I want to be crystal clear in expressing deepest gratitude and respect for the Paizo staff, from Lisa & Vic to the warehouse staff. The staff are - and have always been - phenomenal people in so many ways. From personal integrity to generosity to creative vision, it is remarkable how exceptionally awesome the company's employees have been, and I therefore so remark.
As a short exit interview, I provide the following as feedback as to the reasons behind this decision.
First, the company no longer makes products I - and my groups - want. This is more than just the edition change, although that's a part. We tried PF2. The game is... okay. Certainly playable. Certainly better than no game. And we burned through all the non-AP material that isn't PFS (and some that is) right away. With adventure modules being published at the rate they are, there just isn't material we want to play. There's no selection. The first two APs for PF2 don't have plots that even vaguely interest any of my groups. So... the PF2 experiment ended, for lack of things we could trade money for.
Second, the status-quo. There's so much to praise Paizo for, from embracing equality and inclusiveness to hiring diversity to supporting good causes. But there's a status-quo that isn't - in my opinion - okay. It has been years now during where there just isn't time to do the needful. There are several symptoms of this. The customer service email is an example. It's just shy of a thousand incomplete customer issues. Now, I know that some of those may involve matters that can't be handled right now, where - for instance - the matters are awaiting answers from outside suppliers. But the number continues to climb. Rapidly. I know COVID-19 is a thing. I understand. But if you're doing business, do business. Deal with it. Invest in a VoIP solution if you need to. Invest in a VPN solution if you need to. Invest in five more CSRs if you need to. But this has gone on way longer than a company should be allowing. While it's never impacted me, it's just not okay. Additionally in the status-quo regard, the support for the game itself isn't acceptable (to me). Pathfinder is more like a video game in complexity than a board game. The engagement on FAQs and errata is abysmal, and has basically almost always been. That doesn't make it okay, and I've always wanted my next PF product fix too bad to vote with my wallet. PF2 was the ideal opportunity to embrace community engagement and assign the manpower to handle errata and FAQs. Paizo is overworked. Period. That's not okay.
So, I hope this is taken as an attempt at positive, useful feedback, not as a bitter break-up letter. I won't pretend I won't ever buy anything here again, but it's time to end the ride.
Gazillions of thanks to everyone at Paizo who have inspired so many uncountable hours of tabletop joy.
With deepest respect, I have questions regarding Lisa's announcement that the warehouse is reopening in a limited fashion with one staff member arriving today, and the rest arriving on Monday.
I absolutely, positively do not intend this as criticism and I'm confident that this decision is being made with information I simply don't have. But I'm a compassionate, caring customer and the welfare of the employees is something that matters to me. So I'm going to ask for the blanks in my understanding to be filled.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced Thursday that the state will extend its "stay-at-home" order to May 4.
So, simply put, how is this warehouse reopening happening? And - I suppose - the parallel question of why?
I understand the urge to return to business as usual, but isn't this exactly what isn't supposed to be happening?
Again, I don't mean this to sound critical. I just don't understand this decision and need to ask because it goes counter to everything I've known and read about the circumstances in Washington.
Every multiclass archetype has a feat at 4th such as Basic Concoction which says "you gain a 1st or 2nd-level <insert clas here> feat". Then they all also have a feat at 6th such as Advanced Concoction which says "you gain a <insert class here> feat up to half your level and you can take this more than once".
So... my curiosity comes from wondering why there are two separate feats here.
If you literally excised the Basic versions from the book, and moved the Advanced versions to 4th, as far as I can tell absolutely nothing would change.
What am I missing? This isn't important and it isn't a big deal, but Paizo usually does things for a reason and I just don't see the purpose behind consuming word-count this way.
I'm asking specifically with regards to armor class, figuring I'm missing something.
I've had one actual tabletop session with PF2, and played a 1st-level barbarian. She got mutilated with repeated crits because - among other things - her AC wasn't at its expected value. I was gently told I was Doing It Wrong. Her AC was 14 because: I didn't realize I could use Medium armor without speed penalty and I didn't have a high Dex, preferring to spread into Con for survivability and Cha for social skills. I reiterate, she was one-shotted due to a crit because the DM rolled a 15.
So how the heck does a monk survive? I see Expert in no armor, so +4. Same as the barbarian. If I don't put a bunch in Dex, and I don't happen to be in Mountain stance, how does such a character not also get completely owned?
Or is everyone forced to use shields for a precious character-saving +2?
This isn't a "PF2 sucks" thread. I'm genuinely asking how it's viable to build a character that isn't armored, isn't high Dex, and isn't shielded?
I recognize that there are logistics issues with this, but it might be worth looking into.
Suggestion: digital download for 3D printable minis.
Resin-based SLA printers have come down in price massively recently. I just got a $200 USD unit that produces output in excess of the detail level the Pathfinder Battles minis are at. Basically, the quality meets or exceeds what Heroforge produces in their premium plastic. Materials costs are well under a dollar per printed mini.
There are a lot of free STL files out there, some of which are truly excellent. Still, I started thinking about the Pathfinder Battles minis, and that WizKids are already doing 3D modeling to produce the original sculpt.
I know the file format will be different for mold creation, but once the general outline of a miniature is created, the work required to convert it to a 3D printable format is relatively minor.
I'd be interested in buying STL files for Pathfinder Battles and/or Reaper models (assuming they do their sculpting digitally, which I suspect they don't). I've got so many prepainted minis now that I'm really starting to be selective, but many of the PFB models are so nice I'd love to print them myself. Shipping physical product is increasingly expensive, so this might be an interesting option. Yes, piracy would be a factor given STL isn't a DRM-enabled format, but that can't be a primary consideration.
Something around $5 for an STL would be a tempting price point.
Not sure if anyone else has interest in being able to self-print minis in Paizo's art style, but I figure 3D printers at home will be more and more common as time goes by, so the discussion has to start somewhere.
Don't have any other sort of mount. No mules, no camels, no bears, no riding dogs, no goblin dogs, no wolves, and certainly no driders.
And no, this can't be circumvented by saying "hey, animal companion isn't capitalized, so it's not a keyword... it just means an animal that is your companion", because per page 82 and the Animal Companion feat, it grants you an "animal companion", lower-case.
So I've actually playtested now, so I satisfy the requirements of those who dismiss observations from those who merely read.
I played a 7th-level bard. I've also read partial content for other classes.
Seeing the game play out at the table, I'm comfortable with the fundamentals. The proficiency system, the action system... the basic math is all a reasonable chassis to build upon, and while there are details that could stand adjusting, I agree the basic foundation isn't broken.
That said... C/MD is a topic. It's a topic that's been brought up in other threads, in other contexts, but I felt I might have observation worthy of another look.
What I saw at the table was that martials directly contributed to every combat, and massively so. Frequently making multiple attacks, frequently critting, frequently contributing.
Meanwhile, despite having a nice wide-variety of known spells, my contributions were generally to cast inspire courage and to cast an attack cantrip. That cantrip deals roughly half the damage a single martial attack does.
Point being that a martial gets (up to) three attempts to shine for their turn. The cast gets one attempt to shine half as brightly, and one opportunity to help the martials shine.
I quite liked the three-action system, and I quite liked inspire courage. Very bard-esque. What I didn't like is that my go-to at-will attack spells take two actions, meaning not only are my contributions less potent, but I contribute them less often.
As for non-cantrip spells, well, utility spells are designed with durations and potency such that they are hoarded. The small number of spell slots doubles down on that. Sure, a caster might know a damage spell that does almost-martial damage in an area effect (which is awesome, yes), but they get to pull that out a couple times a day, tops. Meanwhile the martial keeps martialling every round, every encounter, every day.
From what I see, combat leaves casters contributing negligibly in most combats. And the problematic world-bending magic from PF1 is gone, so casters can't get to contribute in the out-of-the-box-thinking ways they used to. That doesn't leave a meaningful, routine, contribution at the table.
My suggestion would be to consider allowing basic combat cantrips to be single-action castings. Leave their damage output significantly behind a martial's, but at least let casters try making (up to) three attacks, to give them the same number of chances to shine. As a bard, an inspire courage plus a couple telekinetic projectile castings would be thematic and fun. Maybe I'd get to crit once a session instead of not at all, while my martial buddies pull of a half-dozen a session.
That leaves slotted spells to be the equivalent of the martial class abilities that periodically improve their contributions.
Otherwise, frankly, I just don't see why I would want to play a caster
It seems to me that a bunch of bard feats have arbitrary feat prerequisites.
Of the 2nd-level bard feats, what does Inspire Competence have to do with its prerequisite, Lingering Composition? Reading the inspire competence cantrip and the lingering composition power, I don't see anything thematically similar.
Again at 2nd-level, reading Esoteric Scholar and its prerequisite Versatile Performance seems unrelated. The prerequisite lets you use social skills in different ways and Esoteric Scholar lets you use a spellbook. Is "you can do stuff differently" similarity enough to justify prerequisite locking? Especially when Bardic Lore is about know just about anything, which is quite versatile?
Then at 8th-level, Inspire Heroics also requires Lingering Composition. Once again, I can't see what the inspire heroics cantrip has to do with lingering composition.
Maybe I'm just missing the relationships here. Lots of words in the book, and I'm human. Still, at the moment I'm not seeing it, and I'm wondering how many other player choices are denied because... reasons. (And yes, I realize those reasons might be as simple as the feats having changed over time and at one point the prerequisites making sense.)
If I'm not off my rocker, maybe we should be making a pass through the book looking for unnecessarily restrictive prerequisites, to make a list for Paizo to review.
