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James Thomas wrote:

Has anyone done a Pathfinder conversion for this excellent classic adventure? I'm planning to run it this week and I could use some help with my prep. A few monsters I can just use from the Bestiary -- but if you know this adventure, you know almost everything is an original creation.

The Hidden Shrine was used as a Site in the Savage Tide AP as a nostalgia/history nod. A lot of DM's expanded from the small section used into more from the old classic module. You could check under that forum and see if there is anything there you could mine for ideas.

I'm in the middle of converting the whole thing over to Pathfinder for my Savage Tide campaign, with a few small updates and changes (like bumping many of the shrine nasties up to around CR 6-7 -- a single wight, for example, isn't going to do much of anything against a well-equipped and coordinated party of 6th level PCs). I'll post a link to the finished product, along with monster sheets, once I get it done. Not that this'll help the OP from a year ago, but who knows, someone else might be interested.

(For one thing, I shifted Xipe the ogre mage over from a "giant" oni to a "reptilian" oni (though with the same stats, mostly) and changed his name to Cipactli, the crocodile-headed Aztec god of earthquakes and eternal hunger and such. It seemed to fit better with the area being theoretically infested with lizardfolk, after all.)

In my game this past weekend, the party encountered two medium fire elementals. At one point, one of the fire elementals connected with his slam and I said the burn was automatic so the character should take the resulting burn damage and had to make a reflex save. I was told this was wrong and the fire elemental had to make a second subsequent attack as the statblock stated "plus burn". The example given was like a wolf has "plus trip" and has to make a combat maneuver check. I don't think this is correct as further in the burn description it states unarmed strikes would have to take damage upon hitting the elemental and make a Reflex save or catch on fire. Which is the correct way to handle this?

It sounds to me like you had it right. Burn isn't a combat maneuver, it's an additional damage thing -- like poison. No one expects a viper to have to make a combat maneuver check to poison a PC when it bites them; it just happens when the creature hits and the PC then needs to make a save against the additional effect.

Burn (Ex)

A creature with the burn special attack deals fire damage in addition to damage dealt on a successful hit in melee. Those affected by the burn ability must also succeed on a Reflex save or catch fire, taking the listed damage for an additional 1d4 rounds at the start of its turn (DC 10 + 1/2 burning creature's racial HD + burning creature's Con modifier). A burning creature can attempt a new save as a full-round action. Dropping and rolling on the ground grants a +4 bonus on this save. Creatures that hit a burning creature with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the burning creature and must make a Reflex save to avoid catching on fire.

Format: burn (2d6, DC 15); Location: Special Attacks and individual attacks.

Link.

So, randomly, how would one model something like expeliarmus? I find myself thinking it would be defined something like a ray which works like the Greater Disarm feat -- ranged touch attack, then a CMB equal to caster level plus casting stat plus... say, 4? If you succeed, it makes the weapon/wand/whatever go flying for 10' plus an extra 5' for every 5 you beat their CMD by.

Call it a level 1 or 2 spell at most, since it's single target and doesn't do direct damage. It's a slightly different way of doing the standard "I cast grease on the giant's club", I guess.

My update of Rowyn (I rolled stats for her via the same means the PCs will get theirs):

Rowyn Kellani
Female human rogue 3/sorcerer (red draconic bloodline) 3.
NE medium humanoid.
Init: +7, Senses: Perception +6.
Languages: common, Aquan, Draconic, elven.

AC: 20 (10 base, +5 DEX, +4 mage armor, +1 natural) or 24 (+4 shield), touch 15, flat-footed 15/19. (All numbers without possible +1 from Combat Expertise.)
HP: 45 (6 HD -- max 1st lvl, +2d8+3d6+15, assuming average hp)
Fort: +5, Ref: +9, Will: +4; evasion.

Speed: 30 ft.
BaB: +3, CMB: +4, CMD: 19.
Attack: +1 rapier +9 melee (1d6+1/18-20) (+10 melee with AoO's)
or mwk hand crossbow +9 ranged (1d4/19-20 plus poison)
or claws +8/+8 melee (1d4+1, up to 7 rounds per day)
Attack Options: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, sneak attack +2d6.
Combat Gear: potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of gaseous form, infusion of fog cloud (brewed like a potion; basically a one-shot conjuration of fog cloud used as a grenade-like weapon), wand of animate dead (5 charges), wand of charm person (35 charges)
Spells Known: (CL 3rd)
. 1st (6/day) -- color spray (Will DC 15), charm person (Will DC 15), shield, mage armor (bloodline spell)
. 0th (unlimited) -- mage hand, message, detect magic, ghost sound, daze

