Gavin Findlay's page

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber. 6 posts (192 including aliases). 7 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 1 alias.




Right first of all I'm not sure if this is the right place for this thread but it seems like as good a place as any for a creative question about pathfinder based question.

Right I was wondering if anyone else who'd tried writing an outline would mind telling me what they focused on. I've just finished writing my outline but was wondering whether people focused on a blow by blow run down of all the individual encounters at the different tiers or if they focused more on the story and rough outlines of each encounter.

I personally have a fair bit on the story but also a list of what is encountered at each tier for each encounter. Reading it back it comes off as very dry and quite uninteresting to read even though it is a pretty specific outline.

Anyway I just wondered what other people had done with their outline in terms of style and focus and whether or not I've done it wrong. Also if anyone official wouldn't mind chiming in that would be great as well.


Right, just finished converting Hollows Last Hope. It's a pretty rough conversion at the moment. I'm not an experienced 4E DM (hell at the moment there aren't many who are) and this will be the first 4E adventure I run with my group. The main problem with this conversion is that 4E was kind of thrust upon me and I have not had time to read all three core books cover to cover yet. If you see any glaring errors (and there probably will be many) please tell me as I need all the feedback I can get.

Also I had to change the setting a bit as I intend to link the adventure in to Burnt Offerings and the whole adventure path. I've altered soe of the monsters stats to make them more challenging and I can't figure out the proper way to work out hp. Anyway here you go hope it at least usable. Oh and finally you need the actual module for any of this to make sense but it is a free download: [url=http://paizo.com/store/paizoExclusives/v5748btpy82qz[/url].
If anyone is interested I will post how well the module works when I start running the module later this evening.

D0- Hollow's Last Hope.

The town is called Churlblack and is a small logging town that is located between the Churlwood forest and the Lampblack River. The nearest town is Ravenmoor but it is more closely linked with the town of Roderic’s Cove to the north. The village is effectively owned by a lumber group called the Roderic Logging Company which is run by a group of merchants from Roderic’s Cove.

The set up is the same as DO the Blackscour taint is ravaging the town and only the local herbalist is available for help. Help from Roderic’s Cove seems unlikely considering the lack of interest the Logging company shows in the welfare of its workers. The town promises frontier prosperity and opportunity but really offers nothing more than slave labour conditions and minimal pay. The heroes meet in this gloomy town.

Encounter A:
Skill challenge
Setup:
Milon Rhoddam sees no reason to waste his time helping some wet behind the ears, self important, adventurer type who probably won’t last a week in the forest, look for some prize loot.
Level: 1
Complexity: 1 (require 4 successes before 2 failures)
Primary Skills:
Bluff (DC 14)- It would help to convince him that the PC’s mission is much more important than it actually is and that the disease is a much bigger threat than it actual is. Rhoddam knows that there has been an outbreak recently but is not certain of either its size or strength.
Diplomacy (DC 16)- Rhoddam is a hard man to impress with just words. Still if the PC’s can convince him that they are sincere in the quest for a cure or can convince him that they are the villages only, or that he will be in trouble for not helping them or any number of other truth then he may relent.
Insight (DC 13)- Rhoddam is not a hard man to read. Anyman who understand his dedication to his profession can help sway him to their cause.
Intimidate (DC 15)- Rhoddam knows he is a strong woodsman but not a strong warrior and is aware that he would not stand much chance against a full armed and armoured band of adventurers.
Strength (DC 14)- Part of Rhoddam’s reluctance is his belief that the PC’s are not strong enough to survive the forest. If they can prove their strength by chopping down a full grow tree in under two minutes then he begins to believe that the group might actually be worth helping.

Encounter B:

Use either one or two hobgoblin archers (page 139) set at least ten squares away from each other and away from the trapped fire foot fennec.

Encounter C:
Run as the encounter is written using the following statistics:

Tatzlwyrm Level 4 Brute
Medium Natural Beast (reptile) XP 175
Initiative: +4 Senses: perception +1, darkvision
Hp: 80 Bloodied: 40
AC: 16 Fortitude: 15 Reflex: 14 Will: 12
Speed: 6
(Melee) Bite (standard, at will)
+6 vs. AC, 1D8+3 damage
(Melee) Poisonous Gasp (Standard, recharge on 4, 5, 6)
+5 vs. Fortitude, ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends)

Alignment: Unaligned Languages: Draconic
Str: 18 (+6) Dex: 15 (+4) Wis: 11 (+2)
Con: 16 (+5) Int: 5 (-1) Cha: 10 (+2)

For the treasure change the masterwork shortbow to a regular shortbow.

