Mine arrived yesterday with torn plastic wrapper, severely damaged cover and likely damage to the first handful of pages of the magazine. Any chance of getting a replacement?
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ABOLETHS - ever since reading the Lords of Madness sourcebook, I've been wanting to see the domineering puppetmaster aboleth necromancer throwing his skum and assorted undead minions at the PCS. I've always thought that incorporeal undead could be especially terrifying when encountered in the water. Funny how the ashadow's strength drain makes swimming so much more difficult.
SPOILERS!!!! Celeste's background is provided in the hardcover. She is the ghaele eladrin emissary of a powerful wizard with concerns over recent events in Cauldron. While the PCs are off rescuing Zenith, she goes poking around amongst the Cauldron nobility, gets a little too close to "the real ruler of Cauldron," and finds herself magically imprisoned in an object d' art that is later discovered by the party in Oblivion. The Age of Worms AP assumes that she was freed by intrepid adventurers during the SCAP as she has a role with PCs in the second adventure path as well . . .
If there's still something you can't locate - I'll still scan it, or link it for you, just let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to get cracking on things that haven't been done yet. I still haven't been able to locate scans of the new portraits of Shensen Tesseril, Artus Shemwick, or Skaven Umbermead . . .
One of the penultimate undead encounters within the Kopru Ruins changed from undead spiders (perhaps it was 6 large monstrous spider zombies) to ogre zombies instead. How many ogre zombies are present in the HC encounter?
Come to think of it, I've got illos of Adimarchus and a soul cage as well . . .
I've got a couple of pics of Vittris, but I haven't posted them to any sites as of yet. If you got an email account that can handle about 350 kb of attachments, I can send them to you.
Let me know which specifically if you want to be sure you get what you're looking for (page numbers from the HC maybe?), otherwise I'll do my best to fill out the missing sections, although I still can't upload to that site....grrrr.... Looking for the new NPC portraits (Stormblades, Ebon Triad, Artus Shemwick, & Shensen) as well as the cool new illustration with the PCs caught between the zombies (or spawns of Kyuss) and the T-Rex skeleton. pp 96-99, 107, 110, 116, 118, 120, & 122.
Yes, for some reason the content doesn't seem to be present for all the new Flood Season (Chapter 3) artwork that appeared in the hardcover. If you can remedy, I'd be most appreciative . . .
The ability is omitted in the Prestige Class description. The spell in question is located with the Underdark sourcebook and is a 2nd-level cleric spell (also belongs to a couple of domain lists and to the blackguard's spell list). Given the flavor text in the prestige class description, I'd assume that the Inquisitor of the Drowning Goddess receives either a single daily use or a number of daily uses (equal to Wis or Cha modifier) of this spell as a spell-like ability.
Yes (unfair), what you mention is true of all the special monk weapons (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham). They allow use in flurry but are markedly inferior of damage-dealing potential as the monk progresses in levels. What they (some) do offer is the ability to deal damage of type other than bludgeoning, the opportunity for permanent enhancement bonuses (useful with the retarded attack progression that limits monks at higher class levels), the opportunity for special weapon properties (above and beyond the default set allocated on the basis of the monk's ki strike progression), etc. If you're looking to beef unarmed damage, perhaps you'll want to drop the steel fin angle and make a feat substitution to get improved natural attack with his 3rd level character feat.
Perhaps you're missing the caveat in the vampire's fast healing description that states that if in gaseous form because taken to 0 hp, he is immune to further damage (unless a stake is driven through his heart, immersed in running water, etc.). Obviously, as a flight technique to avoid reaching torpor, the ability leaves a little to be desired, but with a wall of minions between himself (when he achieves his coffin) and the pursuing PCs, he only needs a little over an hour to be his fully menacing self once more . . .
The noble in question is none other than Lord Vhalantru himself. Note the presence of his "augmented personal bodyguard force" at the manor (upstairs) in Lords of Oblivion.
With respect to Greater Bane and Greater Bless (both are 3rd level spells), the one-liner and actual spell descriptions are incongruous. Should the bonuses/penalties be +/-1 for every 3 levels or every 4 levels?
