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I'm currently running my first game using pathfinder, and my first Dungeons and Dragons campaign that lasted more than a few sessions in over six or seven years. I think this is perhaps the third time I've killed a player character that I remember, two of those where while running a vampire mini-larp, so in many ways this a momentous occasion and I was surprised it took this long.
Name of PC: Somar
Class/Level: Lawful Neutral Fetchling Evoker 6
Adventure: The Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Pride and a critical hit from Xanesha
Story:
Our party ranges between five and seven players depending on the week, and had been stomping their way through the chapters with some fairly excellent decisions (and me being too kind on hit points and accidentally giving too many attribute points), as well as some solid teamwork.
The party consists of:
Valmi, a Half-Drow Varisian Rogue (CN) who grew up on the streets of magnimar and has perhaps the saddest back-story in the party with aims of becoming a Pathfinder, she obviously ended up as Aldrens target and has been freaking out, especially when she saw him *alive* when sneaking around the manor.
Mardra, A Tiefling Ninja (LE) from Riddleport, who learned from an early age that killing was a good way to get money and caught the attention of a local gang boss who enjoys animating his dead enemies as zombie trophies, taught by the gangs enforcer "Shrike". She adventures primarily as a side from her day job of being an Assassin, as well as to keep her former gang of orphans fed and homed. The player mucked up their accent early on, and instead of speaking like a pirate came off as Irish, they kept on with this.
Aborgail, A Tiefling Cleric (CG) of Caden Caliean, also from Riddleport, who was sent away by her Chelaxian family so as not to embarrass them politically. She began as a clerk, but too up her husbands clerical mantle when he was murdered by street thugs. She takes it as her duty to redeem some of the more evil members of the party and keep the others sane.
Calandrel, An Elven Bloodrager (CG) from Kyonin with Celestial Bloodline, who grew up in the lap of luxury and decided to run away from home to adventure rather than be forced to marry a woman he didn't love.
Andronius, an Aasimar Summoner (NE) who grew up in Korvosa and was banished from his strict, suffocating and heavily Lawful/Good family for diverging from them morally. Andronius like the Rogue and Ninja fell in with the Sczarni, having made a bond with a Daemon he calls Hector (which looks like the horned demon in Heroes of Might and Magic V) who he summoned to give him motivation to never fail or die, otherwise it'll eat his soul. Hector is played as being surprisingly astute and loveable, kind of like a deeper voiced stitch or detritus, with the disturbing tendency to eat corpses and spend its idle time picking its nose. Andronius originally intended to form a criminal and drug dealing empire but after encounter Nualia decided to dedicate his fortunes to making an academy for planetouched children to give them more grounding and direction in life. Andronius is strangely loveable as an individual, serving as the face with impeccable dress since and is currently dating a Scarnetti.
Then we have Fane, an Ustlavic Human Fighter (LN), who spent his early life serving in a mercenary company after being banished from the local Earls guard for giving the mans son a well deserved kicking as a teen. Fane is the solid, sensible rock at the centre of the party who actually attempts to make people stick to tactics, infinitely frustrated by the bickering of his fellows as well as adding a sense of much normalcy. Fane has a particular hatred for anything that does strength or Constitution damage, lets just say the shadows in Thistletop left an impression.
And then there is Somar. The grounds loveable idiot savant Alchemist who retrained into a Wizard, Somar has only recently arrived from the plane of shadows and because of accidentally visiting the Nine Hells is terrified that he is doomed to go there despite all evidence to the contrary. Somar has little understanding for other peoples cultures, gets words mixed up, misunderstands simple statements, likes explosions more than is healthy for a man (he once carried five or six grenades on a bandoleer into the bank/Cathedral of Abadar and was surprised when they asked him to leave), has an addiction to drugs that will calm his nerves, despite being somewhere in the region of twenty speaks and acts like an old man. Somar is seeking immortality. It is theorised that Somar might be a little autistic and we love him for it.
In todays session after being stuck full of bolts at the Sevens Sawmill (the players bumped into the cultists coming out of the building, ruining both factions plans), capturing Ironbriar and handing four surviving cultists with him over to the authorities and earning support from the Order of the Nail to assist them in luring away and dealing with the Scarecrow the party proceeded into Xaneshas lair with limited threat buffed up to the gills. Xanesha ambushed them by cutting them off from the stairs, attacking Somar from behind with her first round. Luckily Mardra was hanging back and therefore cut off Xaneshas escape further down the stairs. After taking some impressive damage, Somar decided to close in beyond Xaneshas spear range and hit her with a vampiric touch, earning some wisdom drain (from his already painfully low wisdom of 8) in the process. He was then rapidly supported by the party, however, due to space limitations only so many of them could fight Xanesha at once.
Somar decided then facing the very real possibility of becoming a vegetable and sitting on 9 hp and 15 temporary hp, to tumble out of her reach and prepare to throw a spell, risking the wroth of her spear. With an impressive dexterity score and good acrobatics, he almost succeeded. But today luck was not on his side. Xanesha struck true with her attack of opportunity, and, proceeded to earn a critical threat dealing an impressive 49 damage to the frail fetchling. Impaling him straight through his already strained heart, the odd gangly man was no more.
This is when things got personal for the party. I have to say the character reactions where absolutely beautiful, Fane ever practical soldiered on with the aid of vengeful fury, Caladrel pressed the advantage unaware that Somar was dead and allowed Madra to strike the killing blow at which point Fane promptly hacked Xanesha to pieces (thats becoming a thing with him since The House). At this point Aborgail attempted to administer first aid to the fallen wizard, only to sadly announce that it was too late, this news was too much for the already strained Valmi, who broke and ran, blaming herself for his death believing that because she turned down the Nightscales offer of recruitment many years ago that Norgorber must have taken it personally, and seen to exacting vengeance through his servants.
Mardras comment "Well, dibs on his stuff" which earned a prompt backhand from the saddened elf. After assisting the hellknights with finishing off the flesh-golem, Fane gently wrapped Somar in his cloak and carried the broken wizard to the church of Abadar. This lead to some rather excellent roleplaying shifting between Somar in the afterlife believing himself in an illusion, then panicking as he journeyed to the boneyard, switching between the characters discussing matters with the attending priest and using speak with dead.
Valmi, in some excellent roleplaying, when she returned two days later after some drinking and sleepless nights, refused to believe Somar was alive, thinking it some kind of trick or another shapeshifter.
Somar is now paranoid that his body has been changed or replaced. He swears he didn't have that mole before.
All in all, an excellent session.