Scuba Diver

Khelreddin's page

RPG Superstar 7 Season Star Voter, 9 Season Star Voter. * Pathfinder Society GM. 684 posts (21,201 including aliases). No reviews. 2 lists. No wishlists. 25 Organized Play characters. 26 aliases.


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Feros wrote:
It won't change during the playtest.

Agreed, I was mostly voicing that thought because it would be cool to have Int to Perception as an option now, since it seems so vital, in order to evaluate more subtle aspects that might come up.

On a related note, and because it doesn't seem to merit its own thread:

Take the Case says "Whenever you attempt a check to investigate your subject, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus on the check" and that "checks to investigate are typically Perception checks or skill checks that use Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma."

Study Suspect says "Attempt a Perception check against the Will DC of one creature you can see. If the creature is the subject of your open case, you can use this ability as a free action."

Any chance the circumstance bonus from Take the Case is applicable to your Study Suspect roll? It doesn't seem so, since Study Suspect already gets a benefit if your target is the subject of your open case, but perhaps it was meant to overcome the lower value that Int offers with the current rules? I don't mean to argue for cheese, just wondering what others think.


Yeah, I'm just starting to build an investigator, and keep looking for the rule that they use Int for Perception and not finding it. I'm ending up spreading my stat bumps around more than I'd expected, because I need higher Wis for my class abilities and Int only really gives me another skill or two.

I won't be surprised if this changes, but I doubt it will change in the very short timeframe of the playtest.


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Can't wait to play it! Go Kate!


Headbutt wrote:
Are other player’s campaigns typically considered private?

If you're asking if it's bad form to eavesdrop or follow along in someone else's game, I'd say the answer is a strong no - it's fine. I've had folks follow along in years-long games and pipe up every now and then in the discussion thread when they especially enjoy a particular part of the tale. And I often read other game threads to get a sense of posting rate, writing style, or something else about a particular player if I'm recruiting selectively. And sometimes I read other PFS game threads for a game I'm running, to see how another DM has handled a particular aspect of the scenario.

In short - I'd say read all the games you feel like reading! (That said, don't post in the gameplay thread unless you are part of the game.)


Bumble "Fidget" Rumbleberry wrote:
DM Khel wrote:
Bumble "Fidget" Rumbleberry wrote:

Is GM Poblano Pepper okay?

We haven't heard anything from him in a couple weeks, which seems uncharacteristic (unless it's not? I don't actually know).

I believe he is - I just pinged him on FB to let him know someone is asking.
Let me know if you hear anything back.

I heard back from him right away, and he said he'd check in. So I know he's okay, but don't know if he's been able to get back to his games. I do know he's got a small baby, so his time may not be his own.


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Deadmanwalking wrote:
Divine Lance bodes well for cantrip damage in general. 9d4+Casting Stat is respectable high level damage for something free, and I doubt Arcane cantrips are too much worse.

Agreed. I just wrapped up a PaizoCon PF2 session with Mark Seifter where I was casting telekinetic projectile and doing 4d6+casting stat at will. Was pretty cool to have it to fall back on.

1/5

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Chris Marsh wrote:
My pleasure.... but that's not my last name ;-)

Yeah, I heard they chucked out the Chris Marsh rubric once they saw the one Chris Johnson put together. But thanks for the point of comparison!


A few of us have made a reservation at an escape room in Seattle for Friday afternoon, when there are fewer options for organized play, and we’re looking for folks to join us! We did a different escape room at the same place last year and it was very good - immersive, very high production values so it felt real, and clever puzzles to solve.

We’re planning to go to Seattle Escape Games , and have signed up for the Friday, 4:15 PM slot of The Bank Job. That leaves some time for lunch after morning games, and time to get back for the 7 PM evening slot. It’s about 20 minutes to the place, and we’ll take an Uber or taxi to get there.

Of the three of us, one is an escape room veteran and a good teacher of how to approach them, and the others have done a few escape rooms but still have much to learn. If you’re interested, or have questions about this plan or escape rooms in general, or have built an escape room in the maintenance tunnels at the Doubletree that you’d like to invite us to come check out, post here or shoot me a PM.


I don't know why you wouldn't be able to sell it, it's something you paid for that has value (distinct from selling boons and such in PFS, which you are supposed to earn or win). I have a friend who didn't manage to get one, if you're looking for someone to buy it. Post here or shoot me a PM.


Very glad to hear this is being looked at! The lottery by tier approach has introduced a few complications - the one that I’m most concerned about at this point is that my son and I are flying in to play Pathfinder with friends from other parts of the country and we were unable to get seats in the same tier, sure would be nice to play with my peeps!


Thanks for prompting a reply - or at least a suggestion that we’d get a reply, LeSigh. I first suggested more 10-11 tables a week ago. Since then, a lot of people seemed to have signed up for tables at other tiers, I wonder if they are folks who didn’t enter the lottery, or who signed up wherever there was a space. I’ll be curious to see if they come up with a fix and how it’s implemented.


Darrell Lunari wrote:
Are the pre-gens the standard pathfinder pre-gens or specific/special. In case I need 1 as main and/or aids I would like to know the character some.

They will almost certainly be the standard pregens. They only do special pregens when it's something unusual, like the scenarios where the characters are all Aspis agents and everyone is playing a pregen.


Yeah, I wondered about both of those points, the desire to have all players at the table get a chance to weigh in on characters they'd like, as well as the PF2 spoiler question - but I'm eager to get thinking about it all, and to see the new rules, so I thought I'd ask!

It's always interesting to me that people go to the trouble of buying tickets, signing up for the lottery and ranking all those events, and then don't get involved in the conversations about the events they won - but I've definitely found it to be the case, as borne out by the fact that you never managed to contact the whole group in the past. I guess I get excited enough about the unique events the lottery provides that I want more info and discussion - and I appreciate that you and the others in the thread are providing it!

Heck, in that spirit, I'll share a bit about me for the rest of the folks who will be at the table. My name is Chris, I live in Berkeley, California (across the bay from San Francisco), and this will be my sixth PaizoCon, I think. I've been coming every year with my son since he was 12 - we started as a gift to him, since he had embarked on playing Pathfinder, and now it's a gift to both of us.


Mark Seifter wrote:
You in this one with your son? Or anyone else in here playing with a buddy? Playing really morally-disparate outsiders with a buddy might be funny now that I think of it.

Nope, Simon won't be in this game. He and I have done our own separate lottery selections the last couple of years, so he's got some other stuff going on in this time slot. But I won't be surprised if he drops by at the end to see what he can learn about PF2. He also found the scenario concept very entertaining, so he'll want to catch a bit of that.

As for the buddying up, I expect there will be some of that amongst the characters in this game, based on their roles in the multiverse - but it will be fun to see if there are unexpected connections (and maybe you've built this in to their backstories), like the aeon appreciating the demon's destructive tendencies in a setting that is overcrowded or overly ordered, as a means of restoring balance.

As we sort out the roles we'll be playing, is there a chance to see the pregens beforehand?


Hey all - happy to have made it into this game!

Mark - I got to play in one of your PF2 games at PaizoCon last year, getting a first taste of the initial draft of the rules. Now I'm excited to be trying out the rules in final form, seeing what's changed and what hasn't, as well as just enjoying your, um, somewhat goofy style of GM'ing.

I've got some fun ideas for roleplaying an aeon, so I'd probably put that at the top of my list. Not as eager to go the angel route, but I'd take anything else off the list also. Looking forward to playing with you all!


