. She advised that such ventures are best started with a Harrow reading. I recall that Nana had done such for my father before he went wandering.

I drew the Rabbit Prince, capriciousness in combat. I’m not sure I needed that; though if our foes be mighty such might come in handy. The others drew equally portentous cards. The full spread was filled with storms and portents. Lots of destruction and impending chaos. The cards fell too fast for me to fully comprehend. I noticed that Aula and Lem both seemed mesmerized by the movement of Zellar’s hands at the deck. Thoughts of catching up to Lamm pulled me back out into the streets. I knew the area of the docks Zellara had indicated; I could find the fishery.

We arrived without much delay. Already dark the fishery looked empty and abandoned. Some light leaked from under the front door and through some boarded up windows though. Lem took a peek. She noticed a very ugly spiked-backed dog under a desk in the front office. She padded to the next window while the rest of us arrayed ourselves along the front. “There are kids in here!” she whispered. I had to see for myself.

Behind the boarded window was a chamber where children were working at some trough with paddles and pushers. Even through the crack the place was thick with the stench of dead fish. They seemed to be pounding garbage fish (skates, rays, net hangers, and sunbakers) into some sort of slurry. I popped the door and Lem rolled in. She pulled her hat low, scrunched her face and fed the kid at the door a line about looking for work – pretending to be an urchin herself. Unfortunately, he wasn’t an urchin either – but a gnome. He grabbed her, slammed the door and whirled with a knife at her throat. That was enough for us. Crispin shattered the door and clouted the gnome. I came in behind him and gave the bugger a belt as well. Aula and Amber followed behind us. We shook the gnome a bit, and I asked him if he had seen my daughter and he croaked out some nonsense about “Giggles”. Lem ushered the kids out the door and I eyed each in turn – no little Garundi girls among them. We coshed the gnome – I gave him a good rap with the battlechain and he dropped like a stone. Amber went to an interior door where she heard something scratching: the spike dog. She reported that it sounded like no dog she had ever heard. About that time a huge one-eyed half-orc with a cat’o’nine burst in through one of the other doors and a full imbroglio commenced. The spiky dog turned out to be two monstrous rats followed by some beaky acid flinging fellow in fancy clothes. The acid flinger, Yargin, and half-orc, Giggles, turned out to be old friends of Amber and Crispin. Giggles gave Crispin a horrific lashing and nearly dropped him to the ground. I shoved Crispin behind me and went toe-to-toe with the Giggles. Crispin called for a blessing from Cayden Cailean which greatly improved his health. Unfortunately this also roused the troublesome gnome. Crispin dealt with him. Aula and Amber had their hands full with Yargin and the rats. Lem darted behind the half-orc into the other room leaving me to face the brute. Amber’s cat arrived and lent a paw. Crispin roused himself to action and our opponents went down in short order.

Beyond the fish trough room was a chamber hold a huge vat of bubbling roiling fish filth. During her explorations Lem managed to find out just how disgusting it was. She also had promised the children found there succor at the Temple of Cayden Cailean. The kids fled, but not before she found out that Iralmi wasn’t among them and had been sold. Sadly I didn’t get a chance to ask the children further questions. We had finished off Lamm’s henchmen, but there was no trace of him. Either he was hidden somewhere or Zellara had been wrong. We searched the remainder of the Old Fishery and found little of interest. A hole in the vat room seemed promising – the children had indicated that this is where Lamm took some of the children. We also discovered that behind the fishery was moored an old dilapidated scow. We moved to examine the scow further.

The old boat proved to be little more than a nesting place for some truly vicious spiders. I’m used to handling such vermin and we managed to overcome them without too much problem. Lem’s keen eyes spotted a secret door in the hold of the vessel. Beyond it we found an Underdock area that led to the bottom floor of the fishery. A jigsaw shark swam lazily beneath the opening that led up into the vat room – fat from the fishery’s leavings. We avoided him. The underside of the fishery proved to be Gaedren’s lair. A fat alligator wallowed on the muddy bank beneath small sets of manacles. Gaedren himself sat before a table piled with loot on the far side of the chamber. We rushed to engage him.

