Jaeric surveys the battlefield from the lofty vantage point of the building, noting the robot's tactics as well as how Never and Zephyr are approaching the combat. When he feels confident he's got a good read on things, he taps his comm-unit to address the team.
"Guys, I think we can knock this thing out if we coordinate a bit more. I'm going to distract it with some Desnan starlight right in its eyes. Never? If you can keep its attention focused on you from the air, Zephyr can hammer away from the ground. He's having great effect with that artillery laser. If you see an opening when it turns its eye on him or someone else, swoop in and do what you do best!"
OOC: Jaeric uses a move action to invoke his Get 'Em envoy improvisation, and he'll spend one Resolve point so the +1 bonus it provides can apply to everyone's attack AND damage rolls until the start of Jaeric's next turn.
OOC: Jaeric will then use his standard action to cast wisp ally, sending a streak of twinkling light to circle the robot's visual sensors, thereby providing the equivalent of harrying fire, which should give the next person to attack the robot an additional +2 on their attack roll.
Jaeric takes Harlan up on his offer for a ride to a loftier height to survey the coming battle. "There's not a lot I can do against robots," he explains to the technomancer, "So, I hope you've got something to bring it down. Otherwise, Never and Zephyr are in for a rough time, and I'll just need to keep them on their feet with some Desnan healing."
Once the robot appears and ventures into range, he tries to identify any vulnerabilities he can discern from his study of alien engineering.
OOC: Jaeric draws upon his theme knowledge bonus to lower the DC by 5 to identify alien tech using his Engineering skill.
Engineering:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Not feeling very sure of anything regarding the ancient izalguun construct, he decides the best solution is to just bring it down with whatever magic might be able to pierce its armor. So, he summons a bit magic, reaching within himself for a bit of essence drawn from his own soul. "Desna protect us!" He flings it with an outstretched hand at the alien machine.
OOC: Jaeric casts soul surge as a ranged attack vs. the robot's EAC, dealing force damage if it hits. Jaeric also takes 6 hp of damage from the effort.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Hi, Ben...the short answer is no. As authors for these adventures, we often paint in broad brush strokes, particularly with side NPC references. Only a small part of our word count goes towards that kind of stuff, and we intentionally leave a lot of it undefined so that GMs are free to adapt and adjust that extra material however they want as their campaigns progress. Many such NPCs never get used in any meaningful way (for some GMs and their players), whereas others become very meaningful due to PC interaction with them...and there's no way for us to anticipate how anyone's campaign will necessarily play out in that regard. So, we leave it undefined...and that's really just gray area where you can create your own answers to enhance and react to the story your game table is experiencing.
Jaeric tries to get a read on his fellow Starfinders as he moves about from one gathering to another, trying his best to apply the insights of his earliest calling as an envoy.
Sense Motive:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17plus envoy's expertise die1d6 ⇒ 1= total of 18
He then approaches those he feels he has a reasonable bit of intuition about their fears or anxieties and does his best to reassure them of the Society's readiness. "We've done everything we can to prepare," he says, "I'm certain we'll penetrate the shield surrounding the Scoured Stars, and once we do, we'll bring back those lost to us. All we have to do is stick together and support one another."
Diplomacy:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17
And Jaeric will also use his Cultural Chameleon ability as a half-elf to re-roll that Diplomacy check in case it failed.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Just wanted to add my voice of congratulations to Jim. You've been a wonderful part of the gaming industry all the way back to your unwavering support of TSR's Alternity and Star*Drive communities when they were sunsetting. I remember you won everyone's respect right away...and many times since. Best wishes to you, Jeff, and Paizo.
"I'll see what I can determine...whether with the onboard systems or the mystic help of Desna," Jaeric assures the android. "Never? Please keep an eye on the facility, but only from the safety of the ship and our radiation shielding for now. Alert us if anything emerges or approaches. Lorne? Please secure that artifact someplace that'll protect us from it in case it starts doing anything weird, as well. Then join us in the lab so we can work together on this mutating problem."
Jaeric then helps Zephyr to the med bay, making the android as comfortable as possible before running a series of blood tests, body scans, and divinations.
Jaeric uses detect magic on everyone to assess if the condition has any kind of spell behind it. He also uses his Medicine skill to use any of the medical kits or other gear they brought with them.
Medicine check:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 Is there any kind of equipment bonus to that roll?
Jaeric then casts lesser remove condition and mystic cure II to see if either of those spells might address the situation.