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But dammit, TOZ, I'm a father complaining about something completely different! That complaint is so last year.

That said, I'm sure you're right, they have difficult choices to make. I just struggle with the outcome of some of the choices they've made this year.


I still don't understand why they couldn't set aside tables for walk-in players, rather than so many slots at multiple tables. This is the approach taken at many cons I have been to. I've just tried to sign up for games, with my son and a friend, and found almost everything to be full already. The fact that many of the scenarios are being run at only a single table in a given slot and are limited to four players made it almost impossible to find games where three of us could all play together.

Out of eight slots I was looking to fill, I was unable to find sufficient seats for four of them. That is an indicator of a flawed system, methinks.


Khelreddin wrote:
And it's true, I can assign a value to all the tiers - it just complicates a few things, like trying to play at a table with my son (who wants to play a particular character, and thus a particular tier)...

So, just as I feared, my son and I, and a friend flying in to play with us, are all at different tiers for the special, and only one of us in the tier we had hoped to play. I know I can attempt to trade, and will try to do so, but I do wonder if Paizo can rearrange the table distribution given what the demand seems to be. It looks like there are empty seats at higher and lower tiers, that could be assigned to the more popular tiers - which definitely looks like 10-11. As I write this, there 42 empty seats at the 5-6 tier, and 47 at the 12+ tiers. I expect that a handful of those are being saved for walk-ins (which is a whole 'nother issue, and a separate thread), but that is still a lot of empty seats.

I still don't get why the lottery for the special was done by tier, and am pretty frustrated with the way it has played out.


Please reserve two for me and my son - names are Chris Reiner and Simon Grundy-Reiner. Such a fun PaizoCon tradition, thanks for keeping it happening!


Majuba wrote:
Hey Khel - the special has been lottery for about three years now.

Wow, I have no recollection of that at all, but that doesn't mean it isn't so. As you say, the lottery selection was not broken into tiers before.

And it's true, I can assign a value to all the tiers - it just complicates a few things, like trying to play at a table with my son (who wants to play a particular character, and thus a particular tier), and trying to organize a table of players in advance, as I've done in previous years, without knowing what tier any of us will get in the lottery. I usually reach out to folks to organize a table and we decide on a tier to play at, as I do at many cons, particularly for the special.

Ah, well. I'll figure something out. I wonder if they'll release a list of who won at what tier, so there's some chance of organizing before we all arrive at PaizoCon. And I wonder when the announcement of more info will happen, since we're only a few days from the lottery run at this point.


On April 26, Linda Zayas-Palmer wrote:
We'll be announcing this more through other channels very soon.

When and where is this announcement expected to happen? The roll-out of the special being a lottery event has not been very clear, and I'm not sure what to expect. In the past, I could be sure of playing the special - I would just sign up and pick the tier I wanted to play at, and table assignments would be based on how many characters of each tier were signed up. With the number of seats for each tier pre-assigned to lottery slots, I'm not sure how this is going to work.

Given that it's a lottery event, it seems possible I won't get to play in the special, which is a big change from other years, and other cons. And it seems I now face the choice of playing the character (and associated Aid characters) I most want to play for the last special of PF1, or trying to game the system and pick a tier where I have the greatest chance of winning the lottery. It may well be that there are enough slots assigned (upwards of 200 counting the >level 11 tables) and this isn't an issue - but it sure would be nice to have this system explained a bit so folks can sign up appropriately.

And if it already got posted and explained somewhere, forgive me - and point me to the post, please!


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I'm Hiding In Your Closet wrote:
As of circa this December or early next year, I will be (at least for a year or two) Hiding In Your Down Underwear-Drawer! - Perth area, sounds like.

Sounds like great fun, IHYC! I spent a couple of weeks in Perth in October for work and really enjoyed it. Fun city, found lots of good food and friends, really nice people. I didn't get to explore up the coast to the north, but it looked pretty glorious.

I didn't have time to play any Pathfinder while I was there, but I did find a great sci-fi/fantasy bookstore near the central train station - White Dwarf Books - that had a whole bunch of Pathfinder books displayed front and center.

1/5

Harold Ervin wrote:
My players want to know which season we're playing tonight, and "Season Six" answers that question. "Year of the whatever" does not answer the question they're asking.

I read the post to mean that they'll use 'Year' for both, so for the first iteration of PFS under PF2, it'll be 'Year 1' (instead of Season 1) and 'Year of the Scheming Stirge'. (Though they may pick a different theme for that year, we'll see.)

Also, I could be wrong.


Header hider is very slick! Looks like it's a native part of the site, thanks for reclaiming that screen real estate for us!


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And PCT (Paizo Campaign Tools extension) is a bit borked with the most recent changes to the site (e.g., auto alias select isn't working). Oladon is working on a new feature and plans to fix the issues with PCT and the new site when that feature rolls out.


I'm still getting the strange bold font also. Definitely uncomfortable to read.


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I don't see it in Chrome, but I use Firefox more and this font issue looks awful. Like blahpers, I see it in anything bolded, like the Subforum titles on the main forums page, or bolded text in my PbP games.


Pirate Rob wrote:
Im away at a con this weekend so it might take until Monday to pick. Feel free to decide earlier if needs be.

I had forgotten we had a con not too far away this weekend, don't quite have time to make it to that. I'll look through the list and narrow it down based on reviews and whimsy and shoot you a message.


Pirate Rob wrote:

Still trying to decide what you want to GM for GD VII?

Want to help a Pirate on his quest to not leave any PF1 Scenarios behind?

Rob - I am in fact still trying to decide what to run for GD VII. I'd run any of these for you:

7-01 Between the Lines (1-5)
7-24 Dead Man's Debt (1-5)
7-27 Beyond Azlant Ridge (3-7)
8-03 Captives of Toil (5-9)
8-05 Ungrounded but Unbroken (1-5)
8-22 Wrath of the Fleshwarped Queen (1-5)
9-14 Down the Verdant Path (1-5)

Your choice! Or if you'd rather not be faced with such choice, you sit back and I'll pick one.


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I use the ExtractPDF site that RePete linked to, as I find that I often end up with map markings I don't want if I just copy it using Adobe. Extract the image also has the advantage of letting me create a file on my computer with everything in it - maps (without creatures, secrets doors and stuff marked), illustrations, etc. That way I can also upload and link to the images of NPCs and such, so that the party gets the visual aid.

1/5

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GM Lamplighter wrote:
Wow, that's a HUGE amount of content coming this month! Thanks, everyone, for all the hard work. I won't be at GenCon, but I'm looking forward to running the new stuff at our Convocation event in late August!

Now that's a modest post, given that you're the author of #10-03, Death on the Ice! Congrats! I'm signed up to play it at our local end of summer con, can't wait!


The World's Most Interesting GM wrote:
I for one like engaging maps...

Those are engaging maps, some cool ideas there! I do a lot of linking to images I find online, but haven't thought to plug them into the map the way you do, even color-coding the borders of images to show where they are on the map.

One thing I like about Slides is that I can prep the whole map set, handouts, etc. for a given scenario in one sitting, when I've got time, and then I'm ready to keep the flow of things going as the players move along. I find it very easy to keep the relevant map as slide 1 (it only takes a second to move it) so the link goes where I want it. I just keep future maps on other pages covered, just as I do portions of the current map that the PC's haven't explored yet.