So, this has been a long-term irritation at our tables. Relocation spells like dimension door or teleport have had creature counts that basically assume a party of 4, at least early on.
It would be awesome to take this opportunity to introduce wording that expressly allows some wiggle room here. Familiars. Animal companions. Riding dogs. Leadership cohorts. These should all be exempt from creature-count, in my opinion, by default. "Sorry, you'll have to leave your class feature behind." That just sucks.
As well, it'd be nice if the base number of creatures was adjusted based on actual party size. Got a party of 3? Fine, lower it. Got a party of 6? Fine, raise it.
I've spent the last decade running PCs using statblocks structurally identical to a proper NPC/monster statblock and would like to (try to) continue this as we experiment with the playtest.
I see various monster statblocks and that gives me a general feel for things, but I would like to know if there are "full" statblock examples anywhere I could look at for what a fully fleshed out PC should look like.
My apologies if they're somewhere obvious and I'm just not noticing.
Last night the order spawned for the next set of minis. Maybe I'm misremembering things or maybe I've screwed up a setting somewhere, but this shows it's going via UPS and I'm looking at $150 in shipping. US dollars, no less, so basically $200 CDN.
That's not remotely normal for, I'm pretty sure. I know all my minis subscriptions have gone USPS in the past and I'm almost positive the shipping hasn't been anywhere near that figure.
Could this please be double-checked to make sure that the most affordable shipping method is actually applied? This is now working out to $600 CDN for a subscription, which isn't going to be viable long-term.
Heck, even the little case incentive is show $50 to ship here. Not reasonable, especially since I'll be enjoying additional brokerage and import fees after the fact. (Those happen with USPS as well, but they're generally in the realm of $15 for a case, where USPS can be easily double that.
Having had a couple weeks to think about the new edition, I've figured out what I most want to see...
A commitment to a FAQ system.
Seriously. We are about to lose a decade plus of institutional knowledge. PF1 could survive without frequent FAQ answers. Now we're about to launch into new territory.
Want to excel? Support the new game. For real. Commit to something, such as "every Friday we will answer X FAQs unless there aren't X outstanding questions." Then do it. Get a week ahead before you start, so when the inevitable "it's convention month" interference happens, you're covered.
Commit the manpower. Support the system. We're going to have questions.
There's a thing in 3.x that has always been annoying about magic items. I've always found it frustrating that a large number of cool and/or useful items are designed so that they're useless by the time you can afford them.
You know the ones. "Do something awesome once per day... successful Fortitude save DC 3 negates, price 300,000gp".
The price is a problem, certainly, but the abysmal DCs are the killer. Sure, you could wait until late-game to buy these neat items, but by the time you can afford them, wasting an action when you have a 5% chance of success is a very, very poor waste of limited resources.
I'd suggest PF2 is an appropriate time to revisit this design ethic. Magic items should be reasonably effective at the level they become available price-wise. As in should have somewhere near a 50/50 chance of success against a typical enemy, much like one's own abilities. Further, the items should remain relevant as the wielder levels up. Having to throw away one's items because they won't work.
Supernova (Su) [Photon mode]
When you’re fully photon-attuned, as a standard action, you can deal 1d6 fire damage plus 1d6 additional fire damage per solarian level to all creatures within 10 feet of you. A creature that succeeds at a Reflex save takes half damage. At 9th level, you can increase the radius to 15 feet, and at 17th level, you can increase the radius to 20 feet. After you use this Revelation, you immediately become unattuned. Supernova functions as a zenith Revelation for the purposes of abilities that reference them.
I recognize the difference between intent and writing. That said, a solarian is a creature, and is a creature within 10 feet of themselves. This functions as a burst, effectively. I can't help but think that technically, a solarian should take damage from their own supernova. I wouldn't force that ruling on my players, but just from reading the ability as its written, it's basically dropping a grenade on yourself. Am I wrong?
School necromancy; Level antipaladin 1, cleric 2, inquisitor 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, spiritualist 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (human-shaped fetish made of bones)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one living creature or undead creature with a skeleton
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude partial or negates (see text); Spell Resistance yes
By using a bone fetish like a marionette, you take control of a target creature’s skeleton. This has a variety of effects depending on whether the target is living or undead.
A living creature has its skeleton rattle within its flesh, causing it grievous harm. The target takes 3d6 points of damage, plus 1d6 additional points of damage per 2 caster levels you have.
In addition, you can move the target 5 feet. This movement doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. A successful saving throw halves the damage and negates the movement.
An undead creature takes no damage. Instead, you manipulate the undead, forcing it to take an immediate action to either move up to its speed (provoking attacks of opportunity as normal) or make a single attack against a creature of your choice in its reach. Either of these is the most basic version of the action the creature can take (it doesn’t activate any special abilities that it could apply to the movement or attack, such as grab). A successful saving throw negates this effect. A mindless undead creature doesn’t receive a save against this effect.
Specifically the usage against undead. Mindless undead don't get a save, so this can actually work. But undead with a mind get a save. Which is a Fortitude save, which undead are immune to. The spell is neither harmless nor can it effect objects.
So the way I read it, the authors specifically thought about undead with minds, but failed to write the spell in such a way that it can actually work on them. Am I missing something?
In short, I'm running an AP in its last stretch, and an imp NPC offered his services as familiar to a PC arcanist. The arcanist offered the imp a challenge which - if completed - would give him cause to at least consider the offer. The imp complied, and succeeded with great comedic and stylistic gusto, demonstrating impeccable timing.
When all was said and done, the arcanist used dismissal to send the imp on his merry way. Said imp vanished. The session ended shortly thereafter.
All of this is taking place in Korvosa, which is thick with imps. My question is: is there a Golarion-accurate circumstance wherein that imp is effectively home on the material plane, with Korvosa being its proper stomping grounds?
I would like to have the (exhausted) imp find the arcanist in the morning, and present itself once more for duty. It did not identify the spell, and would misinterpret it as teleport, complaining that it didn't work properly because the "boss" didn't manage to come along.
Thing is, having an extraplanar devil not be kicked off the material plane by dismissal (on a failed save) is an eyebrow-raising precedent I'm cautious about setting. So I ask.
My September order with AP#122 never arrived. I've got Order 4517275 with #123, which arrived on Friday. I'm willing to wait more if you'd like given I'm not playing this AP yet.
First, my on-file credit card expired in March. I tried numerous times to change the expiry date, but no go. So tonight I just added the new card (same number), and set it as my default payment method. I was going to delete the expired version, but it's vanished. Worse, the new one is "Used for three subscriptions: Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Adventure Path and Pathfinder Modules".
Adventure path twice? Now, I understand at the very start of things, I somehow had two subscriptions and the "wrong" one got cancelled or something, which meant I didn't have the Charter Subscriber tag for a long time, until it got brought up in conversation and fixed. Pleasant surprise. Point is, I'd like to make sure I haven't somehow reinstated a second subscription. 'Cuz I only need one a month please. <Grin>
Second, I would like to reinstate my Pathfinder Battles subscription for Crown of Fangs. Qty 1 case plus 1 incentive, please.
I think the Path of War Expanded has been in there for a very long time... maybe a half-year. Don't know if something just never triggered to let Jeremy at Dreamscarred know that they need to ship you some books, but I'd (still) like a copy.
The quivering cubes I think were part of a larger order that was during a sale goof-up, so the price assigned was likely wrong. While there was a post saying that Paizo would honour the price, I did volunteer that since there was a mistake, I'd be happy to pay normal price. I got most of the order, but the cubes never happened at all, at any price.
It's been a long time on these, so I suspect things are just stuck and need to be stabbed in the face with a hammer, so I'm bringing it you CS' attention.
It's probably a year away, but I like to plan ahead.
I actually enjoy the mythic rules. While I don't think they're appropriate everywhere, or in most games, I'm very much a believer in having a large toolkit as a DM to make games as fun as they can be.
So, I'm toying with the idea of adding mythic templates to a smattering of creatures throughout the AP, specifically for the rules-expectation-breaking. The things like "goes twice every round" should fit in very well to leave the players (who are aware of, but mostly have not played with mythic) in shock.
In return, I'm thinking of maybe giving them a mythic tier occasionally, perhaps as much as once per book.
I'm more than comfortable adjusting challenges, so balance isn't a concern for me. I recognize the upsides and downsides of mythic, so that too isn't a concern.
I'm posting this for input as to thoughts others might have regarding places and moments where mythic content might be especially appropriate, or perhaps inappropriate. Bottom line, I'm looking for input specific to the AP, not an argument about mythic in principle.
I placed this order coming up on a week ago. Yes, I get it there was a weekend and a holiday in there, and it's five hours shy of a week still, and early in the day, and, and, and.
I'm just asking, in case something's broken, because it's been unusually long, and because when I placed the order it took forever (maybe three minutes) to actually process, and I got two confirmation e-mails back-to-back. Unusual.
So yeah, if everything's okay, it's not a rush. If it's broken, a gentle nudge would be appreciated.
This could easily be one of those rule-of-cool exception situations, but I was looking at the pseudodragon stats on page 229 and the natural-attacks-by-size table on page 302.
Page 229's pseudodragon has a bite at 1d2 and a sting at 1d3.
Page 302 tells us that a Tiny bite is 1d3 and a Tiny sting is 1d2.
It's a really trivial thing, not the least because with the strength penalty they're both going to deal exactly 1 hp of damage, but in the interest of things being "right", I'm curious if this is an intentional exception to the general rule or an error that's slipped by all these years.