Abilities: Str 12, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 18.
SQ: trapfinding, trap sense +1, bloodline arcana, bloodline powers (resist fire 5).
Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, [Combat Reflexes*,] Weapon Finesse, (Eschew Materials^), Deceitful.
* Rogue talent.
^ Sorcerer bonus feat.
Traits: Fencer (+1 attack on AoO's with swords, daggers, and similar bladed weapons), Reactionary (+2 on Initiative checks).
Skills: Acrobatics +14, Bluff +15, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +11, Disable Device +9, Escape Artist +11, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Perception +6, Perform (dance) +10, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +14, Swim +5, Use Magic Device +13. (Untrained: Appraise +3, Climb +1, Stealth +5.)
Possessions: combat gear, +1 rapier, masterwork hand crossbow with 10 bolts poisoned with black adder venom (Fort DC 11, frequency 1/round for 6 rounds, 1d2 CON dmg each failed save, only 1 successful save needed for cure), gold earrings worth 300 gp, bejewled necklace worth 200 gp, skeleton key (fits all locks in guildhall, including treasury door).

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Gut Tugger
Male crested felldrake rogue 2.
NE small dragon.
Init: +6, Senses: darkvision 60', low-light vision, scent, Perception +7.
Languages: common, Draconic, Sylvan.

AC: 20 (10 base, +2 DEX, +2 armor, +4 natural, +1 size, +1 dodge), touch 14, flat-footed 17.
HP: 39 (4 HD; assuming average hp and increased-size rogue hit die)
Immune: sleep, paralysis.
Fort: +6, Ref: +8, Will: +3; evasion.

Speed: 40 ft.
BaB: +3, CMB: +4, CMD: 19.
Attack: bite +5 melee (1d8+1)
Attack Options: sneak attack +1d6.

Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10
SQ: trapfinding
Feats: Improved Initiative, [Combat Reflexes*,] Dodge
* Rogue talent.
Skills: Acrobatics +9, Bluff +7, Diplomacy +5, Perception +7, Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +13.
Possessions: collar of armor +2 (as bracers of armor +2)

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Basically, I decided to entirely throw away the bard concept as not particularly usable. Instead I gave Rowyn the draconic bloodline sorcerer concept, which both fits with the Lotus Dragons symbolism, will provide her with substantial power later on (assuming she survives to stow away on the Sea Wyvern) and helps to make her a sneak attacking combat monster.

With Improved Feint and Deceitful, she makes a Bluff check of d20+15 as a move action against a DC of 10 +2 (max opponent BaB) +5 (max opponent Wis bonus) = 17. If she rolls a 1, she fails to feint; otherwise, the opponent is flat-footed and she gets sneak attack damage.

If the opponent has bothered to put any ranks in Sense Motive, it gets a little bit tougher. However, with multiple uses of color spray each day able to make opponents of under her level unconscious, stunned, or blinded (and blinded means they have no Dex bonus to AC, which makes them sneak attack fodder), she can turn the tables on a group of PCs very quickly.

That's without even mentioning the benefit having Gut Tugger around to flank and run interference.

Combat Expertise is more there as a prerequisite to Improved Feint than as a substantial bonus to AC, for the moment (though that will change a bit after she gains another level or two).

Acrobatics +14 makes her highly maneuverable, and able to move with near-impunity against a non-dextrous opponent. The tight conditions of her lounge in the Lotus Dragon hideout make this a virtual necessity, but also limit the need to move far and fast. Combat Reflexes and the Fencer trait make her a terror against anyone who tries to get around to flank her.

Her protective spells, combined with a high DEX and the bonus to natural armor from the bloodline, make her very hard to hurt with the usual hack and slash assault against a spellcaster. Escape Artist +11 helps on the off chance that she does get grappled ("Rowyn head-butts you, then seems to shimmy free of your full-nelson like she's made out of water...").

She's not a glass cannon so much as she is a survivor... not a lot of damage necessarily, but enough resilience and avoidance to survive a good long combat against multiple opponents. She has a wide variety of tactics available to her to turn a combat situation to her benefit and the opponent's disadvantage. And when she makes the PCs an offer of recruitment, it's because she honestly does want them on her side, not necessarily as a last resort of desperation to avoid being killed or imprisoned.

Moreover, between high-bonus social skills (primarily Bluff and Diplomacy) and her innate use of charm person, she is an extremely effective manipulator of social circles.

As the first conversion project, and just to begin familiarizing myself with the Pathfinder changes, I put together these alternative Lavinias.