"It's a commonly used area by bandits," Jonagher shares, "Ren told us it used to be an Isgeri military outpost to guard against incursions or something back during the Goblinblood War. But, with it abandoned since then, bandits and other ne'er-do-wells often find it an easier defensive place to hide, I guess? That's why the council sent Neven's Heroes to check it out...though they were actually just looking into some farmer's missing chickens and equipment. Regardless, the council was worried that there's been an uptick of activity in that area. So, they awarded Neven's team the assignment right after they gave us ours to help Alak find his family ring in Citadel Altaerin. So, in your words, Highness...I suspect we may encounter other 'longshanks' at Guardian's Way...possibly bandits...probably Neven's team and some missing chickens...and maybe even Voz if she ventured there in search of whatever she's seeking..."
Later on she corners Jaeric on the ship. "Hey Jaeric! How much do you know about Eos? That planet is f#~+in' bizarre! Let me tell you..."
"You must mean Eox?" Jaeric replies, "The undead world? I know enough that I put it up there with Apostae as the two most inhospitable places in the Pact Worlds that I'd never want to visit. While Apostae has the dark elves known as drow, who have a long history of conflict with my people, Eox is home to the unliving elebrians...a people of such historical hubris their ancient attempts to conquer other worlds ruined their own, burning up the atmosphere and creating so much radiation and ecological destruction that they turned to necromancy just to save their civilization. And when they finally sought peace to become one of the first worlds to sign the Pact, much of their military disavowed their leaders and went rogue to form the Corpse Fleet which is a continued threat to everyone and everything."
"It's sad that such 'civilizations' exist. And that we continue to see people willing to threaten the very environments that sustain life...just like Winterharvest and Frozen Trove on Icefront. But something always blinds them to such folly. Greed. Power. Or rank stupidity. We amass these great technological advancements with the power of our intellect, but often lack the wisdom to avoid turning them into weapons of mass destruction that destroy the lives of others as well as our own."
"But those are just my philosophical thoughts, Never. Was there something more specific you wanted to know about them? What's got you thinking about such a place? You're not planning on acquiring a necrograft or something equally hideous, are you?" he teases.
"Alright, load up...leave the bodies. We need to take Monsylkis alive so we can explain and hopefully get her to de-escalate everything. She's bound to be the highest ranking person left. Never? Watch our backs. Don't let anyone sneak up on us from behind in case any of those guards come back. Zephyr? Lorne? Get to either of side of me and look for the same as we approach the science building. I'll do the talking if anyone tries to stop us. We can bring in Sparky and the ship if we need stronger firepower. And then. I'll have a few memories to share with the good doctor if we can get her to surrender and listen."
OOC: Jaeric plans on using his mindlink ability to share his memory of the discussion with the izalguun leader about the ecological damage the weather station is causing on their habitat, but he'll leave out any plan about an uprising to drive out the offworlders just yet. He'll also share his memory of the unprovoked attack by Spinjack, Farvenzi, and the guards at the weather station. Hopefully, that'll be enough to convince her that we didn't start things. Then, we'll need to interrogate her (as Jaeric uses charm person or detect thoughts) to determine if she had any role in it. Sound like a reasonable plan? Anything else we should consider?
"Roger that advice, Zephyr...and I agree," Jaeric replies, "We should put away the snow-dragons first, and I want Sparky with the ship in case we need to call in heavier support or a quick escape, depending on what we find. So, we head there first unless they try to stop us. Everybody be on guard..."
He then directs his comm to answer the ryphorian. "That's a negative Winterharvest," he explains, "We've got a damaged crawler and we want to park it on our ship first. So, we'll proceed to the landing zone and seek out Dr. Monsylkis as soon as they're secured. If you can have her contact us directly, we'd appreciate it. Starfinders out."
Jaeric pulls forward to lead the three snow-dragons, but avoids the open gate and tower, steering instead towards the main station entrance they used when they first departed to seek out the izalguuns.
"Sparky? When you're on the Pegasus do a tactical scan of the area and send us any info you can get on that tower, its power source, and security. Then, go on standby and have her ready to go the moment we contact you."
"Kind of like a 'poison pill' that activates in the event of our untimely demise? Well, I'm not sure Icefront...or Izalraan, as Naarma's people call it...falls within the jurisdiction of the Pact Worlds. We're pretty far beyond the reach of the Stewards, but they operate out of Absalom Station and I've read about them getting involved in off-world environmental restrictions that concerned Castrovel's leaders before. From what my father told me about them, I believe they also police neutral space lanes, so perhaps that extends beyond the Pact World borders? It wouldn't hurt to file a complaint with them. And maybe the Starfinders, too, just so the First Speaker can follow up on any other legal recourses available to us."