I can't tell from the product listing if this is still on backorder or my order is just stuck somehow. Did the physical books arrive? Jeremy was saying he expected early April and while I know he's always swamped, I figured four months was a respectable amount of time to wait before asking.
Just letting you know that this order hasn't yet arrived. Typically deliveries for the last billion years have almost always been 5 business days, but this has been upwards of sixteen now.
I can say that last Tuesday I got the first half of #3414912 (three novels), and on Friday I got the second half (18 minis), and those may have shipped roughly the same day (January 23rd).
I figure if I mention this, the box will show up tomorrow. If I don't, it never will.
I'm in no hurry, so I'm okay with waiting this out a little longer.
Just wanted to get this noted since it's so unusual.
It funded in a day this time, so cool. Now comes with a couple horses and some card thing that I don't know what it is. Pretty cool from a new company and hopefully Jonathan will be able to move forward and produce more setting props in the future.
It already made its first stretch goal, so everyone gets a free dead tree, which is cooler than it sounds. Hope we make it to the tent!
Disclosure: I'm not affiliated in any way except by being a backer.
It funded in a day this time, so cool. Now comes with a couple horses and some card thing that I don't know what it is. Pretty cool from a new company and hopefully Jonathan will be able to move forward and produce more setting props in the future.
Disclosure: I'm not affiliated in any way except by being a backer.
In a nutshell, beguiling gift has a Will save to resist. If the target fails, they accept something you give them and use it.
My question regards potions. Say a potion of inflict light wounds, and assume a living target. The potion has its own save (in this case for half damage), but... you're always allowed to voluntarily fail your saves. So, since you've been enticed into taking and using the potion, should the target roll the second save or should they voluntarily fail them?
Remember, the target doesn't need to know (or care) what you've given them, and they will do foolish or counter-productive things like putting on manacles so "it's coming from an opponent so I don't want to" isn't applicable.
Incidentally, before I'm told to ask my DM, I am the DM and looking for input to know if I'd rule this fairly (leaning towards auto-failed saves).
This is complicated, so follow the trail I'm leading you down...
I got my (latest) confirmation for this order on Monday. It shows me that there are 30 items coming my way.
Thing is, the last time I got an e-mail confirmation (order # 3310592 on Thursday Oct 2nd), it was indicated that I would be getting 29 items.
Hold onto your hat. The same night (Thursday the 2nd), I placed an additional order which added three items to my pending order, mostly as a joke. I never got an e-mail confirmation for that order, but the web screen looked good. At that point, I was expecting a total of 32 items to be in my next shipment.
But wait, there's more... at that point, Iron Gods #3 wasn't part of what was coming my way. So in theory, I should now be getting a parcel with 33 items in it.
And yet, I'm now being told I'm getting 30 items. That's 3 that have vanished.
I've compared the confirmation from yesterday and the confirmation from Thursday night. The three items I never got e-mail confirmation for are present, and Iron Gods #3 is present, so basically three items present on the #3310592 confirmation are missing now.
These are what they were:
D10,000 (Set of 4 d10) Translucent Purple Crystal Caste Moved to order 3258120
Pathfinder Companion: Taldor, Echoes of Glory (OGL) Paizo Publishing, LLC Moved to order 3258120
Pathfinder Chronicles: Guide to Korvosa (OGL) Paizo Publishing, LLC Moved to order 3258120
It looks like this hasn't shipped yet, so maybe it's not too late.
Order #3043276 shows status Pending but I received that shipment nearly three months ago.
Order #3136790 shows status Pending, despite my having ordered it last Wednesday. That's just unusually long for you fine folks so I figured I'd ask.
Order #3061416 shipped on the 23rd instead of with my June monthly shipment #3151352 (which arrived around the 20th), probably incurring some extra shipping fees.
It just seems that there are some ghosts in the machine and I wanted to make sure things are okay, instead of just keeping quiet and stuff keeps going... weird. Not complaining... just gently asking.
Some adventure paths are more conducive to crafting than others. For instance, Rise of the Runelords doesn't really allow for taking days, weeks, or months off to craft equipment.
The question is: how is Mummy's Mask in that regard? Is the pace party-driven or is it OMGWTFBBQPONIES ultra-emergency all the time?
Seems like I keep finding myself forced to post one of these every six months or so, but I wanted to take a moment to thank Paizo for being who they are.
Again.
First up, I've recently purchased a couple non-mint products. I got two copies of Ultimate Psionics and two copies of Inner Sea Gods. All four books were in amazing shape, and the comments all of my gaming groups have been making follow the line of "really, that little ding? That'd happen in a one normal session of use!" Paizo's idea of non-mint seems very, very, very high quality. Speaks loudly.
Second, I've noticed something new-ish in a couple recent books, including Inner Sea Gods. It would appear Paizo now credits (what appears to be) the entire staff. From Lisa and Vic down to the warehouse staff, it appears everyone gets a mention on the credits page. That is so ridiculously classy that I feel it needs pointing out. Sure, boxing up a book and shipping it isn't as sexy a job as statting out a new faecomancer prestige class but a mistake at the warehouse level, or on the website is much more impactful than getting turds-per-day wrong. The reliable, often unseen, unheard folks that just make day-to-day stuff work are absolutely essential to allow the public-facing visible staff do what they do.
So hey. Thank you, whoever at Paizo decided to be inclusive, and make the gesture to those people who typically wouldn't be credited. I mean, in addition to those people, who are definitely thanked.
Well, I just got my case and felt like sharing my impressions. This is my first full case since Rise of the Runelords, though I've been ordering a lot of singles from Paizo for other sets, and picking up a bunch from my FLGS who also opens up boxes and puts singles up for sale. I've also got a bunch of older minis so I've got quite a bit to compare against.
1} BRIMORAK This is exactly what it looks like in the preview except more of the legs are painted as pants, which is good. An excellent mixture of clear orange and painted surfaces. Very nice, and three of these suits me just fine.
2} SLOTH DEMON AKA DRETCH This Small demon is very nicely done. There's a great brown/pink wash applied that looks much better in person than in the preview. My only regret is that I only got three of these, which I plan to remedy shortly.
3} BAPHOMET CULTIST These are pretty standard "soldier guys" with a good paint job. All four of mine are without issues, even around the face. A good addition to any starter collection.
4} WILL-O-WISP The first one of these I opened struck me as really cool. I'm very glad this was included in the set since they're so... unusual. Erik's preview mentioning the floating skull couldn't do the real thing justice. The second one, I thought "hey, yeah, I guess I could see an encounter with a couple of these." The fifth one, having reached barely over half of my case, I started fearing every box-opening, expecting to end up with way too many. Fortunately that didn't happen.
5} BERBALANG These neat green demons look better in person than in the preview. Especially the effect involving holes in the wings - an artistic touch used elsewhere in this set. The protruding tongue isn't obvious in the preview, but all three of mine are truly disgusting. Very cool mini.
6} SCHIR DEMON I got four of these minitaur minis. Yes, I said minitaur. They've got a simple paint application with about three primary colours, but the end result is a very solid mini. I'm quite pleased to have these unique little monsters.
7} LOST SOUL These guys will work well as a couple classic undead if you're starting a new collection. Sort of zombie-like, they'd sub in as ghosts, or even as skeletons with only a bit of imagination. The sculpt is excellent while the two-colour paint job makes for a simple yet decent end result. Unlike the preview, these aren't green-tinted... all four of mine are a nice grey.
8} BLOOD DEMON AKA BABAU The preview doesn't do these guys justice. The paint job on my three is simple - which makes total sense given what these things are - but the sculpt is much more detailed than is evident in Paizo's picture. There's much more texture to them and the paint is somewhat less glossy. I like them a lot, enough that I'll be rounding out my three with a bunch more.
9} DEMONIAC Hey look, scary guys with fireballs and hoods! These make great assassins or cultists or even PC mages. They've got a simple paint application but the excellent sculpt sells it. All four of mine are done well.
10} INVIDIAK AKA SHADOW DEMON How the heck do you paint something that's supposed to be made of shadow? Well, these are a bit lighter than the preview picture but that shows off a heck of a lot more texture. Very, very nice sculpt. I may consider trying a dark wash on a couple of my five to make some variety, but I'm glad I've got these. They can sub in as undead nicely too.
11} MONGREL I wasn't sold on the preview of these, but the real ones are quite nice. I got four of them and the green and red bits are more muted than in the preview, which makes them look right. Quite the mutated little monsters. These are very well executed.
12} SLIME DEMON AKA OMOX What the preview shows is what you get, except - as Erik said - there's a nice glossy clear-coat on them that makes them look barftastic. All four of mine make me want to spew chunks.
13} DESKARI CULTIST I got three of these soldiers-with-scythes. They're more of a jade green than the preview shows, which makes them look really good. Recent problems regarding facial features aren't showing their ugly... face... with these. They've even got nice goatees.
14} VERMLEK DEMON Ewwww. These things are gross, and nicely underline how demons are chaotic. There's just random things wrong with demons that tends not to happen with orderly devils. Most of the paint job on my three are flat colours, but the heads/necks have a cool bloody red wash which shows off some really interesting striations in the skin. If I wasn't afraid they'd bite them off, I'd give two thumbs up. Deceptively simple minis.