Other than using spells for personal-effecting buffs up front, the only thing you really need to be mindful of if worried about presenting a challenge is trying to arrange as many full attack or multiple-individual-in-breath-weapon rounds as you can manage. His Quicken Breath feat allows you to use his breath weapon as a free action and the Power Attack feat (in conjunction with his ludicrous combat bonuses) mean that he can certainly afford to sacrifice at least 5-10 points from the attack for the damage boost with his full attack routine. Lastly, the Snatch feat tree would seem to allow him to swoop over the PCs and grab up to two of them a round without taking AoOs. Given that his grapple checks (even if taking the -20 penalty for not "joining" the grapple) will likely keep most PCs confined long enough for him to achieve a great altitude, this provides numerous tactical advantages as well as long as you play up the dragon's intellect and target appropriate characters with these techniques. Recommended spell buffs would include: <i/>fire shield</i>, </i>protection from energy</i> (anything but cold or fire), <i/>cat's grace</i>, and <i/>shield</i>. If he needs to withdraw for a little while (i.e. he's taken to roughly 100 hit points or so), have him use <i/>greater invisibility</i> whilst retreating away to cast numerous <i/>cure moderate wounds</i> spells upon himself and restore any buffs that have either expired or been dispelled.
I finally found what I was looking for . . . the <i/>Lesser Staff of Silverymoon<i/> is stat blocked in <i/>Lost Empires of Faerun<i/>.
I'm in the process of dusting off some 2E characters that played in The Rod of Seven Parts. I'm trying to locate a 3.0 or (preferrably) 3.5 stat block for the Staff of Silverymoon. The item was gifted to one of my PCs by Alustriel during the course of the aforementioned adventure . . . Pretty sure I've seen this, but can't find it now . . .
Here's the list of minis I'm planning on using for the foreseeable future in DMing the SCAP. Note that there are obviously still some holes here (and I've already tossed the list aside for what was used during Life's Bazaar) and I went ahead and pregenerated wilderness encounter occurrences to facilitate coordination of this list:
Well, you get the picture. I've done the list for all of the adventures, but obviously some are harder to populate than others. If there's demand, I'll post later portions of the list on this thread at a future date . . .
Have any of you considered having the party turn over the items (in trade, if necessary) to one or more prominent NPCs who would be immune to the Vanishing's effects (e.g. Alek Tercival, immune to all diseases by the time he reaches 3rd level as a paladin)? Come to think of it, what better means of personally securing your equipment as a PC paladin than utilizing items that carry great personal risk to those who would attempt to usurp their ownership? (SPOILERS) What of the utility though? Items that might be located that are already infected include:
Anything else (other than the burned out ioun stone)? It would seem that the 2nd and 3rd items from the above list would be the only ones of potential benefit to a paladin. However, I would caution any of you thinking of allowing their PCs to reap financial/utility award from the affected items . . . it seems that the adventure's haul (monetary, uninfected items, & mundane gear) was written to exclude the possibility of the PCs gaining reward for disposition of the cursed booty (might create an exceedngly wealthy band of 3rd-4th level adventurers).
It's essentially like Murlynd's Spoon but produces a much greater amount of gruel on a daily basis. The specific details are found on p337 of the SCHC.
Just out of curiosity, any reason in particular the hag covey wasn't under the effects of MIND BLANK? With the duration of this spell-like ability being 24 hours, it seems like something they would endeavor to maintain permanently (and thus be essentially immune to all spells from the DIVINATION and ENCHANTMENT schools).
Don't have my SCHC handy... what is it that the gnolls call Nabthatoron? The ones that worship him like a god. Nabthataron was originally a minion of Yeenoghu, but as far as I know, the local gnolls never had a name for him. He resides in Vaprak's Voice (named for a god of the ogres who once settled there).
It seems that genies don't suffer any XP-consequence for granting wishes that the normal spellcasting version would entail. Is this correct? The bulleted wish possibility for creating a magic item is only bounded by the XP-limitation of the spell (specifically, when creating a magic item via a wish, the caster pays the 5000 XP + 2x the standard item creation XP cost). With this limitation gone, it would seem that a granted wish can provide any magic item of less than artifact level (as such items don't have creation details RE: GP & XP cost). Is this an accurate interpretation? If such is the case, then a granted wish could be used to obtain a magic item that grants a +5 inherent bonus to a particular ability score, and there would never be a reason to simply wish for the direct, inherent bonus increase to an ability score.