Encounter D:
Run as the encounter is written considering expanding the interior of the hut perhaps making it larger on the inside than on the outside. Maybe consider fighting outside the hut. Use the following statistics:

Ulizmila’s Cauldron Level 3 Skirmisher
Large Natural Animate XP 150
Initiative: +1 Senses: Perception +0
Hp: 65 Bloodied: 32
AC: 14 Fortitude: 15 Reflex: 11 Will: 12
Speed: 6
(Melee) Slam (standard, at will)
+4 vs. AC, 1D6+2 damage, plus target is grabbed.
(Melee) Cauldron swallow (standard, once per encounter, reliable)
Ulizmila Cauldron may attempt to swallow a medium or smaller creature that is grabbed: +4 vs. fortitude. On a hit the target is swallowed and restrained (no save) and takes 5 ongoing damage at the start of the cauldron turn from bouncy around within the cauldron. The swallowed creature can make only melee basic attacks and only with one handed or natural weapons. If the cauldron dies the creature trapped within can emerge as a move action ending the action in a square formerly occupied by the cauldron.

Alignment: Unaligned Languages:-
Str: 14 (+3) Dex: 10 (+1) Wis: 8 (+0)
Con: 16 (+4) Int: 3 (-3) Cha: 3 (-3)

The Dwarven Monastery

The monastery was set up when there were more Dwarven mines in the Fogscar Mountains. It was seen as a spiritual retreat for the overworked dwarves of the Fogscar Mountains many of who missed the temples and spiritual aspects of Janderhoff. The monastery had many full time monks as well as the visitors and much of it was housed underground. The monastery fell into disuse as the mining dried up. There were no more visitors no influx of new monks, its isolation ultimately proved to be it downfall. When it was final destroyed by one of the monsters that give the Churlwood its reputation its destruction went almost completely unnoticed.

Room 1

Use three regular grey wolves (MM page 264) against the party consider having them retreat into room nine via the collapsed wall.

Room 2
Same as written, use potion of healing (PHB page 255) instead of potion of cure light wounds.

Room 3.
For this room use different stats for the spiders. Also increase the number use three Kruthik Hatchlings and two Kruthik Young. Maybe have the treasure as an ornate dwarven shortsword (90gp).

Room 4.
To find the tracks have the characters beat a DC 20 perception check.

Room 5.
Keep as written maybe round the hammer’s worth 25gp rather than 21gp.

Room 6.
Keep as written. Ironblood Mushroom 1.

Room 7 & 8.
Combine these two rooms into a trap and combat encounter. There is an addition door leading from room 8 into the corridor allowing them to flank the party.

Falling Rock Level 1 Warder
Trap XP 100

A net above falls dropping dozens of large, heavy rocks onto the heads of those below.
Trap: Rocks from above are dropped onto the whole of room 7.
Perception:
· DC 12 the character notices the odd uneven nature of the roof.
· DC 14 the character notices the netting holding up the roof.
· DC 18 the character notices the rope attached to the northern door to the corridor.
Trigger:
Whenever someone enters the room through the north door the trap activates next turn on initiative 0 (giving the goblin who know about it time to escape if it is set off).
Attack:
Delayed Reaction Blast: 2
Target: Creatures in blast
Attack: +4 vs. reflex.
Hit: 1D10 damage.
Miss: Target slides to nearest non-affected, non-occupied square.
Effect: All the terrain effected by the trap is now classed as difficult terrain.
Countermeasures:
· The first character through the door can make a DC 15 dexterity check to grab the rope before it releases the net.
· Anyone who in room 7 who hasn’t triggered the trap can secure the trap with a DC 5 thievery check.

Room 8 (which is now combined with room 7 so there is no longer a door or walls) Contains 1 goblin skull cleaver and 1 goblin warrior (MM page 137) (his bodyguard) as soon as combat breaks out here he is joined by the 6 goblin cutters (MM page 136) in room 9 who attempt to flank the party. The room contains the treasure of a local goblin tribe who have been trying to gain favour with Greypelt. The treasure in here consists of two thousand copper pieces in a shoddily built goblin chest, a life size goblin carved statue of the wolf (1 gp) and a +1 orb of inevitable continuance (PHB page 239) that the goblins cannot figure out what to do with.