15} ABRIKANDILU DEMON My pair of these psychotic book-eating hunch-backed demons aren't quite as nice as the preview. There's a little bit of detailing colour missing from their robes that I think the final product really needed. The sculpt is incredible and I suspect the paint application was simplified to bring overall complexity down, to not risk mistakes. I'll probably add a bit of colour to mine because they're so very, very close to being exquisite. Definitely worth getting, but the only (slight) let-down in the set, I felt, if only because the bar is so incredibly high.
16} DEMONIC FAMILIAR AKA QUASIT Little green not-imps that look exactly like the preview picture. Again tiny sculpted holes in their wings impress me. Three is a good number of these, and that's what I got.
17} BASILISK These also look better in person than the preview, which is much too dark. The real ones are more grey, looking kind of like stone. Clearly not the forest-dwellers from the Bestiary. I might grab one more to add to my two and paint that one green. A good addition to a basic collection given eight-legged non-spiders are rare minis indeed.
18} SHAGGY FIEND/DEMODAND I imagine real ones are shaggier than these but I quite like them as they are. These have a couple small rents in their wings and despite their simple mostly-grey paint application, they kind of imposing. I probably would have stayed with the more vibrant burgundy robes in the preview but still, I like them, all three.
19} SLIMY FIEND/DEMODAND These guys are very frog-like. I didn't get it just how squat and bulky these monsters are. Excellent sculpts. There's a touch of a clear wash on their arms and hands that's supposed to show off how they're slimy but there's so little of it that I didn't notice at first. Definitely these are going to get more of that treatment, then they'll be a terrifying trio.
20} TARRY FIEND/DEMODAND I don't know how to interpret these. They're pretty much exactly what the preview shows. Armored demodands. The paint job is good, the sculpt is good, but the monster I just don't get. Maybe it's the lack of tar anywhere. Still, these are unique monsters that would be difficult to substitute something else into the place of. I'm happy I've got two.
21} INCUBUS These are totally Rob Zombie meets Ozzie Osbourne, only is a demon. I've always liked the art that inspired these, and all three of mine have excellent paint applications over their equally excellent sculpt. The wings are even more textured on the back than the preview hints at. These are great miniatures.
22} DEATH DEMON AKA NABASU These are much more purple than the preview shows. The texture and overall paint job do a remarkable job at replicating the demented Bestiary artwork, except the light purple base colour. I'll be ordering another to go with my two, with hopes to darken it up a bit as an experiment. Don't get me wrong... these are absolutely top-notch. I just personally am reacting poorly to the base colour.
23} LOW TEMPLAR Just to remind me that there are things other than demons in the universe, these standard soldier types marched into my collection. They are generally very good in the paint department, better than I can do on my own certainly. One of my three has blobby mush-face paint though. The other two show wonderful detail and shadowing. It's clear someone just had too much paint on their brush for one of them. A very good sign that the artists in the East are getting better again.
24} HORNED DEMON AKA KALAVAKUS Now these guys are supposed to be purple and it works really well. The two-colour paint work on the ridges and horns is even better in person than the preview shows. This is me, happily clicking to add one more to my shopping cart because two just won't be enough of this very special mini.
25} MONGREL ARCHER There's facial detail lurking in that hood! They've got mostly blue skin as the preview hints, but there some red swirling on their faces that looks like war-paint or tattoos. I love everything about these from the sculpt to the very nicely applied paint job to the pose. I'd say "wow", but I'm saving that for later. All three of mine are very, very well done.
26} SUICIDE DEMON AKA SERAPTIS I wasn't sold on this creature from the preview but I like both of them in person. The blood on the hands is more a flat red but that looks better, I think. The only thing I might've done is added a little more colour to their robes, but being suicide demons the plain black goth woe-is-me emo look works.
27} ALAIN, HUMAN CAVALIER "Derpty-derpty-derp, I'm Alain, and the coolest thing about me is a horse." Alain is easily my least-favorite iconic but I am downright proud to have two of this mini in my collection. These are absolutely up to the original standards from the first four iconics. Very impressive detail, meticulous paint application, and a generally perfect execution. Kudos Paizo, you made a version of this guy I can't shrug off as unimpressive.
28} IMRIJKA Where I generally have little but disdain for Alain and his silly four-legged bestie, I've got a soft spot for his half-orc hottie. She's my favorite iconic and I'm glad to have two of her... a fantasy I will now take a moment to savour.
.
.
Okay, that said, one of mine has just enough face-paint mistakes to make me wonder if the poor sap in China who did this has ever seen a humanoid. The other one surpasses my hopes and is really nice. Fangs and all. Pupils, eye-whites, fangs, and a hint of eyebrows. Seriously well-done. The things I said about Alain apply here - except the bit about the horse. I can probably touch-up the weird-faced Imrijka and she'll rejoin the dream-twin duo. Again, worthy of the iconics. Good job Wizkids and Paizo.
29} JARUUNICKA I look forward to playing Wrath of the Righteous, in about a year when the Tsar campaign I'm running wraps up. Then I can find out what the heck Jaruunicka actually is. The blood-splattered skirt looks much better in person than in the preview. All three of mine are well-done. I reserve judgement because I don't know anything about her, having not seen the original art or the reason why she looks as she does. There may be a good reason, but I would've liked to see her foot-gear and under-skirt a different colour so as to cut down on the everything-is-brown situation. Coupled with her grey hair being so similar to the off-white robes, it gives the impression there's a simpler mini than there really is.
30} LOCUST DEMON Run away now, if you want to live. These aren't the most terrifying of this set but boy, these are great minis. I got three of them and they're all really perfect. The wings are translucent. There's a hint of that in the preview picture but in person these are disgusting, frightening monsters. For minis with something like three colours on them, these are incredible.
31} FROST DRAKE These are neat monsters. The lack of front legs looks so disturbing that it's a cool effect. They are much more an icy blue than the aquamarine shown in the preview, so they're just perfect at what they are. I got three and they've all got a flawless execution.
32} RIFT DRAKE Clearly these are the more angry purple-and-orange version of the frost drakes. I am a big fan of the head portion of the sculpt. You can't see it in the preview, but they're more vulture-like than dragon-like and it's a menacing look that goes with the clutching claws. There's nothing to not like about getting three of these.
33} MOUNTED ALAIN There's nothing in this world more pathetic than Alain and his horse... except Alain without his horse. Clearly Erik took pity on him and included this sculpt as a consolation, trying (in vain) to make up for Alain being Alain. I am thrilled that I got three of these. Not because of who it is, but because there just aren't quite enough people-on-horses minis. These are perfect, with lots of detail and shadowing. I especially like the pose... the horse is just in the process of tossing his unwanted rider, or so I can imagine.
34} VESCAVOR QUEEN Kill it! Kill it quickly, preferably with fire. These look exactly like the preview shows only... so much stupidly bigger that they evoke an instinctive reaction of being revolted. Ughhh. So disturbing. These tower over Alain and his horse, with enough body mass that you can imagine them eating the cavalier easily. I just wish I didn't only have two... because there's nobody to eat the third mounted Alain.
35} HALF-FIEND MINOTAUR This monster has a bit more detail than you can see in the preview. His hair and the crags in his face and neck add a lot to the end result, making up amply for him being a brown & black mini. Much larger than the original minotaur, this winged freak came in a set of three into my collection and they're quite good. The paint is positioned well and there's enough of it to make him not feel boring. Nicely done.
36} MINOTAUR Someone stick these guys in a maze that can't be solved by always turning left. I like these... they've got a snout that's much more bull than humanoid, which is a unique look. There's a lot of skin detail and a really good dark wash applied over their base paint that makes them look nice. Not the world's most complicated mini, but as far as minotaur go these are top notch. I got two of them.
37} GRIMSLAKE This is one of those weird things that I wasn't sold on. Intellectually I get it that they're not easily represented by anything else. Emotionally I wonder what else I'll ever use them for. That said, they're pretty well-done. There a thin clear wash on them that makes the white bits glisten. If you've ever actually looked at a caterpillar, they're quite disgusting creatures. Well, these are worse. They're pretty simple minis and I think Erik is justified in including them. While I'm turned off by the creature itself, the execution is pretty good.
38} GIMCRAK I'm guessing this guy is a kind of uber-quasit or something. The mold looks like maybe a quasit with a few too many rogue levels than is good for anyone's health. He's got a nice thin dagger ready to shove in someone and some black leather armor. For such a small mini they've done a good job of applying paint in interesting ways. I like the wing ribbing.
39} ARUESHALAE I'm guessing someone sneezed. Wait. That's her name? Well, bless you. And while you're at it, bless Paizo. This mini has every bit as much detail on it as the iconics typically do. Her armor, clothing, and weapons are all very detailed. She's even got a tiny tattoo on her cheek. The only thing keeping this from being an 11 out of 10 in my book is that her neck seems impossibly long and thin. Still, I'm avoiding looking at the source material, so it's entirely possible that she's meant to be that way. This is a beautiful mini.
40} AREELU VORLESH Yes, I am in fact vorlesh. Wait. I already made a joke about a succubus' name? Darn. Well, this "lady" isn't quite as heavily-detailed as the sneezecubus above but she's still a very good mini. The sculpt is interesting (love the nearly-hidden dagger and the "look over here" raised gauntlet) and the facial detail is flawless. Very much one of the best Pathfinder minis.
41} QUEEN GALFREY Queen as in... this is a female? Honestly aside from the long hair - and let it be known that I (a male) sport a pony tail - I would've lost a lot of money betting this was a guy. There is zero cheesecake involved in this sculpt. No protruding bits, no exposed bits, no come-hither pose. There's also nothing in the reasonable facial detail that'd hint that she's a she. That's isn't a problem... it's just an interesting design choice. Overall there's quite a bit of detail on this mini. She's a decent warrior-type if not stellar like the nasal-explosion-demon a couple minis ago.