The Monster Manual gives the Lycanthrope (Werebear) a +3 Level Adjustment and applies the template to a 1st-level character (thus, ECL 4). The Special Cohort section in the DMG lists a werebear as a 10th level cohort. Is the level adjustment incorrect, is the DMG in error, or does this have something to do with whether or not the werebear is natural versus afflicted? Though the DR and curse of lycanthropy abilities function differently (if at all) for the two categories of lycanthropes, I can't see it making 6 character levels worth of difference.
Just about to start Drakthar's Way: Human Cleric 4 (Pelor) (eagerly anticipating undead)
a small note, though. The plane of Cysts is on Ocipitus, in the Abyss. Skullrot is on Orthrys, in Carcerri. I see you mixed the two up in your description Velior Thazo
1) In Asylum (pg 311 of the hardcover), the smoking eye advanced marilith's hit points are listed as 216. In Appendix 1, her hit point total is given as 310. I'm next to certain that the latter is correct nad am essentially just providing a heads-up . . . 2) In Thirteen Cages (pg 284 og the hardcover), Shebelth's tactics include a casting of protection from evil (ostensibly during his bonus time after casting time stop). His Ring of Thirteen obviates the need for redundant applicaiton of the effect and an alternate spell should be substituted here . . . 3) Speaking of the Ring of Thirteen, does the constant endure elements spell(s) cover all 5 types of energy or any one at a time? 4) In Secrets of the Soul Pillars, how does Tulrak (one of Iverson's hired assassins) cast divine favor before the fight begins? Tulrak has no ranks in Use Magic Device, has no cleric levels, and cannot have divine favor loaned to him via imbue with spell ability . . .
Plain of Cysts - is this for another of Skie's goodies?
Nine seesions to do Life's Bazaar (1 in Cauldron, 5 in Jzadirune, and 3 in the Malachite Fortress).
Have only run the first installment of the Adventure Path, but Life's Bazaar managed a tally of 4 character deaths: 2 to the grell in the factory (Gee, let's bash through the barricade and wander into the enormous chamber with vaulted ceilings and then split up like Scooby and the gang . . .) - bard then fighter 1 to a tilt-a-pit trap a couple of sessions later (two fell in but the one that hadn't been critted by the monstrous spider managed to make the requisite climb and tumble checks whilst his companions scurried to save him) - rogue 1 to Kazmojen (this PC had killed Prickles in two measly rounds and earned the slaver's full attention; the character's last action was a successful sundering of the urgrosh . . . had the player only known that the same roll applied as a standard attack would have felled the menace before he managed to hit with both spiked gauntlets, the bite, and the rend) - barbarian Though the original five players are still active in the group, only two of the original characters made it through LB - 4th-level human cleric of Pelor and 4th-level human warlock.
It's that bad huh? :) Not necessarily . . . would Zarik Dhor still be a half-black or would his minotaur parent have encountered Gottrod before the dragon snuck a peek? Any plans for the PCs actually visiting Hookface's lair (likely between FoF and SoS) . . . need some way to connect the dots . . . otherwise, you likely have Dhorlot changing into a red dragon in Bhal Hamatughn (sp?) with no proper avenue for escape and the sudden risk of alienating / angering / betraying the kuo-toa who have entered into a breeding agreement with the dragon in the first place. If the party is allowed the leisure of researching by way of visiting Hookface's lair, what plans would you have RE: this Draconomicon? I don't suppose you'd like a PC with a ludicrous Use Magic Device check to be able to access the tome's powers . . .
Well, if there's a druid present, I'm always fond of POISON. This is especially viable for a maneuvering martial character (tumble past meat shields and use Spring Attack to drop a POISON effect on an arcane caster) HE HE HE!
Sorry, but you'll have to make Zarik Dhor smarter (needs Int of 13) and replace 2 feats (Combat Expertise & Improved Trip - perhaps in lieu of Iron Will and Improved Bull Rush) in order to follow through with Bran's suggestion. Since he already has Combat Reflexes, he already has the capability of making 4 AoOs per round (provided 4 different opportunities present themselves). Regardless, if he fails to trip an opponent with the spiked chain, he runs the risk of having to drop the weapon should be beaten on 2 consecutive contested rolls (or go prone himself). Have you considered making him a disarming machine instead?With his ability to attack foes at 5 ft, 10 ft, and 15 ft away, he likely can make disarm attempts without risk of being disarmed himself. Against a Medium foe, Zarik would be making a disarm roll at +38 melee (accounting for 2-handed weapon, 1 size category greater, and spiked chain intrinsic bonus), and against a Small foe he's at +42 melee. You could always throw a locked gauntlet on one of his hands to virtually guarantee that Zarik is never disarmed instead. Note that picking a weapon up off of the ground provokes AoO's as well . . .