1/5

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Mike Kimmel wrote:
I am excited to finally be able to talk about The Hao Jin Cataclysm! Well, at the very least, I can say the phrase "Hao Jin Cataclysm" in public.

Mike - great to get to play with you in the PaizoCon special this past weekend! (I played Vahnt, the investigator with the noodly arms.) I may make it to my first GenCon this year and will be so excited to play Hao Jin Cataclysm knowing the author.

1/5

I had a great time as always! Highlights for me:

The Flaxseed Lodge luncheon, getting to attach faces and real names to the board names of some of the folks in that big group pf play-by-posters.

The PF2 playtest with Mark Seifter - cool insights into the system (though it was a social scenario, where things are not so different from 1.0) and the chance to ask lots of questions.

Winning the trivia contest! I have to admit I added very little to my team - but my son kicked butt, as did James Anderson (thistledown) and the Starfinder guru whose name I have forgotten, and the quiet couple who spoke up occasionally with vital answers. We've done the trivia contest every year for five years, and we were in second to last place after the first round of questions - it was awesome to come back and win it with a tiebreaker question!

As always, lots of fun PFS games (I really enjoyed House of Harmonious Wisdom), great people and not quite enough sleep.


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But it's so nice to have the button!


Khelreddin wrote:
There are now eight lottery events on the schedule! I'm guessing more are coming, or it's going to be a pretty limited list of winners. I'm not thinking the lottery selection will begin in 30 minutes as planned, though.

I don't know exactly when the lottery selection opened but - shows what I know, eh?


I'm not 100% sure, but I usually get in Friday night and I believe I've always been able to check in and pick up my swag bag when I get there.


There are now eight lottery events on the schedule! I'm guessing more are coming, or it's going to be a pretty limited list of winners. I'm not thinking the lottery selection will begin in 30 minutes as planned, though.


I wouldn't miss 'em! Can I reserve two, as in the past, for me and my son?

Badge names are Chris Reiner and Simon Grundy-Reiner.


Yay! Looking forward to it!

Funny to hear the description of the "popular Delve tables" - I remember 3 or 4 years ago, when the Delve was making its first or second appearance, it was stuck off in a side hallway and so un-visited that my son (who was 13 or so at the time) ended up DM'ing a bunch of the sessions. Now it's front and center, and a prime place to try out Paizo's hottest new stuff!


GM Socrates wrote:
Thanks! I'm hoping someone has a set of Google Slides to share, but if not this is a much better starting point for me than what I would have had before.

Yeah, I put that folder together before the big shift to Google Slides, glad Dennis could set you up.


GM Socrates wrote:
Getting ready to run The Confirmation for some friends in a few weeks. Can anyone point me to a good set of Slides I could duplicate? Preferably one including maps, tokens, the cave drawings, etc.?

My Confirmation folder is here. It's got maps, tokens, some images of characters in the scenario and a document with images for the cave drawings (the latter I borrowed from somewhere). It should be all you need, though looking at the maps I notice I didn't extract them from the PDF, just copied them, so they still have the markings for the DM and such.


This is such a great idea, Hmm!

Paizo Alias: Khelreddin / DM Khel
Real Name, if desired: Chris Reiner
Any Dietary Restrictions? None
Where do you Play-by-Post? Flaxseed!

1/5

I love slow track and would miss it very much if it went away. I tend to use GM credits to get to level 2 (sometimes 3) and then I play slow track for the rest of that character's career. I really enjoy having a long time over which to get to know and enjoy a character I've made and I'd hate to lose that.

1/5

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Kate Baker wrote:
There is one in my area, actively played.

This is my son's fleshwarped goblin alchemist, who I'd like to think he plays very responsibly - and entertainingly. He won the boon in a charity auction as a fundraiser to support someone's cancer treatment, and he wants to respect its origins.

While I agree that adding goblin PC's into the final season makes sense from a story perspective, to help smooth the transition to PF 2.0, I strongly agree with the idea of keeping 1.0 a goblin-free zone. So far, I think the story of how goblins have changed and are now suitable as player characters is a pretty flimsy one, and it won't get any stronger if they have less time to craft it.


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Here is the Boon Trading Thread for PFS.


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I just have to give mad props to Eleanor Jenner, the GM who ran this for us at DundraCon this past weekend. There's a part of the scenario where you read a bunch of information off a data terminal, and it reveals some key plot points. Rather than just reading us the info, or giving us handouts, Eleanor programmed a mock terminal. At the relevant moment in the scenario, she handed over her laptop and a tablet, and we were able to navigate through the menus to read the log entries and gradually come to an understanding of what happened - and she made it look like a screen from Fallout, which just added to the coolness.

It was easily the best interactive visual aids, as well as one of the coolest moments, I've had in five years of PFS.

1/5

Glad to hear this, Hmm! Thanks!

1/5

I thought that might be the case, since I knew that was how the older ones were written, but wasn't sure, since when those older scenarios are on the schedule at cons or FLGS's, they usually seat six players.

1/5

Sorry if this has already been answered, but I didn't see it.

In looking at the games spreadsheet and the new column to indicate whether there are empty seats at a table, I noticed that scenarios from seasons 0 to 3 are limited to five players. Can someone explain why that is?

I know we're not short on spots or anything, so I'm not worried about it, just curious to understand it.

About Shackled City Players Guide

Shackled City Adventure path Cauldron Campaign Guide
A guide to the region, information about the city,
and rules for the campaign.

Although this is the pathfinder version I have not udated every single reference to non-pathfinder dieties and other information such as 3.5 monsters or things that are not open game content, I can ignore the inconsistencies if you can.

Conversion of dieties…..(in case you were thinking of it)
St. Cuthbert -> Iomedae
Kord -> Kurgess
Wee Jas -> Nethys
Pelor -> Sarenrae
Olidammara -> Cayden Cailen
Moradin -> Torag
Yondalla -> Chaldira Zuzaristan
Garl Glittergold -> Nivi Rhombodazzle
Fharlanghn -> Ketephys
Hextor -> Achaekek
Blibdoolpoolp -> Dagon
Vecna -> Kabriri
Nerull -> Norgorber
Erythnul -> Kostchtchie

As far as public knowledge goes there is no temple or shrine to Pharasma within the city of Cauldron.

Knowledge local and/or religion DC 20

Spoiler:
You believe/suspect there is a shrine near the lakes edge dedicated to Pharasma, whose domains are Death, Healing, Knowledge, Repose, Water makes the shores of crater lake an ideal location for such a shrine......

If you have both you can roll twice!

Character Creation

Spoiler:

Shackled City is an adventure paths.
You must be “willing” to follow the campaign premise and plot.
You are playing an “adventurer”. You must be willing, even eager, to go into situations no sane, average citizen would get into.
Character Creation and Maintenance

The following books / guides are available for use
Pathfinder RPG Core Ruleset.
Pathfinder RPG Advanced Players Guide. Classes, archetypes, spells and traits approved, ask about everything else.