Room 9.
This room contains six goblin cutters (MM page 136). As soon as combat breaks out in either room 9 or 8 the occupants from the other room join the fray making both rooms effectively one big encounter. The treasure is the same as is written but there is no longer any fungus.

Room 10:
This room is the same as written but has three Darkmantles instead of two

Darkmantle Level 2 Lurker Small Natural Beast XP 125

Initiative: +3 Senses: Blindsight 10, Darkvision, Perception +5
HP: 30 Bloodied: 15
AC: 17 Fortitude: 13 Reflex: 13 Will: 11
Speed: 4, fly 6 (clumsy)
(Melee) Slam, (Standard, at will)
+5 vs. AC, 1D4+3 damage
(Burst) Cloud of Darkness (minor, once per encounter)
Close burst 1; This power creates a cloud of darkness that remains in place until the end of the darkmantles next turn. The cloud blocks line of sight for all creature except darkmantles. Any creature entirely within the cloud (except darkmantles) is blinded until it exits.

Alignment: Unaligned Languages:-
Str: 16 (+4) Dex: 14 (+3) Wis: 10 (+1)
Con: 14 (+3) Int: 3 (-3) Cha: 10 (+1)

Room 11.
Remains as is written except because there is no Gurtlekep he cannot be found in the hall at night.

Room 12.
Remains as written. Use the stats for rat swarm (MM page 219) with an additional fly speed of six. Use two of these swarms (maybe three depending on the state of the party). Also add in two Ironblood mushrooms to make sure party knows that the first set was not just a fluke.

Room 13.
Remains as written except that rather than the crossbow bolts use a +1 Hand axe (PHB page 216 & 235)

Room 14.
Remain as written except use two Decrepit Skeletons and two Skeletons (MM page 234). The decrepit skeletons both lack shortbows and have hand axes instead of longswords and so they do 3 points of damage instead of 4. The skeletons also have hand axes instead of Longswords so do 1D6+2 damage rather than 1D8+2.

The Ring of Torag functions as an Amulet of Protection +1 (PHB page 249) that grants fire resistance 5 and is a level three treasure.

Room 15 & 16.
Have these rooms function as one big final encounter room. Have the wolves from room 15 become 4 Grey wolf minions. For Greypelt use the statistics for a Dire Wolf instead of a Worg. Drop his AC and to hit value by two each to make him more manageable but still deadly. Also possibly make him medium rather than large to give him more manoeuvrability.

For the treasure have 300gp and an Ironskin Belt Belt (heroic tier) (PHB page 253)


Hi guys great. First of all great job on the website. It’s really easy to navigate and the forums are great. Anyway I did have one suggestion. The blog is one of the coolest parts of the site, the preview material on there is excellent. I do feel however that it may be a bit wasted. There is already a huge amount of cool stuff on older modules like J1 and older pathfinders but it sits in the back of the archives where few can easily access it. I know it would probably be a lot of effort but I think you should put all the preview material or at least a link to it on the product page in the actual store. It would really encourage new buyer if they could see some of the awesome stuff that has already been previewed.

I only mention this because when I directed a friend to have a look at all the cool stuff paizo was doing and how great it was he managed to miss the blog and just ended up browsing the store page and as a result didn’t see what all the fuss was about.

It just seems to me that this would be a great way to give new customers a better idea of what paizo is about and with the big transition/non-transition period coming up I really want to see as many new customers attracted as possible. Anyway hope this is helpful or at least useful suggestion. Cheers for the great website.


Hi, not a particularly large problem but I have just posted a review and when I went to post it I tried to post it my the alias I'm using now, Cheddar Bearer. When I tried to post it however it said that the name was in use by another user (ironically enough me) is there any way to get around this or is this just something that just is?


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Hi there. This is probably jumping the gun a bit but I am wondering about my order. I received the email saying that it would be sent in the next week last monday but I haven't had the email saying that the stuff has been sent. I only bring this up because most other people seem to have already got their pathfinder emails and I normally get the email confirmation and pdf quite early on. Having said that this is the first time it has been a combined shipping with gamemastery modules.
I suspect I am probably jumping the gun a bit but do you know if anything has gone wrong or when it is likely to be sent? Thanks for any help you can give.