I think I would tend to agree with Canadian Bakka RE: extradimensional spaces and teleportation magic. The distinction between "extraplanar" (as a creature subtype and as it relates to spell effects) vs. "extraplanar" (as a glossary term meaning outside the bounds of the known planes, see Manual of the Planes) is fuzzy at best. Perhaps a lot of these meta-rules will be addressed in the upcoming DMG II . . . So, do Summoning spells automatically fail within MORD'S MAGNIFICENT MANSION (even if there's no FORBIDDANCE to contend with) due to limitations of the spell's operation based upon planar cosmology?
Reference the FORBIDDANCE spell: "Forbiddance seals an area against all planar travel into or within it. This includes all teleportation spells (such as dimension door and teleport), plane shifting, astral travel, ethereal travel, and all summoning spells. Such effects simply fail automatically." Would it be possible to utilize the effects of ROPE TRICK or MAGNIFICENT MANSION within the confines of a FORBIDDANCE effect? While we're discussing this, why is the former a Transmutation spell (just because it affects a change on the material component for the spell's duration -- the crux of the spell seems to be the creation of an extradimensional hidey-hole)? It seems the both ought to be Conjuration (Creation) effects. Can the caster of a ROPE TRICK or MAGNIFICENT MANSION spell use PLANE SHIFT to exit the extradimensional space? How about to return to the same extradimensional space? If these spells can be enacted within a FORBIDDANCE, then does this provide a means of circumventing the Teleportation hindrance of said effect? And for the Forgotten Realms fans out there: Would the use of PLANE SHIFT from within a ROPE TRICK or MAGNIFICENT MANSION effect (anchored in the Underdark) obviate the Teleportation disruption side-effect of Faerzress?
As are so many of you, I'm in the process of running through Life's Bazaar. This is my first attempt at running the Adventure Path (as my biweekly gaming time had previously been occupied by play in a 43-session Forgotten Realms campaign that culminated in the completion of the City of the Spider Queen mega-adventure). Party composition is (currently) as follows: Kristoph Waukeen, male human Warlock 2
This is undoubtedly the lightest peppering of demihumans in any game I can remember. Reggie, have you gamed with the group you're taking through the AP very much in the past? If so, do they typically eschew demihumans in favor of human PCs?
First off, the lich is immune to the Strength damage caused by the ray of enfeeblement. With that said, it’s certainly less of a sure thing that the tentacles will win every opposed grapple check (though they’ll still win a majority of them). I don’t have the lich’s stat block at hand, but some things (other than making 2 grapple checks a round to escape) do come to mind:
All of the above advice assumes that the lich has neither a Still Spell feat (with appropriately prepared spells) nor a metamagic rod of still spell in hand. Failing all of the preceding, your big baddy might well be hosed. Keep in mind, the lich's damage reduction (15 / bludgeoning and magic) will render him nigh immune to all forms of ranged weapon damage (excepting sling bullets, thrown clubs, & improvised weaponry).
Thanks for the legwork . . . I'll use option #2 with the intended change of replacing the 7th level listings of "Mordenkainen's private sanctum" with "Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion".
Did it jump out to anyone else in your first perusal of the tenth installment of the Adventure Path that the Shadar Kai (sp?) Cagewright (can't remember his name) is supposedly hiding within a M's Magnificent Mansion? Said NPC (as I recall . . . don't have the mag handy as I write this post) was a Rog5/Ill9 - certainly unable to CAST 7th level arcane spells. I also saw no items to explain this effect, but I did note the Magnificent Mansion was listed in either his spells prepared or spellbook contents as a 5th level spell (and M's Private Sanctum was correctly listed as a 5th level spell instead in the other location). This would be trivial except that the entire encounter setup has this Cagewright (and his slaadi goons) hidden/protected from the PCs in this manner when they reach that area of the Shatterhorn. Other than pretty much converting all of the Rogue levels to arcane caster levels, anybody got an easy fix on this? |