Pathfinder RPG 20 point buy (1 Ability score GE 8, all others GE 10, *after* racial adjustments).
Two Character Traits - One Campaign and one Basic.
Maximum hit points every level.
Maximum gold for class at 1st level
Each 1st level character also has one of the following items at no cost:
Wand of Cure Light Wounds (20 charges)
Wand of Magic Missle (20 charges)
Masterwork weapon
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
Masterwork Thieves Tools

Sample Character Sheet (preferred)

Spoiler:

Name
Gender Class Level
ALignment Size humanoid (specify)
Init +4; Senses Normal/darkvision/etc, Perception +1
-------
DEFENSE
-------
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 Wooden armor)
hp 9
Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2
-------
OFFENSE
-------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee longspear +0 (1d6/1d8/x3)
Brace & reach

Ranged masterwork heavy crossbow +3
1d8 1d10 19–20/x2
120 ft. 8 lbs. P

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 with longspear)

----------
STATISTICS
----------
Str 10, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +0; CMB +; CMD
Feats: Extra Hex, Extra Hex
Simple Weapon Proficiency
Skills: Appraise +4, Bluff -1, Climb +0, Diplomacy -1, Disguise -1, Escape artist +2, Heal +0, Intimidate -1, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (history) 8, Knowledge (nature) 8,Knowledge (planes) 8,Perception +2*, Ride +2, Spellcraft 8, Sense motive 2*, Stealth +2, Survival +0, Swim +0,

Languages Common, Orc

Possessions: mwk Heavy Crossbow (freebie), Bolts (common) 20 /40*, Longspear, wooden armor, Spell component pouch, Backpack, Rope silk 50'*
winter blanket*, manacles w/simple lock
rations, trail (6days)*, weapon cords (2), Caltrops (2)*
Holy Symbol (wooden, 2, Gozreh), Flint & steel
Iron Pot (cauldron)*, sack (empty)*, bedroll*, fish hook (10)*,
whetstone, whistle, Grappling hook (1)*, Scroll case (2)*,
Saddle, riding; waterskin(3)*, pick,miner's*, shovel*, shortspear*
*Items in saddlebags

1 gold pieces
10 silver
100 copper

-----------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES
-----------------
Hexes:Witches learn a number of magic tricks, called hexes, that grant them powers or weaken foes, using a hex is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The save to resist a hex is equal to 10 + 1/2 the witch’s level + the witch’s Intelligence modifier.

1.Evil Eye (Su): The witch can cause doubt to creep into the mind of a foe within 30 feet that she can see. The target takes a –2 penalty on one of the following (witch’s choice): AC, ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks. This hex lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the witch’s Intelligence modifier. A Will save reduces this to just 1 round. This is a mind-affecting effect. At 8th level the penalty increases to –4.

2. Healing (Su): A witch can soothe the wounds of those she touches. This acts as a cure light wounds spell, using the witch’s caster level. Once a creature has benefited from the healing hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours. At 5th level, this hex acts like cure moderate wounds.

3. Cackle (Su): A witch can cackle madly as a move action. Any creature that is within 30 feet that is under the effects of an agony hex, charm hex, evil eye hex, fortune hex, or misfortune hex caused by the witch has the duration of that hex extended by 1 round.

Biography
......was raised by his mother and a coven of hags in the large and dangerous swampland region known as Hooktongue Slough. Being raised near creatures of a magical nature (magical knack trait)affected ..... influencing him to become a witch himself. ..... mother took on a mission for the good of the coven out of the swamp and into Restov, Barnabus still a youth in tow.

.... returned home and learning more and more witchcraft soon became very talented, yet still he was not allowed to join the coven nor any other coven in the Hooktongue Slough, mostly due to his maleness.

.....eventually left home and served for a brief time with a couple of small bands of former millitary men who appreciated healing limited though it was. During this time .....had the time to aquire a horse and learn some about that (pioneer trait). ......heard of the charter and wanting to find a place of his own accepted the charter.

Spells currently prepared...
Orisons-
Daze
Light
Mending

1st level
-Command
-sleep (15% fail chance)

Shackled City Campaign Traits
You are free to chose other traits from other sources

Spoiler:

These are background traits chosen at first level for the Shackled City campaign to add depth and help incorporate the character into the story.
1. Child of Jzadirune
2. Demonscarred
3. Dream Haunted
4. Long Shadowed
5. Mark of the Beast
6. Nobility
7. Scarred Soul
8. Scion of Surabar
9. Touched in the Head
10. Wyrm Blooded
Background Traits:
Child of Jzadirune
One of your ancestors lived in Jzadirune at the time the Vanishing struck. You are especially resistant to diseases, but find the prospect of becoming sick yourself horrifying.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all saving throws made to resist the effects of disease.
Drawback: You suffer a -2 morale penalty on saving throws against fear while in the ruins of Jzadirune, or when fighting creatures that are diseased or can inflict disease with a spell, supernatural ability, or extraordinary ability.

Demonscarred
One of your ancestors was a half-fiend. As a result, you carry some of that taint with you.
Benefit: Regardless of your actual alignment, spells, and spell-like abilities with the evil descriptor treat you as if your alignment were evil. Magic items are similarly fooled. An unholy blight spell, for example, won’t damage you, no matter what your actual alignment is.
Drawback: Regardless of your actual alignment, spells and spell-like abilities with the good descriptor treat you as if your alignment were evil. Magic items are similarly fooled. A holy word spell, for example, will harm you even if you are good aligned.

Dream Haunted
Your dreams are haunted by strange visions of tortured landscapes and deformed monsters. In some of these dreams, you are the deformed monster!
Benefit: You are used to fatigue, and suffer no penalties when you become fatigued. When you become exhausted, you are instead treated as if you are fatigued.
Drawback: You suffer a -2 penalty on saving throws against effects that cause madness or insanity, and on saving throws against sleep effects. If you are normally immune to sleep effects, you lose that immunity.

Long Shadowed
You are descended from a tribe of indigenous peoples who died out as a separate tribe many centuries ago. Still, this tribe’s penchant for necromantic magic runs in your blood.
Benefit: You automatically stabilize if reduced to negative hit points. When you take damage from negative energy, you reduce the actual damage you take by 5 points.
Drawback: Healing magic works poorly on you. Whenever you regain hit points from magical healing, you gain 1 less point of healing per character level you possess, to a minimum of one point per die rolled.

Mark of the Beast
One of your ancestors was a lycanthrope. Select a predatory animal of your choice; that animal feels a mystic bond with you.
Benefit: Animals have a strange reticence when they attack you, and suffer a -2 penalty on all attack rolls made against you. If you have the wild empathy ability, you gain a +1 bonus on wild empathy checks.
Drawback: You suffer a -4 penalty to saving throws made to resist lycanthropy, and take +1 point of damage from attacks made by silver weapons.

Nobility
You were born into a noble family.
Benefit: You start play with an additional 200 gp, and gain a +1 bonus on all Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made against citizens of Cauldron or the nearby villages. Certain NPCs in this campaign may react more favorably to your presence.
Drawback: You are well-known and recognizable, and suffer a -4 penalty on Disguise rolls made against citizens of Cauldron or the nearby villages. Certain NPCs in this campaign may react more poorly to your presence.

Scarred Soul
You’ve led a particularly tough life. Perhaps you’re an orphan, or maybe you suffered some sort of traumatic experience as a child. Whatever the cause, your childhood experiences have left you jumpy and haunted.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks.
Drawback: Your experiences have left your mind less able to deal with trauma, and as a result you suffer a -1 penalty on all Will saves.
Scion of Surabar
You are a descendant of the man who discovered Cauldron, helped settle the region, and aided in the defeat of an ancient demonic army.
Benefit: Pride for your lineage girds your mind and soul. You gain a+2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear, death effects, and insanity or confusion.