Jaeric exits his snow dragon once he sees the mezoloths departing, sprinting forward to the most injured of the centaur-like people in case they need healing. Upon seeing the others of their kind emerge from the treeline, he slowly backs up in case they take issue with assistance from outsiders. But, when the others begin answering their questions, he remains silent so he can assess what he can only assume are the natives they've been searching for...
"Greetings, Naarma," he finally interjects, "No. We're not affiliated with the Winterharvest researchers. We came here on a mission for the Starfinder Society, tracing an incredibly old migration from a distant star system and the influence of some alien artifacts our colleagues discovered. I'm Jaeric Kem. This is Never, Lorne, and Zephyr. Sparky is still there in one of our vehicles." He gestures towards Doorma and Fallma. "We did what we could to assist these two, as we saw they were being attacked by those giant beasts. But, in truth, we were looking for you and your kind...or, at least, I assume you're the native population living here? We had hoped to speak with you about that which brought us here."
Dr. Monsylkis considers your mission. "The natives have rudimentary intelligence; they are quite simple. They have no technology worth discussing, no monuments of great size, just the rudiments of civilization. It seems unlikely that they are descended from a spacefaring race."
"Did you say natives?" Jaeric notes, "I thought you said earlier there were no other inhabitants here? Did I get that wrong? Admittedly, we did a bit of research regarding Icefront before venturing to this system, and other than Wildharvest's claim, we found no record of anyone else on the planet..."
"And, I must say the revelation that there are others living here is of great interest to us. As xenoarchaeologists, we're able to glean so much more from the living than just the ruins of another civilization. And, even if they're not the ones who created the artifact we found, perhaps they can tell us more about any other beings who may have visited here. Can you tell us where we'd be most likely to find them? I'd like to establish first contact, if possible...or, rather second or third contact given that you must have interacted with them before. Hopefully, you're on peaceful terms, yes?"
"Thank you, Doctor. I'm Jaeric Kem of the Starfinder Society, and captain of the Pegasus...on a xenoarchaeological mission..." Jaeric responds as he reaches to shake hands, "We had quite the adventure just getting here. Perhaps we can discuss more about it inside." He glances back at the team's engineers. "Lorne? Sparky? Would one of you care to oversee the repair work?" He looks back at Monsylkis, Spinjack, and Farvenzi. "We appreciate your hospitality, Doctor, but as you know, some engineers are kind of sacrosanct about who touches what aboard their ship. So, one of our crew can direct your techs on where best to assist. Luckily, our shields held up pretty well during that dog-fight on approach, so I don't think there'll be a need for any major repair. Our attacker was a curious ship. Matched nothing on record, so it's an alien craft from all we could ascertain in the heat of the moment. Zephyr, our pilot here, did a fabulous job of keeping us at range until we could turn the tables on their little ambush."
As they begin to move away from the landing area, Jaeric gazes about the compound, mentally assessing whatever permanent or temporary structures Frozen Trove has erected on Icefront, but more out of scientific curiosity and interest than any kind of security protocol analysis. He'd leave that to Never as the vanguard seemed to have a better eye for that kind of thing. "Have you had any conflicts yourself here? Whether in orbit with anyone attacking your supply ships, or maybe on the surface? I'm worried if we should be on guard during our visit as we intend to explore for any local or prior alien civilizations here on Icefront. Ruins, artifacts, and such. It's a calling for all Starfinders to engage in these missions. And our prior research uncovered a bit of lore that led us to believe we may find such things here. If you've encountered something like that yourself, we'd appreciate anything you can share with us about it."
"We should really be ready for just about anything," Jaeric advises, "Based on what Ykris shared about Frozen Trove, it sounds like they work in genetics. And, for them to have a vested interest in Icefront...at least, enough to 'freeze out' CeriCore Labs...there might be something biological on the planet that drew their interest. Maybe it's not entirely uninhabited? They could be hiding something. And it might be what we need to find the relic. So, we'll want to do some scans from orbit and on atmospheric entry. Make sure the ship's sensors are calibrated for it. I'd hate to miss anything important."
"Easy there...go slow...no sudden moves," Jaeric recommends as Zephyr holds out the atennius vine, "Try and draw him away from the walls as much as you can..."