42} FAXON If you're looking for a Darth Maul mini, this is it. I really like it... unlike the preview mine suggests that Faxon is a female. I haven't - and won't - look at the source material but he or she is a kind of ambigusexual tiefling. Aside from the head of hir weapon, the whole mini is black and red. It turns out much more interesting than it sounds or looked in the preview. There's a cool pentagram they added to the belly area for instance that isn't shown on the preview at all. I'm convinced Faxon is actually a male but looking up the skort won't help to find out. Simple but cool.
43} STAUNTON VHANE This seemingly psychotic jade-green dwarf looks much better in person than even the preview reveals. There's a deeper dark wash on him that makes him look more realistic. Sadly mine has just a touch too much wash in one eye otherwise I'd be ranting about how great this guy is. He's not over-the-top for detail but looks utterly convincing and makes for a really wonderful dwarf PC in the future.
44} MINAGHO This is another mini I wasn't sold on by the preview but in person he works. The eyelessness appears to be deliberate. There's a heck of a lot of detail in the sculpt that makes up for the interesting but conservative paint application. I like this guy.
45} NOCTICULA Man, this is the "woman" of my dreams. Of course they're all bad dreams but what can you do. Mine doesn't have the dark wash in the wings that the preview shows (in the rune detail) so I might try and add some later. On the other hand, the preview makes her skin areas look like there's almost a bloody wash in the shadows. The final product isn't like that at all. She's not the most amazing succubusty mini but she's pretty cool.
46} IRABETH Oh Irabeth, people are going to start thinking I have a thing for hot half-orc chicks. Totally not true. I'm usually into hot-elf chicks. But this is a beautiful mini. The preview pic is pretty accurate but the golden armor glistens in person. There is a heck of a lot of detail both in the sculpt and in the paint and this definitely is borderline iconic in quality. An impressive mini indeed. Perhaps she'd be interested in joining my Imrijka harem...?
47} XANTHIR VANG You're not seriously still reading this, are you? Well, if so let it be known that Vang is a really cool miniature. Mine is more muted in colour than the preview shows but it's an effect that really works. Lots of black and grey contrast making for quite the creepy whatever-he-is. There isn't a huge amount of detail here - about average I'd say - but there's the illusion that there's a lot. The speckled paint job on the front area seals the deal. Nicely done.
48} DOMINION INVADER This mini has exactly one purpose beyond "be a dominion invader" and that is... "be any Large freakishly bizarre aberration". A niche shape, this semi-lobster thing is wrong in all the right ways. Erik mentioned the brains in the orange domes and they're every bit as disturbing as I'd imagined. Claws and mouths and tendrils and too many eyes... this thing has a simple enough two-tone paint job, but it's a scary beast.
49} BAPHOMET If Faxon was Paizo's shot at making a Darth Maul mini, this is their shot at making a Trent Reznor mini. Lanky and brooding and very clearly an evil demon, Baphomet is everything you wanted in a winged mangoat demon. The torch growing out of his head - evildently (TM) a failed trepanning experiment - just adds to the fiery evil. There's a huge amount of effort spent on paint application on his face which is just creepy. The most interesting thing though is his perfectly round red pupils. They're probably put on with a template of some sort, like the tattoo mentioned earlier, but they're downright disturbing in their perfectly circular nature.
50} KHORRAMZADEH Speaking of eyes, this fire demon must've been called four-eyes in school because that's what he's got. His head is seriously messed up. Who needs four horns? Oh, right... someone with four eyes. And the fangs, and the endless orange mouth. This isn't the best balor ever but he's a pretty cool variation.
51} HEPZAMIRAH If ever there's been a mini whose facial expression says "I amn't smart", pre Hep-Z here is it. She's got a - deliberately - dopey goat face that in the preview looks kind of menacing but in reality looks pulls off Golarion's first Int 6 fiendish minotaur. I like this mini. It's charming. Neither the sculpt nor the paint job are exceptional but I'm sure she's a very... special... NPC that deserves this tribute.
52} SERPENT DEMON AKA MARILITH This lady should grant herself a flanking bonus. So many weapons... so little time. Again a slight clear wash has been used on her belly so the scales look more realistically reptilian, to great effect. The sculpt is excellent and somehow the sculptor managed to give her a little J-Lo junk in her trunk. So very strangely feminine.
53} MYTHIC CHIMERA I wasn't a fan of this from its preview. The picture makes it look more Oreo than it really is. There's a bit more blending of the two major colour clusters, so it's actually pretty good. Given how stupid-hard it is to convincingly blend colours this is about as good a chimera as we can hope for. Monstrously difficult creature to make a mini of, this is pretty reasonable.
54} GIBRILETH I've got to ask... what the hell is this thing? I'm guessing a gibbering mouther, or possibly a moron demon. This guy is cute and exquisite at the same time. Mouths and arms in unexpected places this thing is just a mess, deliberately. Again, all the real work is done in the sculpt, which a tan wash applied to underline the texture, this is the ultimate example of what a wash can do. Really impressive. That said, what's he going to do with that whip? I'm afraid. Mine was off his base... weirdly it doesn't look like he was ever ON the base. His stand stick doesn't quite fit in the hole. I'll have to do a tiny bit of modification to mount him properly but as that's the only "damage" in the set, I'm quite happy.
55} DESKARI, DEMON LORD OF LOCUSTS I was going to stop after Gibrileth, but I owe you - poor persistent reader - a "wow" promised to you earlier.
WOW!
That's an army of beetles/ants crawling up his chest, just in case you're wondering. The wings do a decent impression that they are a mass of flies. It's not perfect, but it's absolutely as good an illusion as you could possibly hope for in a solid miniature. There's a gargantuan amount of detail in the mold and there's more paint application here than I can shake a stick at. He comes in one solid part, no assembly required. Everything from the sickly greenish stinger to the uninvitingly wet tongue is lovingly crafted. Yes, this is something of a specialty mold... not having a whole lot of flexibility to stand in for something else, but if you need a FREAKING BIG SCARY MONSTER, this will do the job very nicely.
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Final thoughts.
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This set focuses on monsters, and to wonderful effect. There isn't a bad or even mediocre mini amongst the set. With so few humanoids, we don't have much of the uncanny-valley facial problems that have cropped up recently. Of all of my arrivals, I've got at least one example that's very, very well painted. QC is clearly on the rise.
I love the topic matter, the choice and variety of molds, and the artistic choices made here. I have little option but to say to Paizo... thank you, this is a most excellent set of minis.
Gary and the guys do an amazing job here. It's really astounding how bloody USEFUL the site is.
I was just going over the latest preview for minis and couldn't recall if I'd picked up a particular one. Well, when I placed my order some of the minis were using their OGL names (ie. Balor) and when I went to check things they weren't (ie. Fire Demon). So checking this became more complicated. Only... not. As I was viewing the page for the mini I wanted, I noticed this bright red text at the top telling me "dude, you bought one of these earlier today, click to view the order".
Really? Nobody else does that kind of stuff.
They should. It's the dozens and dozens of linking features that make the store and forums and blog and so on one unified experience. A great experience, that is. I've been here since the late Dungeon/Dragon days and watched the site grow. Very, very good attention to usability.
So again, I wanted to take a moment out to thank the guys who smack the code around daily. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
I've got a pretty big minis collection but I've kept my RotRL minis out of the view of my players to avoid spoilers. In order to make sure that I actually remember to grab from the hidden box when things come up, I sorted the list of minis by book. That way, when I start a new book I can dig out just the applicable minis and have them "on deck". I'll never remember "oh yeah, that little kobold guy is in the secret box".
Hopefully this is of some use to someone else.
Book 1 – Burnt Offerings
Ameiko
Aldern Foxglove
Bugbear Hero
Goblin Commando on Mount
Goblin Commando
Goblin Dog
Goblin Warchanter
Ghoul
Lyrie Akenja
Malfeshnekor
Nualia
Orik Vandercaskin
Sinspawn
Shalelu
Tsuto Kaijitsu
Warchief Ripnugget
Yeth Hound
Book 2 – The Skinsaw Murders
Faceless Stalker
Skinsaw Man
Skinsaw Cultist
Book 3 – The Hook Mountain Massacre
Jakardros Sovark
Jaagrath Kreeg
Kaven Windstrike
Lamia Matriach
Lucrecia
Ogrekin
Ogre
Ogre Brute
Vale Temros
Book 4 – Fortress of the Stone Giants
Dire Bear
Harpy
Lamatar Bayden
Lamia
Kobold Champion
Mokmurian
Redcap
Scanderig
Shining Child
Stone Giant
Stone Golem
Stone Giant Champion
Young Red Dragon
Book 5 – Sins of the Saviors
Alu-Fiend
Azaven
High Lady Athroxis
Karzoug Statue
Mithral Mage
Sinspawn Axeman
The Scribbler
Treachery Demon
Vraxeris
Warrior of Wrath
Wraith
Book 6 – Spires of Xin-Shalast
Denizen of Leng
Karzoug
Khalib
Lamia Harridan
Lamia Kuchrima
Rune Giant
Storm Giant
Viorian Dekanti
Wendigo
Yeti
I didn't want to post this in the middle of the discussion for this particular module because it's more about the new format.
First up, great job transitioning to the 64-page release.
Second, very cool layout and design. I'm liking the very clear and obvious reference to the PRD despite owning all the referenced books. Classy.