Drawback: Demons that encounter you in this region (not those that you might fight on other planes) can instinctively sense you lineage and connection to their old enemy, and gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls when fighting you.

Touched in the Head
You’re a little crazy.
Benefit: Your mind is disorganized and chaotic. You gain a +1 bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects, save for those effects that cause confusion or insanity.
Drawback: Your inability to concentrate for long makes you suffer a -1 penalty on all Wisdom-based skill checks.
Wyrm Blooded
One of your ancestors was a half-black dragon. You have some sort of distinctively draconic feature, be it reptilian eyes, scales on the backs of your hands, or tiny vestigial horns on your head.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on all saving throws against acid effects, a +2 bonus on Swim checks, and a +1 bonus on Listen and Spot checks.
Drawback: Your body isn’t quite as limber as it should be. You take a -1 penalty on Reflex saves

The City of Cauldron

Spoiler:

Population: 4,500 adults (large town).
Mixed (79% human, 9% halfling, 5%
gnome, 3% dwarf, 2% elf, 1% half-elf,
1% half-orc).

Economy: (3,000 gp limit) Coffee, exotic
woods, cut gemstones, obsidian,
dyes, spices.

Authority Figures: Lord Mayor Severen Navalant, male
human; Terseon Skellerang, male human (captain of the
Town Guard).

Town Emblem: A watchful eye wreathed in blue flames.
Description: Believed to have been founded by Surabar
Spellmason, Cauldron is the most populous area in the
Cauldron Region. Nearby villages include Redgorge, Kingfisher
Hollow, and Hollowsky. The Cauldron region is in a
subtropical jungle

The town’s buildings, tightly packed and built from volcanic
rock and wood, line the inner bowl of a nameless,
dormant volcano. The elevation keeps Cauldron’s temperatures
below that of the surrounding jungle, giving
Cauldron a roughly temperate climate. Cobblestone roads
form concentric circles around a small lake of cold water,
which fills the volcano’s basin. Although the town’s sewage
seeps into the lake, local clerics routinely purify the
water for the citizens in exchange for charitable donations
to their temples.

A 50-foot-tall fortified wall of black malachite encircles
the city, tracing the outer rim of the volcano, becoming
major thoroughfares that lead to other towns and distant
realms. The districts nearer the rim of the city tend to be
occupied by upper class families and elite merchants. The
closer one gets to the centre of town (and the closer to the
pungent odours of the central lake), the shoddier the construction
and the more dangerous the dark alleys. Houses
directly on the lake are often built with stilts to protect
against flooding during the rainy season in winter.
Smaller avenues connect the four main roadways (from
outer to inner, the avenues are named Obsidian, Magma,
Lava, and Ash), which form concentric terraces down to
the lake in the centre of the town.

Cauldron is ruled by a Lord Mayor, elected to his position
every two years. The post is currently held by
Severen Navalant, whose term expires in roughly 20
months. Other important individuals in the city include
Terseon Skellerang, captain of the guard, the members of
the noble families, and Cauldron’s few wealthy merchant
interests.

Cauldron's major exports come from two sources: mines
and plantations. Both industries are based in the hills surrounding
the city, and are managed by the various noble
families who live in the area. Obsidian and diamonds are
the primary products mined in the region. Plantations usually
produce sugarcane and coffee. Most of those who
dwell in the city itself are either merchants, scholars, or
workers in the mines and plantations in the lowlands. Water
is never scarce in town, but most of the city's food must
be imported from Sasserine since the local fishing and
farming enterprises are meager at best.

Citizens have historically paid a modest yearly flat tax
of 1 gp, while merchants and nobles pay a 5% income tax
each year. In addition, a 1sp gate tax is charged for noncitizens
who enter the city by any of its four gates.
All inhabitants of Cauldron that own a building, or are
part of a family that owns a building, are considered citizens
regardless of economic status. Most Cauldronites
have a simple malachite ring made or given to them when
they reach the age of majority. The ring always bears the
town emblem. Nobles often purchase very elaborate rings,
or have extravagant brooches made to show their citizenship.

Currency in Cauldron
Cauldron uses the currency minted in the capital city of
Sasserine—rings (pp), suns (gp), moons (sp) and stars
(cp).

Trade bars in 100, 500 and 1000 gp denominations are
also used.


Specific locations in Cauldron
Spoiler:

Temples
1. Church of Sarenrae, Temple of Sarenrae(Obsidian
Ave). A two storey structure with white marble walls, infused with viens of vivid blue. Flanked by dark buildings of black stone. A pair of white marble statues of armored virtous warriers stands on each side of the temples heavy wooden doors.
High priest is Sarcem Delasharn (male human).

2. Temple of Lordly Might: Temple of Gorum(Obsidian Ave).
Currently headed by Asfelkir Hranleurt (male half-orc).

3. Cathedral of Nethys: Temple of Nethys (Obsidian
Ave). A beautiful, towering structure run by Embryl
Aloustinai (female human).

4. Shrine of Imodeae: Temple of Imodeae (Magma Ave). A small
yellow tower tended by Kristof Jurgensen (male human).

Taverns and Inns

Slippery Eel Tavern: The Slippery Eel Tavern is a favourite
tavern for miners, plantation workers, and other working-
class citizens. The food and drink are cheap, and the
town guard tends to ignore the place, making it a handy
site for illicit deals and clandestine meetings. It is located
on Magma Ave, and run by Fallo Grymkin (male human).

Tipped Tankard Tavern: This tavern is generally regarded
as the best place in the city for common folk to get
a drink. It’s a favourite place for off-duty city guards, and
as such, brawls are fairly rare. It is located on Ash Ave,
and is run by Rivek Mol (male human).

Cusp Of Sunrise: This high-society club on Obsidian Ave
is a favourite place for Cauldron’s rich and powerful to
meet and relax.

Drunken Morkoth Inn: This is perhaps the most popular
inn in the city of Cauldron. A regular stop for many merchants
and travelling adventurers, the combination of
comfortable beds, good food, and reasonable prices make
it a favourite among the city’s returning visitors. Each of
the rooms is decorated with a humongous painting of
Cauldrons legendary lake monster, a large morkoth. The
paintings depict the morkoth in any number of embarrassing
and ridiculous scenes, always with the morkoth drunk
and confused, and often in incongruous locations. It is located
on Obsidian Ave, and is run by Halpeen Welvihk
(female human).

Minuta’s Board: This low-cost inn and flophouse caters to anyone
who cannot afford to stay at Cauldron’s better inns. Prices
here are 75% normal, but the owners make no guarantees
against theft or loss. It is located on Ash Ave.

Coy Nixie: The Coy Nixie is a high-class tavern and
dancehall on Obsidian Ave owned and operated by the
Aslaxins. Although prices here tend to be nearly double
the normal asking price, the food and drink are rivalled
only by the Cusp of Sunrise. These two locations have a
healthy competition - while the Cusp is generally held to
have better food, drink, and entertainment, there are no
membership fees at the Coy Nixie.

Adventuring Shops

Spoiler:

Weer’s Elixirs: Owned and operated by Vortimax Weer, a
retired adventurer (male human), this cramped shop is the
preferred place in Cauldron for potions and alchemical
items. It is located on Ash Ave.

Gurnezarn’s Smithy: This smithy on Magma Ave is generally
regarded as the finest such establishment in the city
of Cauldron. Its owner, Phalian Gurnezarn (male human),
has long held his own against competitors, the Lathenmire
Smithies.