Gee, I hope not...I'd prefer to hang onto the Basic Lashunta Tempweave armor. Because while Jaeric might not be selfish, his player would like to further ensure his survival for many adventures to come. ;)
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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A Few Ideas:
Spoiler:
Nurah has access to a great many spells and bardic abilities that could be secretly turned against the PCs and the crusader army laying siege to Drezen. First and foremost, she has access to shadowblood and directly uses it to renew Aron's addiction, thereby diminishing his ability to help deal with the dwarven-constructed defenses that remain in Drezen. Secondly, she can cast alter self or invisibility to sabotage any plans the PCs make for the assault, thereby inflicting penalties on their armies during the mass combat scenes. She could use the same effects to sow division among the troops, decreasing morale as they become suspicious of one another or superstitious that a demon must be walking among them. And lastly, she can cast suggestion or use suggestion as part of her bardic performances to make the PC's allies do any number of things that could hinder their efforts...from spoiling their supplies, frightening off any mounts, poisoning the provisions, provoking internal strife among the crusaders, etc.
Those are just things she could be doing to their allies. But, obviously, she could do plenty of things to the PCs as well. For example, she could stealthily steal something from the PCs which they're planning on using in an upcoming battle...or a magic item they've become dependent on to turn the tide. She could plant something in their possession which when found might sow dissension and distrust among everyone, both within the adventuring party as well as the troops they're leading. Lastly, within Drezen itself, she should have an idea of the demonic forces, how they're arrayed, what traps they've laid, and she could intentionally create situations where the PCs are led directly into such hazards to further weaken them (and use up their resources).
#1578-2001 | LG Male Human Scholar Empiricist Investigator 1 | HP 7/17 | AC 16 | F +4, R +7, W +6 | Perc +6 | 25 Speed | Hero points: 0 | Active Conditions: ---
Well, then...cheers to not being permadead. :D
Thanks for the game, Mr. Watery Soup. And thanks to all my fellow players for putting up with Elien's longwindedness. Until our paths cross again.
Interestingly enough, I believe this gives Elien enough credit to level up. It's his 3rd full scenario completion. So, is there anything special that the leveling process requires within PFS play? I had planned on taking him into the Wizard Dedication archetype.
#1578-2001 | LG Male Human Scholar Empiricist Investigator 1 | HP 7/17 | AC 16 | F +4, R +7, W +6 | Perc +6 | 25 Speed | Hero points: 0 | Active Conditions: ---
Well done! I love seeing the roleplay aspects come thru in these scenarios. Makes the subtext of the underlying story that much more powerful.
Something happened with the Paizo site, so they had to reset it. As a result, any cookies or other site-based data your browser was using also needs to be reset, but you have to manually do it on your end.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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Hey, ST...I wish I could help you out. As one of the authors for that AP (the last chapter), I've often wished I could run it as a play-by-post, but I truly don't have the time to do it justice. I'm playing in a couple of games online, but running something takes a lot more effort to keep it going...and I'd hate to start something only to have it fall apart and disappoint everyone. That said, if someone does agree to run it, I might be willing to play alongside you (keeping player knowledge separate from character knowledge, of course).
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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Two potential choices off the top of my head:
1) Have Radvir join the witches and seek their assistance in enacting revenge upon the PCs. While the witches may not be his strongest allies, they have been working together. In the course of moving against the PCs, you'll have opportunities to drop additional clues that lead them back to the witches themselves. And you can add Radvir to the final location as another defender/obstacle.
2) Have Radvir ramp up the drug trade, continuing to addict more vampire spawn, leveraging a new army to create disarray among the vampire nobility. Then, look for ways where he can somehow implicate the PCs (or Ramoska) in the creation and distribution of the drug itself, implying they duped Luvick in order to free Ramoska as part of a complete takeover of the ruling vampires.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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Thanks, Jacob. I downloaded the chronicle so I'd have the PDF copy. Not sure what to do with it. Are we expected to print these off and take them to future in-person games, or just hang onto them as a historical record indicating what boons we earned, etc.?
Setting that aside, this was a fun game. Probably the best PFS game I've done, because I can get in character a lot more easily via Play-by-Post more than in-person. And I feel like I can do more character development that way than the organized play events at conventions and such.