Third, the quests summary is a very unique and cool idea. Nicely done.
Fourth, the Belhaim Locations table on page 61... brilliant. I built myself one for Sandpoint for my Runelords campaign but this one is much smarter. This should absolutely be a must for future adventures and AP editions that don't travel too much.
Fifth, the map and encounter mat are also very cool. The only negative I have at all is to offer that the adhesive used (the usual stuff) lightly stains what it's used on. The single tack in the middle of the page leaves a slight oily mark on both the back cover and in the middle of one page of the map. In the future I'd suggest that if it were possible, two smaller tacks in opposite corners would stand a lesser chance of marring the beautiful artwork.
All in all the new organization strikes me as very well thought-out. I like all of the innovations. All I really need is... more of these!
Oh, and James, if you're reading this... thanks for being so open during development of this module, discussing some of your design decisions. The rebirth of the modules line was worth it.
I normally have everything hold until my next AP shipment. Yesterday I toggled to "never hold anything" so as to get my RotRL minis shipped as soon as possible.
It's still showing that the next order will process September 7th. Is that... correct?
I'm prepared to pay for and accept any and all product pending for me, minis and other. So if I've done something wrong to delay those products, please either tell me how to fix it or go ahead and ship whenever you get to my stuff.
I'm lightly working on an encounter for one of my groups wherein it struck me as appropriate to use a cavalier. I've statted things out and I'm happy with the challenge he will present to the party. That's all fine.
What occurred to me is that I absolutely wouldn't be surprised if someone in the party manages to capture the cavalier's mount once he's vanquished. Given it's an animal - and a domesticated one at that - I can just see our druid taking the time to Handle Animal this beast into cooperation over time. Problem is... the darned horse has 12 HD, and is independently bad-ass.
I've never had this problem before because with familiars they revert to their prior, "useless" selves. Druids' animal companions tend to be unusual animals which aren't normally easily domesticated so I don't need to worry about the part barbarian adopting a wolf or alligator or whatever.
What I'm thinking The Answer is... is to treat the horse as treasure. If they capture it and convince it to work with/for them, that's great, but it has value. What I don't really get is what value I should assign. I just don't relish the idea that without the cavalier around the horse will wither and revert to Bestiary horse stats.
I'm inviting suggestions on other ways to view the likely outcome, and discussion of what the price of various mounts should be. In this case, it's a 15th-level cavalier.
In one of my groups we have an animal companion which is a wolf. Since it only has one natural attack (bite), once it reaches an appropriate level it gets an iterative attack in place of Multiattack. Thing is, the wolf gets trip.
The way I see it, there are two possibilities. The CMB for trip is linked to the functional BAB used in each attack, or the CMB is static.
Example... let's assume the wolf has +10/+5 for its attack routine and a CMB of +8.
Option #1. Wolf attacks at +10 and trips at +8 then attacks at +5 and trips at +3.
Option #2. Wolf attacks at +10 and trips at +8 then attacks at +5 and trips at +8.
The numbers are completely artificial in this example, but demonstrate my point... does the CMB for a secondary attack's use of trip suffer the same -5 that the attack itself does?
My player group is just about to start the final book of CoT and for once our campaign hasn't imploded. They're interested in continuing with existing characters and situations.
The characters:
Eezo - aasimar paladin of Sarenrae. He's an AC monster, falcata-wielding evil-smiting good guy. Not a stick-in-the-mud paladin by any means.
Sibyl - tiefling cleric of Malani. She's a generic cleric but is heavy of bluffing and messing with opponents' minds. She's also got Leadership, followers, and a cohort (listed below).
Wick Tinder - gnome witch. Ultimately is played as a coward who somehow sticks around long enough to slumber hex every BBEG encounter into a non-issue.
Fingers - half-elf rogue. Flank, sneak-attack, rinse, repeat. He's also the guy who coup-de-graces everything the gnome puts to sleep.
The hooks:
Eezo has family in Westcrown. His sister is Bluehood, one of his brothers is a hellknight of middling rank, and his family is minor nobility.
Sibyl has her cohort Pasha (half-giant psychic-warrior ex-slave). She has liberated and used attonement on the half-dozen tieflings from the Nessian Spiral and has them operating a re-opened Vizio's Tavern (which is now The Infernal Duke and has a fiendish theme including items liberated from the Spiral). She has Calseinica Nimmis as a when-the-DM-remembers girlfriend, and has befriended a few dottari. She is easily the most liked of the group. Also, she has been volunteering at a hospice in town all this time, which has been a recurring element.
Wick was raised within the Church of Asmodeus but "escaped" some time ago. He has just been approached by the Church who have expressed that they wish to endorse the Children of Westcrown over the Council of Thieves - at the behest of Aspexia Whatsername (leader of the Chellish Church of Asmodeus). Basically, some clerics have turned traitor and are siding with the Council. Wick is titled "inquisitor" and is mandated to smite down heretical clerics whenever and wherever he encounters them. In return, the loyalist clerics manage a friendly working relationship with the group they feel will likely come out victorious.
Fingers... is a half-elf. Who hits things.
The request:
The only thing I've got for a direction is that Sibyl would likely want to pry Westcrown out of Chelliax entirely. I'm thinking of taking the group physically to Egorian to pursue this. Any ideas, nuggets of inspiration, or outright plot suggestions are what I'm asking for. I don't need details but rather simply directions and options I might otherwise not see. So what I'm looking for is along the lines of "assassinate the empress" or "there's a dragon underneath Egorian and it's going to eat the whole city unless the party stops it". Neither of which I think I'll be using. <Grin>
I've got a half-elf rogue "Fingers", an aasimar paladin of Sarenrae "Eezo", a tiefling cleric of Maliki "Sibyl", and a gnome witch "Wick".
They've done pretty well overall, and last night they got to the final room of the Nessian Spiral. They backed off, disabled the cooling towers, and buffed up for a final showdown.
The cage annoyed them. Nobody had adamantine weapons, so nobody could bypass its hardness. There wasn't much in the line of direct damage spells either, so it took quite a while to whittle the thing down. All the while it really didn't do much to the party, who have great AC.
Finally the cage was destroyed and Liebdaga popped out. The players were bummed out that the Huge Balor mini I had sitting on my desk wasn't used. Oh well.
What to say. Rogue and paladin flanked, paladin smited. The witch used enervation on the poor Devil, adding two more negative levels. Liebdaga fireballed as written, not realizing that mass resist energy fire was up. The party ignored his fireball. More rogue-flanking-two-weapon-fighting-sneak-attacking-mithral-and-good-+2-quar terstaffing and more smiting. Liebdaga spent his next round getting focused. The witch used his slumber hex. DC18. Liebdaga rolled a 5. +11 on Will saves. Okay. Nappy devil.
The paladin coup-de-graced Liebdaga to -33. B'bye.
No second life, no breath of life, just gone.
The PCs shrugged and went topside.
Edit: just to be clear, the PCs were undamaged. And three of them were 7th level, with the fourth at 8th with a negative level (previous death). All I can say is... wow, paladins.
Had an amusing struggle of a session last night that's worth relating. My players (aasimar paladin, tiefling cleric, half-elf rogue, gnome witch) have been plowing their way through the Nessian Spiral, getting deeper and deeper and deeper.
Well.
Last night they made it into area F29 - Hall of Toil. The resident Behir spotted them and issued it's command. "Drop your weapons, pick up those tools and start mining."
Nervous tension
I called for a set of Will saves for the suggestion, mass.
The paladin rolled... a 1.
The cleric rolled... a 1.
The rogue rolled... a 1.
The witch succeeded.
Jaw drop
Okay, um, hmmm. Roll for initiative, please.
The witch produced... 6.
The Behir produced... 7.
Deep sigh
The Behir moved up, took an attack at the witch and missed. The witch took a 5ft, located a wand of invisibility and used it. The Behir, being not terribly bright sniffed around and (not having scent) failed a Perception check. It spent the next couple rounds looking around, trying to figure out what was going on.
We dropped out of per-round and the witch located a wand of break enchantment and failed to meet the CL four times. He then ran away and I called the session so I could do research and think.
Punchline
We packed up our stuff. We discussed things in general. Then the players remembered that the paladin had magic circle against evil up. Um. Immunity. Hello. Since the Spiral was built by The Thrice Damned House, I figure they're evil casters, and since the suggestion, mass was actually part of the environment (the Neutral Behir just activates it), the immunity should have taken place.
Given the nature of the encounter, we'll be re-running it next time.
Well, after a six month hiatus (caused by the Sixfold Trial as it happens), we picked things up and replaced three characters. I don't intend this post as a continuation of my previous thread... I'll pick up there separately.
Instead, this is a general commentary about the first half of this module.
My (now) two players each had two characters to run. They did this well, and distinctly. No complaints. I enjoyed running the rehearsals and the play, and my new player enjoyed both as well.
My older player... the tactical, smart player... not so much. So here's the critique as it applies to players who aren't looking for beer & peanuts gaming.
1} The justification for playing along and participating in the play is weak. Really weak. Read Ghontosovos' text. This is one long shot after another. Maybe the PCs can get into a play that maybe they can survive that maybe will result in an invitation to the mayor's house that maybe will allow them to prowl around and maybe find the keys to Delvehaven that maybe has something to do with Westcrown's trouble. Ugh.
2} The consensus is: skill challenges... suck. Why? Because they're just dice rolls. The dress rehearsal and the play itself consist of a lot of these. Roll a d20 until you get a certain result. Rinse, repeat.