Lavinia Vanderboren (There Is No Honor).
Female human aristocrat 2. (NG)
Init: +2; Senses: Perception +2 (no ranks, class skill, WIS -1)
Languages: Common, Elven, Halfling, Celestial

Stats: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 15.
: (Knowing that she will eventually be going into swashbuckler, I used the +2 human racial stat bonus on Int.)
Feats: Persuasive, Skill Focus (Diplomacy)
: (With the Negotiator feat gone from PF, Persuasive (which adds to Diplomacy) seemed the only proper substitute.)
Skills: Appraise +8, Bluff +7, Diplomacy +12, Intimidate +9, Know (local) +8, Know (nobility) +8, Perception +2, Perform (stringed instrument) +7, Sense Motive +4, Swim +5 (seriously, who grows up in a seaside town without learning how to swim?)

AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11.
hp 14 (2 HD)
Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +2.
Speed 30'.
Attack: mwk rapier +2 melee (1d6/18-20)
Base Attack: +1 CMB: +1 CMD: +2

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Lavinia Vanderboren (The Bullywug Gambit).
Female human aristocrat 2/swashbuckler 1. (NG)
: (I am using the linked version of the swashbuckler class, except that it gets a d10 HD.)
Init: +6; Senses: Perception +2 (no ranks, class skill, WIS -1)
Languages: Common, Elven, Halfling, Celestial

Stats: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 15.
Feats: Persuasive, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills: Acrobatics +5, Appraise +9, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +13, Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +9, Know (local) +9, Know (nobility) +9, Perception +2, Perform (stringed instrument) +7, Sense Motive +5, Swim +5.
Abilities: Bravado (+CHA to AC)

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11.
hp 22 (3 HD)
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +2.
Speed 30'.
Attack: mwk rapier +5 melee (1d6/18-20)
Base Attack: +3 CMB: +3 CMD: +4

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My thinking for the update to the swashbuckler class is that the Grace feature's or Bravado feature's bonus might even apply to some combat maneuvers -- specifically disarm and trip, as those seem to be the most associated with derring-do and duelling swords. Other than that, simply upgrading the hit die to match the fighter's (and the source class back in Complete Warrior) seems sufficient to make it a reasonable parallel to the core classes.

For Lavinia's advancement in swashbuckler (I haven't deeply perused past Here There Be Monsters), pushing feats like Combat expertise, Improved Disarm/Trip, or Mobility seem potentially appropriate.

Opinions? Critiques?

For the time being, given that I haven't put any money into the Golarion world-building stuff, I was contemplating sticking with Greyhawk geography. That said, I would still like to convert the primary deities of Sasserine over to something resembling those in the Pathfinder core rulebook.

The seven primarily worshipped deities, and my guesses at what the conversion might be, follow:

* Wee Jas (LN) --> Nethys (N), god of magic (destruction, knowledge, magic, protection, rune)
* Pelor (NG) --> Sarenrae (NG), goddess of the sun, redemption, honesty, & healing (fire, glory, good, healing, sun)
* Fharlanghn (N) --> Desna (CG), goddess of dreams, stars, travelers, & luck (chaos, good, liberation, luck, & travel)
* St. Cuthbert (LN) --> Irori (LN), god of history, knowledge, & self-perfection (healing, knowledge, law, rune, strength)
* Olidammara (CN) --> Calistria (CN), goddess of trickery, lust, & revenge (chaos, charm, knowledge, luck, trickery)
* Kord (CG) --> Cayden Cailean (CG), god of freedom, ale, wine, and bravery (chaos, charm, good, strength, travel)
* Osprem/Procan/Xerbo (LN/CN/???) --> Gozreh (N), deity of nature, weather, the sea (air, animal, plant, water, weather)

Some of these (like Gozreh and Sarenrae) are easy, good fits. Others are far less so. Any thoughts?

Kurukami wrote:

Using a Photoshop-adjusted-and-cropped image from the Champion's Belt issue, I did some research on Chuck Norris one-liners and applied them to Loris Raknian. The result was this:

http://home.comcast.net/~kurukami/images/raknian-chief-export-is-pain.jpg
(I have more that I can put up on the web if anyone wants 'em for their own campaign.)

Please post more flyers.

Certainly. Here's links to the rest I put up:

http://home.comcast.net/~kurukami/images/raknian-3-steaks-in-one-hour.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~kurukami/images/raknian-average-sitting-parlor.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~kurukami/images/raknian-coffee-with-his-teeth.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~kurukami/images/raknian-hung-like-a-horse.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~kurukami/images/raknian-quickest-way.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~kurukami/images/raknian-steel-toed-boot.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~kurukami/images/raknian-stub-his-toe.jpg