If you run another game in the future, be sure to let me know. I'd enjoy continuing with Elien a bit longer. :)
#1578-2001 | LG Male Human Scholar Empiricist Investigator 1 | HP 7/17 | AC 16 | F +4, R +7, W +6 | Perc +6 | 25 Speed | Hero points: 0 | Active Conditions: ---
"Well done, Elanna!" Elien calls out as the half-elf makes her return across the ice with the ribbon in hand. "Be careful here!" he notes aloud for her, "The ice is newly formed here at the edge...much too smoothly and uniformly to have been natural accumulation. Instead, it seems someone tossed a bit of extra water across the surface to make it as slippery as possible. I daresay your idea with the caltrops...and Orla's handy preparation in carrying some...alleviated that problem before it even presented itself. But, do be careful coming across. We wouldn't want you to bruise anything with a sudden fall before we make our final dash to the finish line."
The investigator then packs away the additional crampons he was starting to manufacture for Anders, since they won't be needed. And he shoulders his pack, making ready to leave. Before they do, he calls over one of the race officials and points out the icy sabotage to them.
"This is the third time our group has encountered such an obstacle during these challenges," he explains, "I'm starting to believe someone really doesn't want us participating in the Balgirdtrek. And if it's not the organizers themselves...which I don't believe, so I'm not accusing you of it...then it's one of the other teams. I believe you would agree it could therefore only have been one of those which preceded us, yes?"
Elien reaches into his bandolier and retrieves the vial with the stored berries he found by the poles at the river. "I happened to discover these at the last challenge near the vaulting area. I'm sure you would agree they don't grow around here. Instead, I've seen only one other source of them. And it's the Without Trace or Fail team that's preceded us at every challenge. If anyone's been sabotaging the performance of their competitors, I believe it to be them. I bring it up not to create an advantage for us. Rather, I want you to know in case any of the other teams behind us run into this same obstacle. And, also, in the event that team continues to cheat in future years of the competition."
"With that, I've cleared my conscience in making sure this mystery is solved," Elien says, "We're going to finish the race. None of us care if we win. We just wanted the experience and hoped we could earn a bit of respect for the Pathfinders here in the north. However, we'd be very appreciative if you'd help us with that effort by keeping us out of any accusations leveled at the other team. I leave it in your hands to use this evidence and apply whatever ruling you see fit to enforce."
Diplomacy to positively influence the race official:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
#1578-2001 | LG Male Human Scholar Empiricist Investigator 1 | HP 7/17 | AC 16 | F +4, R +7, W +6 | Perc +6 | 25 Speed | Hero points: 0 | Active Conditions: ---
I haven't. The last PFS adventure I played was 1st Edition. :)
Also, I had no idea the game had started. I didn't see a link to the Gameplay thread, but realized I could follow the tabs up top. I'll catch up and post something shortly.
Dropping in my submission for consideration. This is Elien Psirec, a level 1 Lawful Good human investigator of the empiricism methodology from Ustalav. I'm still working on his backstory, but the stat-block is done. I kind of like the idea of him having dual membership in the Pathfinder Society as well as the Esoteric Order of the Palatine Eye. And, he only recently became a Pathfinder in order to support the Vigilant Seal faction, applying his skills to solving mysteries, protecting the innocent, and guarding against evil...particularly in light of the Whispering Tyrant's return. Ultimately, I have plans to take him into a wizard multiclass archetype down the road so he can expand on that mission.
Jonagher's mouth falls open in disbelief after Highness managed to make it into the rafters, grasp a devil, which then transformed into a wild boar only to subsequently fall down into the fray below. "You don't see that everyday," he mutters and then lets fly as many arrows as he can put into the beast.
Best wishes, F.Castor/Ren...and a speedy recovery, sir!
Joana wrote:
We're technically in Exploration mode right now, so everyone should pick an Exploration Activity for entering the citadel. Defend, Detect Magic, Investigate, Scout and Search seem the most germane.
Seems like the following would be in order:
Ragna : Defend (to raise her shield early)
Ren : Detect Magic (to find anything magical at hand)
Shaserai/Alak : Investigate (to Recall Knowledge for clues)
Highness : Scout (to make sure we don't get ambushed by anything)
Jonagher : Search (to check for any hidden doors, traps, and the like)
Jonagher cracks his knuckles and pulls a small satchel of files, picks, mallets, steel wire, and other tools of 'the trade' from his pack. "I believe this is where I come in..." he announces as he approaches the wall. He proceeds to tap a mallet against the outline of the door, pressing his ear against the stone to ascertain what mechanisms might lie behind. Then, he visually scans the areas he suspects might hold any kind of housing for the components that could open it...or prevent anyone from opening it.