The key problem is that this doesn't allow the player to think or invent solutions. They know they need to make such-and-such a saving throw and such-and-such a skill DC. It's diceturbation.
3} Many of the trials are "solo". This reduces the opportunity for innovation to nearly zero. While a fluke is burrowing in Larazon, Tybain "can't" do anything to help him. This removes a layer of complexity from the game: the party mechanic.
4} The setting further shackles the player, discouraging problem-solving. Thinking outside the box is normally good. Clever, simple solutions to complicated problems are what PCs are always seeking. Maximum benefit, least risk. The problem is that in the context of a play being performed in front of a live studio audience, the "actors" can't know what they can get away with. What happens to their cause if they break character and do things to save their lives? The player is forced to roll die after die after die, waiting for the x% chance to come up, before their character is dead. They are discouraged from being clever.
The bottom line is that while I enjoyed running the Trial and while I'm sure it's fun for many groups, for the professional "thinkers" out there, it's got some issues.
So. That's the critique. What's the suggestion?
1} In this setting if my group was writing this module, we'd have encouraged the players explore tangential issues in the city. Go mess with the Dotari, for instance. Mess with Whitechin. Let the players pick how they want to mess with the sandbox. Make the challenges HARD. Make it so almost inevitably they'll be captured. They wake up and are presented an option. Death sentence, or become actors. Live and your freedom is yours. They perform the play, they get noticed, they get invited to a party, THEN the idea that "while you're there..." gets sprung by Ghontosovos and Arael.
2} Minimize the skill challenges. They were fine (ritual Perform(act) checks) in the rehearsal. The play itself should be basically devoid of them.
3} This one is hard. But basically, design the trials so no matter what the stressor on the party, all members get to participate in resolving it. Teamwork is a must. Sorry, we couldn't think of specific examples.
4} Establish ground rules. Find a way to let the players know that - for instance - an actor death isn't actually required for the audience to approve. Find a way to let them know that if they do visually exciting things, the audience might still approve.
One last thought: One of the ideas that was stumbled upon late last night was one wherein the PCs have to actually construct the trials themselves. Someone like Rhobal asks them, "what can you DO?" The players are relied upon to propose challenges they could make look dangerous, and might actually BE dangerous, but allow the party to actually overtly use their abilities. This is clearly not something that Paizo can really do since a} it's impossible to quantify how to reward trials you've never seen and b} you can't assume every/any group of players is up to the challenge of Chose Your Own Adventure. Still, it was a thought, and it might be useful to another DM prepping to run this module.
I thoroughly thank Paizo for this experiment. I just felt I owed it to the writers to provide this feedback. "It's great" only goes so far towards future improvements. While I strongly expect a matter/antimatter explosion as a consequence of combining the following two names in one sentence, Misters Pett and Logue... <BLAM!> thank you.
First of all, I'm posting this as a sort of open beta of my own. I'm more than happy to accept input.
The goal: this is an interpretation of WotC's Dragon Shaman class. It can be considered Open content as I haven't reproduced any closed content. This is also not a "conversion" in a few ways. I personally think that 3.5 and PFRPG are so similar that the term isn't appropriate. Further, this class is meant to be somewhat different from WotC's version. The core concept of radiating auras remains in place but I've always been bothered by a} the breath weapon and b} the lack of draconic involvement. The breath weapon moves to - get this - the dragon. This class is intended to encourage something relatively unique... have the player think of his character as a fusion of two bodies. My hope is to have the two bodies complement each other such that there is both balance and synergy. Beyond a mere animal companion or familiar, the player should be thinking of how to use his two bodies together to aid the party best.
The two main areas I need serious input on are a} the precise "tithe" (currently 50%) that should be assigned to the hoard feature and b} if the levels at which various dragons become available need tweaking. Those levels are ultimately derived from a couple sources and are deliberately conservative. I expect if adjustment is required, it'll be downward.
Without further ado, I bring you the Dragon Totemist.
DRAGON TOTEMIST
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: D8
Class Skills
The dragon totemist’s class skills are Appraise(Int), Craft(Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Fly(Dex), Knowledge(nature)(Int), Knowledge(arcana)(Int), Perception(Wis), Spellcraft(Int), Use Magic Device(Cha).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier
All of the following are class features of the Dragon Totemist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Spoiler:
Dragon totemists are proficient with all simple weapons, and with light and medium armor and shields (except tower shields).
Bonus Languages:
Spoiler:
A dragon totemist knows Draconic at 1st level.
Dragonbond (Ex):
Spoiler:
Dragon totemists are chosen by their beloved masters. At 1st level, a supplicant dragon totemist is approached by an elder dragon and entrusted with a sacred task: to be a partner to dragon-kind. An egg is given into the care of the dragon totemist and a bond is struck between the two. This bond carries heavy responsibility yet grants great power. At higher levels that vary by dragon type, if the dragon totemist is found worthy they will be visited once more and they will be re-bound to a wyrmling dragon and the egg they have nurtured will be taken in exchange. This process is repeated at higher levels as the dragon totemist is entrusted with more powerful dragon allies. A dragon totemist must pick a dragon type at 1st level and all subsequent bonded dragons must be of that type. The chosen dragon type must be within one alignment step of the dragon totemist on each alignment axis.
A multiclass dragon totemist adds one half of their levels gained from classes other than dragon totemist to their effective level for purposes of attracting a bonded dragon. A dragon totemist may never be bound to any creature other than his dragon. A dragon totemist with druid levels may never have an animal companion but is permitted to use their Nature Bond to select a domain. Similarly a wizard may not have a familiar but is permitted to use Arcane Bond. In this case, their bonded dragon functions as the object of their bond. While their bonded dragon is within range of the dragon totemist’s aura it is considered in hand to cast spells unimpeded. Creatures summoned temporarily by use of spells do not interfere with the dragonbond. A paladin’s mount cannot be called but they may instead use the divine bond feature to enhance their chosen weapon.
If a bonded dragon (or egg) dies, the dragon totemist immediately acquires two permanent negative levels. These negative levels cannot be removed by restoration or similar magics until the dragon is returned to life by use of a raise dead spell or similar. A dragon returned to life suffers no negative levels as they are borne by the dragon totemist instead.
Table 2 – Dragons acquired by level
Spoiler:
Bronze (LG): 9th – wyrmling, 12th – very young, 17th – young
Silver (LG): 10th – wyrmling, 13th – very young, 17th - young
Gold (LG): 11th – wyrmling, 15th – very young, 19th – young
Brass (CG): 5th – wyrmling, 9th – very young, 13th – young, 16th – juvenile
Copper (CG): 6th – wyrmling, 10th – very young, 14th – young, 15th – juvenile
Blue (LE): 9th – wyrmling, 12th – very young, 16th – young
Green (LE): 9th – wyrmling, 12th – very young, 15th – young, 19th – juvenile
White (CE): 4th – wyrmling, 8th – very young, 11th – young, 16th – juvenile
Black (CE): 6th – wyrmling, 9th – very young, 12th – young, 16th – juvenile
Red (CE): 10th – wyrmling, 14th – very young, 18th – young
Dragon Aura(Su):
Spoiler:
A dragon totemist may share the mystical benefits of his bond with nearby allies. As a swift action, the dragon totemist projects a 30ft radius aura that affects all allies within its area (including the dragon totemist and their dragon). This aura remains in place until it is dismissed as a free action and can be maintained while the dragon totemist is conscious. This aura offers no benefit to anyone while the bonded dragon is beyond the range of this aura. At any time the dragon is within range the aura functions normally.
The bonus granted by this aura starts at +1 and increases by +1 at 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th levels. A 1st-level dragon totemist knows three different aura types of their choice and learns an additional type at odd levels. Normally a dragon totemist may only project a single aura type at once but they may shift to a different type as a swift (mental) action.
Deftness: This aura grants its bonus to all Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, and Swim checks.
Durability: This aura grants DR1/– per point of the dragon totemist’s aura bonus.
Grace: This aura grants its bonus to Escape Artist and Stealth checks.
Health: This aura grants fast healing 1 per point of the dragon totemist’s aura bonus while the affected creature is at or below one half of their normal hit point total.
Influence: This aura grants its bonus to all Bluff and Diplomacy checks.
Might: This aura grants its bonus to all melee damage rolls.
Observation: This aura grants its bonus to all Perception and initiative checks.
Precision: This aura grants its bonus to all attack rolls (including ranged attacks against enemies outside of the aura’s range).
Resistance: This aura grants resistance 5 per point of the dragon totemist’s aura bonus against their dragon’s energy type.
Retaliation: Each time an ally is struck by a natural or non-reach manufactured weapon, their body channels the energy of the dragon totemist’s dragon type. The attacker takes 1 point of damage of that energy type per point of the aura’s bonus.
Slither: This aura grants the ability to squeeze into spaces one half your size without penalty as a move action. Affected creatures may move through a number of squares equal to the aura’s bonus but must end their round in a space appropriate for their size or standard squeezing penalties apply until the start of their next turn.
Swiftness: This aura grants a +5 enhancement bonus to all movement types per two points of aura bonus, rounded down (min. 1).
Hoard:
Spoiler:
As part of the dragon totemist’s pact with his bonded dragon, one half of their wealth must be dedicated to their dragon. A dragon totemist collects treasure as any other character would, but at each opportunity to divide this up, one half of their portion must be gifted to their dragon. The dragon totemist may spend this amount on items for the dragon to wear and use or the amount may remain in the form of coin, gems, or other valuables.