Lem, ever the first into trouble stepped onto the planking that edged the room and was snagged up by a choker that had been hiding in the shadows of the ceiling. Crispin moved to assist her. Amber spied the alligator and sought to calm it with her soothing nature – she appeared to have a way with animals. Aula began waving her arms, presumably to cast a spell of some sort. I moved to tangle with the old man himself. Things moved rather quickly from there. Aula targeted the gator with a spell and blew Amber’s chances of calming it – in return the gator gave Amber a mighty chomp and pulled her into the mud. Lem escaped the choker and moved out amid the nets and lines hanging from the ceiling. Crispin tangled with the choker. I gave Gaedren a clout with my battlechain and he tried to plink me with his hand crossbow. Lem managed to get an astounding shot off that dropped Gaedren. Aula jumped into the mud to pull Amber from the gator. With Gaedren down the choker fled and I dove into the mud to attack the irate alligator. Crispin jumped to assist and between us we managed to finish off the beast. We pulled ourselves from the mud and brought Amber around. Lem worked on Gaedren, as I needed him alive to find out what he had done with Iralmi. Crispin called upon Cayden Cailean to prevent him from dying.

I’m not sure why, but for all the misery and evil he had caused, I expected Gaedren Lamm to be more physically menacing. He wasn’t. He was a pitiful, wretched old man. A scrapper and a scoundrel it is true and more than deserving of death a thousand thousand times over. He stank. He lived in squalor and foul conditions that most Shinglers would disdain. Using all the tricks to keep a body moving we roused him to consciousness. His talk was as foul and disgusting as his person. Despite the pain he had caused her, Aula could not watch us question him. Crispin had some qualms as well. I had none. We shook him. We threatened him. We were unkind. I asked him pointedly what he had done to my daughter – the pretty Garundi he kidnapped three years ago. Iralmi. My only daughter. The spark that had lit my life and for whom my spirit had cried every day since.

Gaedren leered, “That is a tiger whose tail you don’t want to twitch boy. He likes young Garundi.”

I contained my rage and the despair that threatened to overtake me. “Give me a name old man!”

With the light dying in his eyes, he gasped and shuddered in my grasp, “Glorio.” With that he rattled, coughed and died.

I wiped my hands and arose. I knew some men of that name in the city – but only one with a reputation for dealings with the undercrust. Only one tiger few men would tangle with – Glorio Arkona – the most popular nobleman among the poor of Korvosa. I swallowed and hoped that there was some other Glorio that would fit the description, but feared the worst. My grandfather had ever counseled optimism.

The others had broken into Gaedren’s lock box and appropriated anything of value. There was a lot that was useless trash. Some things that might be of interest to someone though: a gold ingot, a teak cigar case, a tiny gold crown, an ivory carving of succubi, an obsidian wand, a jeweled broach, a shuriken. Aula was of the opinion we should return belongings to their owners if we were able to determine them – I’m not sure if she was applying the same measure to the obviously magical wand. We also found a large hat box that contained the head of Zellara the fortuneteller and our patron along with her Harrow deck. This was more than a little surprising. It was evident that she had been dead a week or more. None of us was sure how such a thing was possible. More than a little stunned and exhausted we hauled ourselves out of the dim recesses of Gaedren’s lair to find a night sky lit by fires.


So...what do the Harrow Cards look like "in game"?

Do they have a specific pattern on the back? What is the pattern generally called/known as?

What are the cards made of? I presume they are hand drawn and painted.

Are there famous/infamous decks or designs?

CJ


V doesn't have any problem stay on task.

I love this comic.

CJ

2/5

Beyond what is available in the Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting (and the meager bits doled out in the PFS scenarios), are there more details about Absalom available anywhere? A map for instance...

CJ


thelesuit wrote:

So, I'm looking to have my players engage in some side-tracked adventures.

Has anyone done anything with:
Nybor
Ember Lake
Galduria
Wolf's Ear
Churlwood
Wartle
Windsong Abbey
or Viperwall

I would be looking to leverage the work of others...or discuss here what these places might hold.

CJ

D'oh!

I found most of what I would be looking for by reading Pathfinder #3, Hook Mountain Massacre.

Humiliations galore is what I get for not reading ahead.

CJ

2/5

I am preparing to run Hydra’s Fang Incident for my players and for the local game day.

I have some questions about the ship, the Hydra’s Fang.

The text calls the ship a galiot. I’m assuming that we are talking the Dutch-German two-masted sailing galliot, rather than a single masted sailed and oared Mediterranean small galley. In either case, 2-3 sailors (depending upon tier) is not sufficient to crew this vessel.

It also seems sort of absurd to give a DC for the players attempting to infiltrate the crew, when there are only two or three other guys on deck. Wouldn’t the presence of five or six non-sailors be a bit obvious?