Thievery check:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
"You know...no matter how much people want to keep things hidden..." he talks as he works, "Or keep folks out..." He retrieves a file and begins to scrape away at a bit of rock. "If you've got enough determination..." He taps some more with the mallet, but more forcefully now as he jams a bit of steel wire into crack of the door's outline. "And ingenuity, of course...don't forget the ingenuity..." He grunts as he pushes and scrapes at the stone once more until he hears a satisfying click and smiles, "You can always find a way in, my friends..."
He then secures his tools back in their proper places, rolls them up in a leather binding, and puts them back in the satchel. After regaining his feet, he draws a dagger and points to a section of the stone wall for Shaserai's benefit. "I believe if you push here, there should be enough leverage to pivot the wall for you...and gain entry."
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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GeraintElberion wrote:
Which Forsaken is Veilisandri’s patron?
I'm pretty sure it's Husk. Veilisandri uses the Owb Prophet entry on pg. 62 in the bestiary appendix, which has silence as an at-will spell-like ability, as well as immunity to bleed, disease, mind-affecting effects, and poison. All of those abilities are included in the Owb Prophet...which means other Owb Prophets would have slightly different statistics than the example provided.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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I agree with Adam. Monster entries do test contestants on a larger mix of crunch and flavor capabilities than you can normally get in the magic item round. You get a lot more words. There are a lot more rules elements potentially in play. And, there's a lot more opportunity to showcase your creativity, both in the monster concept, as well as its origin/habitat/ecology. It also foreshadows how well these contestants can envision new monsters from an adventure-writing perspective...i.e., what kind of adventure seeds or scenarios where they might feature. So, it's a good microcosm for evaluation. A bit longer than a magic item and a lot shorter than a full-blown adventure proposal or encounter location.
Also, for those who might be disappointed by the single round of competition, I did ask one of the organizers about it, and they indicated they're starting small for now, but it may expand to include more rounds the next time they do it. And, if so, Jacob and I have both offered to lend a hand if we have time.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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I was happy to see this announced, and now funded! As the author for Chapter 2: Sword of Valor, I can't wait to see how some of those mass combat scenes play out...especially in Drezen. :)
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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Cool! It's a compelling story told across multiple worlds thru the "voices" of some of the best AP authors we could amass. If you give it a go, please post some reviews of the individual adventures when you can. And thanks for supporting Legendary Games!
"I've never seen anything like them. They're big, though. If they decide to get in our way, or resent our intrusion into their grazing territory, we'd waste a lot of ammo defending ourselves," Tylur suggests, "It might take awhile, but it's probably best to go around them. And we should keep an eye out for predators, because...as big as those things are...I'd hate to run into whatever hunts them for food."
"Let's ask the Port Authority if there are transports, mechanical or otherwise, that we can use...and whether or not our quarry went into Ukalom on foot. Surely, they'll have a record of something like that, right? I mean if it's as controlled as everyone's making it out to be, they wouldn't just let anything go in there, would they?"
Tylur tilts his head slightly in acknowledgement of Lefty's telepathic message, but keeps his eyes on the man in front of him. As their quarry starts to stand, he puts a hand on his shoulder and encourages him to sit back down.
Opposed Str check?:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18(or do you want a grapple check of some kind?)
"Easy fella," Tylur says, "I asked for your name, not an open negotiation. If you've got a legitimate lead on Solstarni's whereabouts, it's in your interest to share it. We've been deputized by local law enforcement to look into the matter. And, if foul play's been involved, there'll be criminal charges...not only against those who may have done her harm, but also against those who aided in it, including by withholding information."
"So, let's try this one more time," he states, "What's your name? And what do you know about Dr. Solstarni?"
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose. I guess I'll do what I can to help explain some of the motivations a good character might feel when rationalizing their opposition to Khalfani Zuberi:
Spoiler:
First, you have to understand that Zuberi has always been evil (Lawful Evil, to be exact). He was an entrepreneurial tyrant long before the Osirian death cult put their curse on him. And, Zuberi basically amassed his fortune selling everything from slaves to weapons in Osirion during the Qadiran occupation, and he did so with no care for anyone he had to abuse or kill to build his mercantile empire. Then, when the Everwar with Cheliax came along, he literally enslaved his concubines with magic rings to send them across the Inner Sea so they could further enrich him by selling to both sides. Ultimately, he grew wealthy enough to buy the sun orchid elixir to sustain himself and his ill-gotten advantages. All so he could perpetuate his evil pursuits well beyond his normal range of years.