For instance, a dragon totemist may earn 4,000gp during a particular adventure. They are permitted to spend 2,000gp on themselves however they wish. The remaining amount could be simply carried in a bag in the form of precious pearls. The dragon totemist could instead purchase a ring of protection +1 for his bonded dragon.
In any case, this wealth belongs to the bonded dragon and is kept by the dragon when it departs. In the case of a dragon totemist being entrusted with a new (and older) bonded dragon, this dragon comes without any material wealth. The dragon certainly has a hoard established elsewhere but it is the dragon totemist’s duty to help the dragon grow its wealth. A dragon totemist may not spend his dragon’s wealth for any other purpose but the direct benefit of the dragon. In the event of needing to purchase materials and service to raise a dead dragon, the dragon totemist must fund this through his own means, not the dragon’s hoard. Further, any treasure gained while the dragon remains dead must still be split.
A dragon will never lend its wealth or equipment though it may be willing to barter and trade equipment and items of appropriate value. Thus the example dragon above may release its ring of protection +1 along with 6,000gp of its material wealth in return for a ring of protection +2.
A dragon totemist responsible for a dragon egg will often spend a portion of its wealth on increasingly safe containers for it. Boxes crafted from precious metals, bespeckled with jewels and lined with fine silks are sometimes found amongst elder dragon hoards, tangible evidence this dragon was once bonded to a human while it was most vulnerable.
Dragonblooded (Ex):
Spoiler:
At 2nd level the influence of the bonded dragon’s egg has started to alter the dragon totemist’s very nature. For purposes of qualifying for feats and other abilities the dragon totemist is treated as having the dragonblooded subtype. A dragon totemist may also now take Draconic feats.
Draconic Resistance (Ex):
Spoiler:
Starting at 4rd level, a dragon totemist gains resistance 5 to his dragon’s energy type. The bonus granted by this feature increases by 5 at every four additional levels to a maximum of 20 at 16th level. This bonus stacks with that granted by the dragon totemist’s aura (if any).
Skin of the Reptile:
Spoiler:
At 6th level a dragon totemist gains proficiency with heavy armor crafted from dragonhide as long as this armor is made from the hide of a dragon of a different type than his bonded dragon.
Greater Aura:
Spoiler:
At 8th level a dragon totemist gains access to more powerful auras. They may learn and project these auras in the same manner as their other auras.
Community: This aura allows allied creatures to communicate telepathically amongst themselves. The bonded dragon may not use this ability to communicate with anyone other than the dragon totemist.
Defense: This aura grants a dodge bonus to AC equal to one half of the dragon totemist’s aura bonus, rounded down (min. 1).
Energy: This aura grants its bonus to all melee or ranged weapon damage rolls. This bonus damage is of the energy type appropriate to the dragon totemist’s dragon. This damage may be in addition to the untyped damage bonus from the might aura if that aura is also being projected (melee weapons only).
Flexibility: This aura grants its bonus to Dexterity saving throws.
Intuition: This aura grants allied creatures a blindsense ability that is limited to the area encompassed by the aura.
Resolve: This aura grants its bonus to all Will saves. Double this bonus for saving throws against draconic frightful presence.
Stamina: This aura grants its bonus to all Fortitude saves.
Extended Aura:
Spoiler:
At 9th level, the dragon aura a dragon totemist projects now extends to 45ft. At 18th level this increases again to a total of 60ft. This increase in range also allows their bonded dragon more room to move.
Least Dragonform(Sp):
Spoiler:
At 11th level a dragon totemist may use form of the dragon I once per day as the spell. Their caster level is considered to be equal to their number of dragon totemist levels.
Dragonform (Sp):
Spoiler:
At 13th level a dragon totemist may use form of the dragon II once per day as the spell. Their caster level is considered to be equal to their number of dragon totemist levels. The dragon totemist is still able to use their less powerful dragonform.
Greater skin of the reptile:
Spoiler:
At 14th level a dragon totemist may treat armor crafted from dragonhide as one size category for purposes of movement penalties. They may also treat the armor check penalty of such armor as one lower and the maximum dexterity bonus as one higher than normal.
Greater Dragonform (Sp):
Spoiler:
At 15th level a dragon totemist may use form of the dragon III once per day as the spell. Their caster level is considered to be equal to their number of dragon totemist levels. The dragon totemist is still able to use their less powerful dragonforms.
Twin Aura:
Spoiler:
At 16th level a dragon totemist may project two simultaneous auras. Only one of these auras can be of the greater aura type. The dragon totemist may only change one type at once as a swift action. Changing the second projected aura type in the same round as the first requires spending a standard action as well as the swift action. Both or either aura type may be dismissed as a free action but adding an aura type consumes actions in the same manner as changing does. A dragon totemist is not required to project two types of aura at once.
For example, if a dragon totemist falls unconscious both of their aura types cease. Once restored to consciousness, the dragon totemist must consume two actions (one swift and one standard) to resume projecting two aura types.
Draconic Immunity (Ex):
Spoiler:
Starting at 19th level, a dragon totemist gains immunity to the energy type of their bonded dragon. In addition they are immune to the frightful presence of other dragons, sleep, and paralysis.
Union (Sp):
Spoiler:
At 20th level a dragon totemist may use any of their dragonform spell-like-abilities at will. The duration of these abilities last as long as the dragon totemist maintains an aura but caster level is still equal to their number of dragon totemist levels.
FEATS
REACHING AURA [Draconic]
Your dragon aura has additional range
Prerequisite: Dragon aura, dragon totemist 5th
Benefit: Your aura projects an additional 5 feat. This extension stacks with the extended aura feature. You may select this feat more than once.
DRAGON DEVOTEE [Draconic]
While acquiring other talents, you are careful to remain dedicated to your draconic partnership.
Prerequisite: Dragonbond
Benefit: You may treat your effective level as four higher for purposes of determining your bonded dragon, up to your total class levels. This benefits multiclass dragon totemists.
DRACONIC DABBLER [Draconic]
Impatience has its rewards
Prerequisite: Dragon totemist 4th
Benefit: You are entrusted with a pseudodragon cohort. This cohort in all ways acts as would a full-blooded dragon including functioning as your focus for aura projection. You must provide the pseudodragon a hoard as you would a full-blooded dragon. This early companion departs when you gain access to a full-blooded dragon. As an additional benefit, you gain access to your full-blooded dragon companions one level earlier than if you did not take this feat.
EXTRA AURA TYPE [Draconic]
You are learning from your bonded dragon faster than expected.
Prerequisite: Dragon aura
Benefit: You know one additional aura type. You may take this feat more than once.
EARLY TRANSFORMATION [Draconic]
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Prerequisite: Dragon totemist 9th
Benefit: You gain access to your dragonform abilities two levels earlier than usual.
EXTRA TRANFORMATION [Draconic]
Power is addictive.
Prerequisite: Dragonform ability.
Benefit: You may use one of your dragonform spell-like abilities one extra time per day. If you have access to more than one dragonform ability you may choose which one to apply this extra use on at the time of casting.
SPOILED ROTTEN [Draconic]
Some dragons simply refuse to leave all their flashy toys at home. You attract these high-maintenance creatures.
Prerequisite: Dragonbond
Benefit: When a new dragon bonds with you, they arrive wearing or carrying wealth equal to 1,000gp per dragon totemist level you possess. This amount usually exists in the form of magical equipment. This gear is considered part of the dragon’s hoard and does not reduce your responsibility to provide it a healthy income.
TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM [Draconic]
The depth of your devotion reaches deeper than imagined by outsiders.
Prerequisite: Dragonbond
Benefit: When your bonded dragon is required to make a saving throw, you may use your bonus in its place. Doing so may grant your dragon an improved likelihood of success but at a cost – the effect requiring a saving throw is transferred to you immediately, without a saving throw. Immunity and resistances apply as usual to effects you assume on behalf of your dragon. You must choose to activate this feat before rolling for the saving throw.
For example if you and your dragon are subjected to a fireball spell you are both required to make a saving throw to take half damage. You may use your Reflex saving throw bonus in place of your dragon’s. If this save succeeds, the dragon takes half damage from the fireball. Regardless of success or failure you take full damage from the fireball (in addition to result from your own save).
Well, I failed to sell it. My group has been enjoying the insurgency angle of CoT so far and has come up with some interesting angles that have kept me adapting but tonight things went South.
The problem in a nutshell is that the party's view is that they should be active, not re-active. Volunteering for a play wherein unknown people threaten them in unknown ways in front of an unknown audience is a poor plan. Worse, they might get into a play that they might survive and that might get them invited to the mayor's house and that they might then be able to search the place and might find some clues and keys that might get them into Delvehaven which might help them solve the mystery of the Shadowbeats. Too many "mights".
The party is lukewarm at best about alternate entry to the mayor's home, while some discussion did happen. It looks like CoT#26 is going to be skipped entirely.
Thing is, in the one-off I ran while waiting for this module to arrive, the party bagged themselves a Shadowgarm. Now they think they have an angle on the Shadowbeats and are comfortable that they can at least entertain going up against them head-to-head. The current plan is to start following Shadowbeasts to try and figure out where they're coming from. While I can start unleashing more and more potent shadow creatures, revealing that Shadowgarms are but the least of Westcrown's problems, I've got absolutely zero idea how to tie any of this back into the adventure path's canonical plot.
Maybe it's time to punch out of the AP and go completely solo, but it feels really early. Any suggestions how to curl the edges back in to get somewhere that future plot will intersect with would be appreciated.