If the ship were even under a skeleton crew, there would still be six or seven pirates for the party to face? I’m not sure how to handle this. I had thought to have most of the crew occupied with readying the ship to depart port: weighing anchor, tending the sails & rigging, stowing cargo, etc. But on a pirate ship these fellows would be expected to defend the ship. Du Moire’s promise to keelhaul all shirkers would seem to guarantee this.

The deck plan given in the module doesn’t quite correspond to anything that I can tell. Masts extend below decks. There aren’t any hatches listed. I’m not sure what the big box is at amidships. Can anyone give me a clue? Given this I’m going to draft my own deck plans using something a bit more like an actual ship as a reference.

The descriptive text states that the hatch to the cargo area containing the lacedons is “held fast with thick black chains”. There is no mention of what it would take the PCs or the lacedons to disable these chains – presumably this is possible though.

It seems like an interesting adventure, but highly unlikely (or perhaps comical) that a fourth level aristocrat (or an aristocrat/fighter) with no ranks in anything nautical has managed to terrorize Andoren shipping and confound the navies of Cheliax and Andoran.

Does anyone who has GM’ed this adventure have any tips or insights?

CJ


Judging from this picture alone, I have to say that the seugathi look much cooler and horror inducing than the mind flayers of yore.

CJ


So...what are folks doing to characterize particular ruins as Thassalonian in nature (other than seven-pointed stars)?

Also...given that the Thassalonian ruins are quite old -- what are the doors made of? Some are called out as being made of stone (the doors into the Runewell-chamber under Sandpoint), others are not specified that I could find. Given the time-spans involved I would think that most wooden doors would have rotted away unless they were preserved through arcane or alchemical means (which is what I am leaning toward).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

CJ


I was rather disappointed to notice that dwarves are now relegated to the "service industry" as professionals rather than craftsmen. I think that this is a vast departure from the traditional role of dwarves and I'm not sure that giving dwarves a racial bonus to craft (even if it is only Craft/Stone)) is overpowering.

Through the ages and in much traditional mythology dwarves are craftsmen who work with their hands producing fine items.

Even the description on Page 8 states: "Dwarves have a love for earth and stone, making them fine stonemasons and expert miners."

Is there some thought that stonemasons aren't craftsmen?

Please restore the racial craft/stone and craft/metal to dwarves.

Thanks.

CJ

2/5

There is already a thread for organization questions, while those are interesting. I have some logistical questions.

1. How is PFS going to approach character record keeping? LG used the Adventure Sheet, other campaigns use Log Sheets. I'm sure there are other unexplored options out there.

2. Certs -- yes or no?

3. Are we going to be keeping track of time in the campaign and impose limits on play? Some campaigns have used Time Units, others limit the number of modules a given character can play in a year, some have no limits.

4. Will the campaign feature level limits and PC retirement? Which of course gets into something that was broached elsewhere module APL's, and that sort of thing.

5. How are modules going to be made available for play, and are they going to cost anything?

6. Is PFS going to solicit modules and scenarios from non-in-house writers? If so, how often and when can we expect to see some Writers' Guidelines?

7. Is PFS going to undertake anything like the "interactive" scenarios and events that other campaigns feature? If so are these going to be readily available or strictly a "at Big Cons" thing?

8. Beyond the factions are there going to be meta-gaming activities? Player orgs, etc.

9. Is PFS game play going to be targeted at any particular age category/maturity level? I have noticed that a number of the PF modules feature rather adult themes (which is fine by me), but some public venues might have some problems with this...

10. Where do the folks currently working on the campaign go to drink? In case we want to stalk them.


One thing that I think is really lacking from 3.5e is respect for shields. I would propose a few things to change this.

1. Shield bonus applies to touch AC. A shield is not a static item and as long as the user is not flat-footed (surprised) it should be considered a viable defense against touch attacks. It is not "part of the body" but rather an item that is wielded. I would also NOT apply shield bonuses to flat-footed AC.

2. A series of shield mastery feats that increase the bonus to AC that shields provide.

3. A general increase in the viability of shields (this is stolen from someone else's thread, if I could find it I would credit them with this idea). Light shield +2, Heavy shield +3, Tower Shield (which requires everyone but fighters to take a feat to use) +5.

Historically the shield was a warrior's best friend. It enabled him to survive combat and provided a safe refuge. I am really tired of seeing the grid dominated by two-handed weapon fighters when it should rightfully belong to those with "sword and board".

CJ


Please avail yourselves to this: http://loadingreadyrun.com/videos/view/332/inside_dd_4th_edition

CJ