That's when the Followers of Almaut (an Osirian death cult) took matters into their own hands. These priests believed that seeking an extended lifespan was sacrilege against the natural order. Additionally, they knew the truth about Zuberi and his sinister goals. Allowing him to continue abusing the innocent was wrong. But, in their minds, simply executing him wasn't proper justice for all the pain he'd caused others. So, when they severed his connection to his concubines and rolled back the effects of the sun orchid elixir, it was so they could force him to endure an extended lifetime of pain and misery. He could either take his own life, something they knew he'd never do out of greed and cowardice. Or, he could suffer in his venerable state, never able to truly enjoy the life he'd sought to extend. In essence, it was a fitting punishment for such a villain...and when Zuberi faked his own death, retreated into his tomb with all his riches, and disappeared from actively managing his businesses (criminal or otherwise)...the cultists thought they'd succeeded and kept a watchful eye on him to ensure his punishment endured.
However, hundreds of years later, Zuberi regained newfound hope when he could suddenly sense the rings of his concubines again. After consulting with an Osirian sage about them, he learned it was possible to undo his curse...and, basically, to pick up where he left off. So, with every intention of once again climbing his way back to the top of Osirian society, he instituted a grand plan to dupe the Pathfinders into gathering the rings (via his concubines' bodies) and returning them to Sothis, where he could steal them away and conduct the ritual to make himself young again. But, even to enact that plan, he had to pursue a great many more evil deeds first. In fact, it took him years to establish the right connections, and he used every underhanded, vile trick in the book to do it...i.e., blackmail, sabotage, and more assassinations. In addition, the scenario background doesn't explicitly say it, but I imagine it's a fair assumption that he also started spinning up the institutions and holdings he had in place before his cursed existence...i.e., to start rebuilding his underground empire so he'd have the resources ready to regain his original might once the ritual was complete. That alone would pose a significant threat to Osirion and the rest of the Inner Sea.
Now, that's a lot of plot points to unpack (and try to make available to the PCs via a 4-game series of PFS). But, inklings of that backstory do need to leak out over the course of the finale...whether provided by the Followers of Almaut, Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir, the manifested ghosts of the three concubines, or even the sphinx Sekhmanu. That information should then go a long way in helping good-aligned PCs better understand who they're facing, what his history is, and the kind of danger he poses to the Inner Sea should he be fully restored to unleash his evil on the region again.
...Also, being on Castrovel, Zam's home planet, creates an easy opportunity for a family emergency or something similar to draw her away from the adventure.
Only if we can get her equally capable cousin to join us as the new captain of the Sunrise Maiden. That way, if your schedule frees up and you come back, Zam can easily rejoin her family. :)
What Aiyana just said makes me curious about the design considerations behind this module. Almost all of the monsters we have faced so far deal some form of ability damage. This presents an interesting dilemma when coupled with the sense of urgency from preventing the Reborn from capturing the Cradle....Most 8th level parties can be expected to have plenty of hp healing available, through wands and channels, but only have a couple of restoration spells and potions. This creates the temptation to stop and rest we’re in now, but we’re also motivated to push on....Neil, was this a conscious design decision or a byproduct of using shadow-themed monsters?
Under the Designer's Hat:
Spoiler:
It was a conscious design decision from the beginning. Haramil's spirit is divided into 3 distinct apparitions. The first is a greater shadow, capable of dealing Str damage (representing Haramil's hunger). The second is a festering spirit, capable of dealing Con damage (representing Haramil's corruption). And the third is a caller-in-darkness, capable of dealing Wis damage (representing Haramil's madness). All pose a significant threat to an unprepared party, especially if there's no cleric actively spamming channel positive energy to damage them as undead creatures. And, of course, there are tenebrous worms at the entrance, capable of dealing Str damage. And deathweb spiders down a side corridor, capable of dealing Con damage. So, collectively, the encounters are meant to slow down the party and force them to carefully consider their tactics and their haste in trying to catch up to/stop the Reborn.