Zanathor’s Provisions: A general store on Obsidian Ave
run by Bjellkir Zanathor (male human)

Sure Foot Livery: The Sure Foot Livery is the best clothing
and tailoring shop in town. The business is run by a
no-nonsense halfling woman named Tippys Surefoot. It is
located on Ash Ave.

Tygot’s Old Things: Tygot Mispas (male halfling) runs
this well-stocked antiquity shop on Lava Avenue. The
shop specializes in non-magical art objects gathered from
across the known world. Tygot frequently buys old documents
and art objects from local adventurers. The shop is
a two-storied structure with a small flat on the upper floor
and a well-organized business area on the lower.

Garthun Imports: This well-kept building houses the offices
of Adrick Garthun (male human), a prominent merchant
whose import of alcohol, tobacco, exotic sweets,
and seafood has catapulted him to the height of success.
Adrick often travels to Sasserine to import special items
for customers. It is located on Obsidian Ave.

Skie’s Treasury: Numerous stores in Cauldron sell magic
items and gear, but only one of them makes its sole business
buying and selling magic items to adventurers -
Skie’s Treasury. Skie’s Treasury is owned and run by Skie
Aldersun (female gnome). The modest building is constructed
from blocks of volcanic stone. The facade of the
building bears dozens, if not hundreds, of symbols and
sigils that have been carved into the face of the stone.
One door and a pair of tiny windows face the road and
overlook the lake below. Above the door, a sign proclaims
the establishment to be Skie’s Treasury, but more impressive
are the numerous items of treasure - rings, coins,
wands, necklaces, rods, potions, scrolls, and more - that
seem to slowly orbit the sign and shine with soft golden
light. Every now and then, two of the items bump against
each other, ringing softly like a wind chime. It is located on
Lava Ave.

Alameda Moneylenders: Coins can be exchanged for
trade bars and gems at this quiet shop just north of the
South Gate on a side-street off of Obsidian Avenue. No
surcharge is levied for exchanging coins for trade bars or
gems. Owned by the Alameda family, a close-knit dwarven
clan, their primary trade is the exchanging of coin, but
they also offer banking services. Opening an account requires
a flat fee of 10 gp, with a 5 gp monthly charge required
for each month afterwards.

Westkey’s Map Emporium: Dundar Westkey (male
dwarf) runs this small shop on Obsidian Ave that sells
maps. It is a new shop, and as such generally only stocks
general maps of the area.

General Buildings

Spoiler:

Lakeside Pavilion: This open pavilion is one of the oldest
structures in Cauldron. Said to have been formed via
magic cast by Surabar Spellmason himself, the pavilion is
traditionally where the lord mayor issues announcements
and decrees. It has also become a favourite place after
dark for illicit meetings. It is located on Ash Ave.
Town Hall: Cauldrons town hall is a single-story building
and one of the oldest structures in the city. The building
serves as a place for the Lord Mayor and his advisors to
hold meetings with the nobles and important people in the
city. Records of ownership, historical documents, and
similar archives can be had here. It is located on Obsidian
Ave.

Town Guard Barracks:
These buildings house the bulk of Cauldrons town guards. The central area of this walled compound is used for training, and the low, single-
story keep is the aboveground facade for the Cauldron
Prison, a five-level underground facility that can hold hundreds of prisoners. The guard captain, Terseon Skellerang, lives in a one-story
green-roofed house in the south-western corner of the
compound. It is located on Obsidian Ave, next to the Town
Hall.

Noble Families in Cauldron

Spoiler:

Taskerhill: Lord Ankhin Taskerhill is
the inheritor of the fabulously wealthy
Taskerhill mines and estates. Ankhin
is the richest man in Cauldron, and
now that he is a widower (his wife
having recently passed away) he is
also one of the most sought after men
within its walls.

Lathenmire: Beswink and Lioral Lathenmire are the current
heads of the House Lathenmire, which has not yet
officially been given the patent of nobility, but is expected
to overcome that obstacle before the end of another decade.
Beswink started life as the third son of a poor weaponsmith.
When he caught the eye of Lioral, the only
daughter of a successful merchant, he had the chance he
needed to turn the tide of his fate. With the help of his new
bride, Beswink began to buy out the other weapon and
armor smithies in Cauldron. Coupled with the trade routes
established by Lioral’s father the two quickly became one
of the most financially influential couples in Cauldron.

Garthûn: Adrick Garthûn is the patriarch of a small dwarven
community just to the south of the village of
Redgorge. However, he spends most of his time in Cauldron
looking over his import business. Adrick is gregarious
and friendly in his business dealings, but is taciturn and
often short when questioned about his family. It is known
that he has several children, but he speaks neither about
them, nor about his wife.

Tercival: Alek Tercival, a paladin of St Cuthbert, is the
last surviving member of this land rich, monetarily destitute,
noble family.

Navalant: The current Lord Mayor is the sole inheritor of a
powerful family that claims to have been given the patent
of nobility by Surabar Spellmason himself. The family controls
large orchards north of Kingfisher Hollow, and it is
rumored that they have a standing pact with the fey in the
area, which allows them to maintain their control on the
rare wood trade out of the region. Even though Severen is
the last member of his line, he is not on speaking terms
with his parents, who disapprove of the fact that he married
into the Hollow family. However, it was this marriage
(fruitless, currently) that brought Severen’s name to the
attention of the Noble’s council, and ultimately led to his
appointment 13 years ago.

Aslaxin: The Aslaxin family is currently
the most powerful house in the
town of Kingfisher Hollow, now that
the Taskerhills have moved most of
their interests into the city.
The Aslaxin rice crops are one of
the greatest sources of food in the
region, and their dominance of the
food import trade seals the family’s
continued power in the region.
However, the true gem of the Aslaxin empire is the art
trade.

Skellerang: Lord Captain Commander
Terseon Skellerang was, as
is the tradition in Cauldron, granted
nobility for the course of his appointment.
Terseon has never had time
for a wife or family, but he is still
fairly young, and plans on having a
family later in his life.

Knowlern: Lady Ophelia Knowlern
inherited control of this house when
her father and brother died in a mine
explosion, and she has been loath to
marry, giving up her power. She
makes her home in Hollowsky,
where she can better look after her
interests in the areas mines (both
south of Hollowsky and in the immediate
vicinity of the Haunted Village).
At the behest of Jenya Urikas, she often sits in as a voice
of reason and compassion at Cauldron’s council meetings.

Rhiavadi: Lady Thifirane is the only
living member of this ancient house.
She lives alone (discounting servants)
in what is widely considered the most
ostentatious display of wealth in the
city, a multileveled, towered structure
on Obsidian Avenue. Though she controls
interest in several businesses in
the region, it is known that she has little
patience for them and allows most decisions
to be made by subordinates. She
is a very sought after bride, but the rumormongers
of Cauldron doubt if she will ever find a partner.

Hollow: The Hollow family, currently led by Sardis and
Maeth, is the greatest half-elven clan in the region, being
traditionally led by an elf patriarch and a human matriarch.
The family’s plantations are responsible for the foundation
of two of the areas villages (Kingfisher Hollow and
Hollowsky). The family claims numerous sons and daughters,
as well as noble born Elves, most of whom live in
Elvenhome or have gone to seek their fortunes in other
lands.

Spellmason: Surabar Spellmason and his line was given
the patent of nobility by the leadership of Sasserine upon
his founding of Redgorge and Cauldron. For 250 years or
more, the Spellmason family was one of the most respected
in the region, and one of the most powerful. However,
Surabar’s line came to an abrupt end when a caravan
led by brothers who were the last to bear the name
mysteriously disappeared.

Vhalantru: Lord Orbius Vhalantru was given the patent of
nobility shortly after moving to Cauldron 15 years ago.
Immediately upon arriving to the city he gave a huge
sum of money toward the restoration of several town
structures, including the Town Hall. The grounds of Vhalantru’s
manor are among the most beautiful in Cauldron.

Vanderboren: The Vanderborens, Lord Premiach and Lady
Aeberrin, are the newest of Cauldrons nobility, having received
the patent of nobility only nine years ago. The house is Cauldron’s
answer to real-estate tycoons, and they own several important
buildings and businesses in the city, including Sure Foot
Livery and the Lantern Street Orphanage.

Cauldron’s Environs

Spoiler:

Sasserine: Sasserine is the capital city of the area, and is
200 miles south of the Cauldron Region. It has a 40,000
gp spending limit. Sassarine is not on the island that Cauldron rests upon and a few days of sea travel is necessary to get there...

There are two ocean-side "dock towns", they are simply referred to as East Town and West Town. These coastal communities were built after the Dark Times, by the richer merchant families in Cauldron, looking to reestablish their fleet of trade ships. These small towns are nothing more than warehouses, docks and a fortified wall.
A few people have settled in these areas, even naming them as towns, but Cauldron refers to them as east and west town, regardless of a few locals....

Hollowsky: The village of Hollowsky is the smallest of the
four human settlements in the Cauldron Region. With a
population of 460, it barely qualifies as a village. The halfelven
community of Starforest can be found here.

Redgorge: This village was the first human settlement in
the area. Founded about 700 years ago, Redgorge was at
one time a much larger settlement, but it never fully recovered
from a demonic assault long ago. Redgorge sits in a
narrow strip of flat ground between a cliff and an immense
quarry of red pebble gravel. West of the village, a prodigious
line of fortifications known as the Basalt Bastions
protect the land, their massive walls unguarded and
draped with vines. These fortifications, as impressive as
Cauldron’s outer walls, tower over the village itself. They
were built ages ago by Surabar Spellmason’s powerful
spells in a single week, to aid in the defense of Redgorge
against the denizens of the Demonskar.
Today, Redgorge is a farming and mining village. The
old Stonemasons District, where Surabar Spellmason
once dwelt, is visibly depopulated and most its buildings
lie empty and in ruin.

Kingfisher Hollow: The town of Kingfisher Hollow, with
its population of 2,100 souls, is the second largest settlement
in the Cauldron Region. It’s also the primary location
for the region’s plantations - the town is surrounded by
fields of coffee, cotton and sugarcane.

Lucky Monkey: This is a popular roadside tavern on the
northwest road. It houses a shrine to Cayden Cailean. It sits to the east of the road, partially surrounded by the dense jungle. The building is old and well used - the chimneys stained with soot, the roof sagging, the wood siding weathered and stained with from last year's mildew. A smaller stable stands to the building's side in a similar condition. The building’s facade sports numerous carved wooden monkeys, many of whom are engaged in risky, death-defying stunts. In one, a wooden monkey balances on a narrow tree branch to get a banana hanging over a sleeping tiger; in another, a monkey sits on a boulder completely unaware that a poacher sneaking up behind him was suddenly attacked and eaten by an ankheg, finally a monkey sitting stretched back with his arms over his head recieves pleasure from a female monkey.

Race Information

Spoiler:

Elves: Elves form 2% of Cauldron’s population, but also
hail from the city of Elvenhome.
Elvenhome lies 40 miles due east of Cauldron, and is
allied with Sasserine. As such it welcomes other races inside
its borders, mostly for friendship, but sometimes for
training.
Half-drow are not uncommon in Elvenhome. If the drow
parent was known to the people of the city, their half-drow
children are accepted with open arms as any other halfelf.
Wild elves also roam the jungle around Elvenhome,
and sometimes join the barbarian clans of the region.

Gnomes: Gnomes form 5% of Cauldron’s population.
They don’t tend to live in the wilderness, but do have small
communities in the other settlements.
Gnome architects and artisans designed and built
much of Cauldron. Though only a few gnomes know it,
one of these architects, a gnome wizard named Jzadirune,
carved out a secluded enclave for himself and his kin beneath
the city. It became a sanctuary for gnome spellcasters
and mastercrafters, and became known as a place
to build or acquire wondrous magic items.
However, 75 years ago, the enclave fell prey to a mysterious
plague known as the Vanishing. The origin of the
plague is a mystery, although some scholars speculate
that the gnomes’ unorthodox methods for creating magic
items spawned the disease. Others hypothesize that an
unscrupulous competitor or a dissatisfied customer created
the disease to put the gnomes out of business. All
that is known for sure is that the Vanishing was born inside
the gnomes’ magic items and infected anyone who
handled them.
The entrance to the enclave has long since been lost.

Dwarves: Dwarves form 3% of Cauldron’s population, but
also hail from various mines and citadels along the mountain
range that Cauldron’s volcano is part of. Dwarves inside
the city generally work as traders, selling goods their
relatives have mined.
Dwarves are considered to be good, courageous and
trustworthy people. Within the last decade, a dwarf named
Zenith Splintershield marched into the Underdark with a
small army to save the vast caverns from evil.

Zenith was never heard from again, but the dwarves of
Cauldron take that as a sign that his quest was successful,
and he is moving through the Underdark, clearing out
the evil things, and creating bastions of good. They think
of him as a hero.
Of late, a new vein of obsidian has been discovered by
the Clan Arduun, who have begun mining it and sending it
to Cauldron to be sold. However, Clan Blackaxe believes
they are entitled to the vein, and are preparing to take it
back.

Half-orcs: Half-orcs make up 1% of the population of
Cauldron. The environs around Cauldron are generally
troubled by other sorts of creatures, so goblinoids don’t
quite have the bad reputation they do in other places. As
such, half-orcs are accepted as normal members of society.
South along the mountain range from Cauldron is a
half-orc settlement named Dogash-Ber. Many barbarians,
fighters and rangers come from this settlement as mercenaries.
It is rumoured that a lair of metallic dragons lies
somewhere close to Dogash-Ber, and that they have
taken to reproducing with the villagers, as there is an increasing
number of half-orcs being born with natural magical
aptitude.

Halflings: Halflings make up 9% of the population of
Cauldron, making them the largest group of non-humans
in the city. Outside of Cauldron, there are large numbers
of halflings in Kingfisher Hollow working as farmers.
The halflings that dwell in Cauldron run the gamut of
trades and professions, and are generally well respected
folk.
However, as halflings have a natural talent for sneaking
and hiding, there are a fair number who work for the various
thieves guilds in town.

Half-Elves: Half-elves make up 1% of the population of
Cauldron, making them as rare as half-orcs. Half-elves
can also be found in two other places—Elvenhome and
Hollowsky, in a small settlement known as Starforest.
The half-elves of Starforest are especially skilled at
magic, and count many sorcerers and wizards among
their numbers. All of the various types of half-elves are
welcomed, and each becomes a member of the Starforest
family. As such there are many varied skills and professions
in the mix, making Starforest a great place to learn.

Class Information

Spoiler:

Barbarians: The barbarians in the
lands around Cauldron are fierce jungle
warriors. They often have to deal
with dinosaurs, gnolls and even other
tribes. There are rumours that some
tribes contain barbarian/sorcerers.
Some tribesman claim to have
seen a crater deep in the jungles
West of Cauldron where, in ancient
times, a great city once stood. It is
now reported to be infested with demons.
Much of the campaign takes place in urban and dungeon
environments, so a barbarian designed to excel in
the wilderness won’t have as much to do as one who focuses
on skills like Climb, Intimidate, Jump, and Listen.
Bards: Many bards train at the Bardic College in Sasserine,
and then decided to travel north to see more of the
world. Many come to try to find a monavic deva that is
said to watch over and protect the region.
An excellent choice for the campaign, there are ample
opportunities to influence important NPCs during the campaign
and skill in Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidation, plus
access to enchantment and illusion spells can be a great
help.

Clerics: The clerics in Cauldron are often called upon to
cleanse the water of the central lake. During a harsh winter
several decades ago, the waters of the central lake
rose so high they reached Ash Avenue and completely
submerged many of the lower buildings. Representatives
of the churches got together under the urging of the then
high priest of the church of Sarenrae and created several
wands of control water to combat the next flood season. That winter, priests from the four temples patrolled the lower streets of Cauldron and fought back the flood using their wands. The citizens were grateful for their aid, and assisted with sandbagging and shoring of buildings where they could; even with the magic wands, the flood
waters could still do significant damage.
So successful were these measures that, after that
flood season ended, the city of Cauldron erupted into a
massive festival. In the years to follow, this grew into a
tradition. It became to be known as the Flood Festival. But
time breeds contentment, and as the years went by the
temples began refining their uses of the wands and found
they could build fewer wands and still make it through the
season. At the same time, the Festival became more extravagant
and gaudy. Over the past decade, the winters
have been fairly mild, and it is doubtful the lake would
flood again even without the wands.
Clerics in Cauldron generally worship either Sarenae,
Gorum, Nethys or Imodea. Shrines to several other gods exist in the area.
There is some undead in the campaign, but not large
amounts, so feats that convert turning attempts to other
abilities might be worth considering.

Druids: There are mainly two types of druid in Cauldron
and its environs: jungle and mountain druids. Being subtropical,
and existing inside the crater of a volcano, many
druids live in the city as it is close to nature.
Other druids roam the jungles, or walk the mountain
paths.
Rumour among druids tells of silvery, froglike creatures,
the size of a human, who live in the Underdark in
the Cauldron region.
Some druids claim to have seen a crater in the jungle
to the West of Cauldron. It feels wrong to them.
Druids have the same issues as barbarians, but there
are many opportunities to use the Druid’s special abilities.
The inhabitants of the region are familiar with animal companions
and will generally be understanding of their presence.

Fighters: Fighters can be found anywhere, and Cauldron
is no different. Fighters often join the Town Guard, or become
caravan guards and protect merchants travelling to
the other settlements or Sasserine, or join skirmish
squads who journey around the base of the volcano and
kill any dangerous beasts who come too close.
There is a retired fighter in town who has become a
trainer. His name is Dree Turmont (male human).
Elven fighters may come from Elvenhome.

Monks: Monks are rare in Cauldron and its environs.
There is a trainer near Redgorge named Old Sheeba
(male human), and an elven trainer in Elvenhome who
teaches the way of the Tyelka Quárë.
Rumour speaks of an evil monk trainer who lives north
of Cauldron along the mountain range, who was once a
student of Old Sheeba but has become corrupted. His
students are not as wise, but make up for it in ferocity. He
has some grudge against his master, and he seems to
want revenge.

Paladins: Paladins in Cauldron are also rare. They
generally come from noble families, but some are simple
folk who hear the call of a god.
Some paladins in town have recently had a dream
where they see a person with a smoking flame in place of
an eyeball. They don’t know what it means.

The most notable paladin in town is Alek Tercival, a
paladin of Sarenrae, who is often seen travelling around
town on his white charger.

Rangers: The rangers in the area can be found both in
the wilderness and in the city. They are often in the Town
Guard, and sometimes employed as members of Skirmish
Squads who patrol the base of the volcano and prevent
monsters from getting too close. Some travel the jungle in
search of ruins, caves and interesting places.
Elven rangers have usually studied in Elvenhome.
Some non-elves also study there too, especially after
hearing about the Naur Pilindi Edhel—dangerous elven
snipers who also use magic.
Some rangers who have travelled far to the east of
Cauldron have returned with stories about a ruined city,
and the strange half-snake/half-humans that have been
seen there.
Rangers have the same issues as barbarians and druids.
The best choices for a ranger’s favoured enemies are
animals, dragons, humanoid (human, goblinoid, or orc), or
outsider (evil).

Rogues: The rogues of Cauldron come in
many shapes and sizes. Some are diplomats,
whose tongues are sharper than
their rapiers. Some work for the Town
Guard performing the jobs that bulky, muscled
fighter-types just aren’t good at. Some
are freelance, while others are in guilds.
The city has more than one small guild
of thieves, but perhaps the most influential
is the Last Laugh. The guilds symbol is the
silhouette of a laughing jester, shown in
profile.
The guild oversees various rackets,
including security, blackmail, extortion and assassination.
Generally only the most nefarious and unscrupulous
rogues join the Last Laugh.
There are a large number of traps in the numerous
dungeons so the normal rogue skills would be useful.
Also, rogues focusing in social skills will have ample opportunities
to use them.

Sorcerers: Sorcerers pop up in many places. Recently a
tribe of jungle barbarians has found that some tribesmen
possess the power of sorcery. Many half-orcs of Dogash-
Ber seem to be sorcerers too. The Cauldron area has long
been inhabited by dragons, so it stands to reason that sorcerers
would be common.
Rumours among the folk of Dogash-Ber tell of a black
dragon who is trying to create an army of his spawn, but
none know his name or where he is, or even if the rumours
are true. He may possibly also be reproducing with
the half-orcs.

Wizards: The wizards of Cauldron and its environs have
long had many interesting things to study, and as such
have been attracted to the region. In terms of study, there
is a wizard academy in Sasserine (taught by archmages)
and also Istima-Naur in Elvenhome (taught by Val-Edhel).
Also, every now and then the Town Guard encounter a
problem that needs a magical solution.
Surabar Spellmason himself was a wizard of great
power, and as such wizards in the area are treated with
respect.
Arcane lore tells of an ancient race of strange 6 armed
beings that once lived in the region. The wizard academy
in Sasserine would be interested in anything that could
reveal more about these enigmatic creatures.

Calendar of Cauldron

Spoiler:

Days of the week: Starday, Sunday, Moonday, Godsday,
Watersday, Earthday, Freeday. Godsday is a day of worship,
and Freeday is a day of rest.

Following are the months, in the format
Month (days in the month) Season:
Needfest (7) Mid-Winter.
Fireseek (28) Winter
Readying (28) Spring
Coldeven (28) spring
Growfest (7)
Planting (28) low Summer
Flocktime (28) low Summer
Wealsun (28) low Summer
Richfest (7) Mid-Summer.
Reaping (28) high Summer
Goldmonth (28) high Summer
Harvester (28) high Summer
Brewfest (7)
Patchwall (28) Autumn
Ready'reat (28) Autumn
Sunsebb (28) Winter