It also purposefully puts the PCs in a very specific dilemma. Do they take on ever greater risk to themselves by pressing forward over and over again? Or, do they risk losing the Cradle to the Reborn by moving at a slower, more deliberate pace to ensure they're at full strength when they finally catch up? Of course, there's no way to truly know (outside of divination spells) whether or not the Cradle still remains in the tomb. And, there are enough signs along the way that it becomes progressively clearer that the Reborn have already been there (especially when Zyler is encountered). So, eventually, the adventure assumes the PCs will realize the mission's goal is shifting from "retrieve the Cradle to keep it from the Reborn" to "find out as much as we can about the Cradle and the Reborn (and Haramil) so we can take it back"...
I'm not sure I did enough justice to that last part, as I was still trying to make things seem "mysterious" and hold out hope to the PCs that the Cradle might still be there to keep up some of the pace via a PbP game. That said, there's another "kicker" written into the adventure to put a sense of urgency back into the PCs. Namely, if they do pause to rest and haven't yet eliminated all three of Haramil's apparitions yet, the others will respawn in 24 hours. And, obviously, that'll present a whole new battle that risks further ability damage if the PCs don't learn from their mistakes. So, all in all, Haramil's tomb is meant to be a very challenging adventuring location crammed within a fairly small space/timeframe for 8th level PCs who'll obviously need some good resource management and tactics to push through. For the purposes of PbP, however, I did alter some elements of the adventure (to accommodate more than 4 PCs)...and trim some stuff that didn't add much to the story for a slower paced online game.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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Set wrote:
Awesome! As I was saying, it's an OCD thing for me, to compile lists and see what got lots of representation and what 'classic' races and classes didn't get as much. (Lots of humans and clerics and rogues. Very few barbarians and surprisingly few fighters, monks, wizards, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, etc.)
I've been making a conscious decision on these products to revisit some of the under-served classes (particularly fighers and wizards), but many of them are still in the design stage, so no one's seen them yet. :)
For instance, across the 6 unfinished Heroes products I have in varying stages of planning/completion, there's a: wizard (instructor), fighter (mobile fighter), ranger (trophy hunter), paladin (holy guide), wizard (spell sage), fighter (high guardian), and wizard (arcane physician) in the works. So, there was a fair bit of new design choices (especially via archetypes) among some of those under-represented classes. And, generally speaking, I always shoot for 2 arcane, 2 divine, 2 martial, and 2 skill/support classes in each set. That's a formula I'll never abandon, because it's what creates a well-rounded, mix-and-match party for each AP. And, among the divine classes, I pretty much always reach for at least one cleric for the higher healing output and channel energy capability, because most parties need that given the known lethality of some of the adventures.
As for the racial mix, that's always the toughest call I make when producing these sets. I shoot for 3-4 humans in every batch, and then 4-5 non-humans, and I only include the races that have good story-hooks for the specific AP rather than trying to force a dwarf, halfling, or gnome just for the sake of having one. I'll fit them in where I can, but only if it makes sense. In addition, with the Advanced Race Guide available, I try to have at least 1-2 of the non-human races include something a little more rare (e.g., oreads, sylphs, ifrits, or even a goblin?!) to show how they can fit into such an AP even better than some of the more traditional ones. But, no matter how you slice it, there's only so much room in each set...and the most important thing is to make sure they synergize with the AP and each other.
Set wrote:
I love how imaginative they've been...and how the various NPCs all have connections or narrative ties to each other, it really gives them a neat spark of life.
I think that's what sets the Heroes product line apart from just a set of routine, pregenerated characters. To elevate them, they need individual story hooks to the AP, but also to one another because that helps the players get into character much more swiftly when there are integrated backgrounds and motivations. I believe Endzeitgeist picked up on that quicker than anyone in one of his reviews. They're not just standalone characters. You can select 4-5 of the 8 and create an actual adventuring party that already has reasons for being together built into them. And, there are enough hooks in their backstories and future potential to let them play off one another (in a roleplaying sense) as they experience the AP together. That's always been the goal. And that's what inspires me when I do these things. I just wish I had more time to do them...and that they were better money-makers for Legendary Games to incent us to keep going.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
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Lord Fyre wrote:
What has happened to Neil Spicer's pregen character series?
If it helps at all, I have a selection I was working on for Runebound Heroes that's closest to completion, but as Jason said, I've been turning down work for quite sometime now, simply because my day-job and home-life schedules don't really allow much time for it, especially if it's something that requires a hard deadline. The Heroes product line is about the only one that I can work on as I find time, but they're not exactly the highest return-on-investment work for Legendary Games these days.
Lord Fyre wrote:
I figured that a set for Starfinder, or perhaps Age of Ashes might also be very helpful.
I did start brainstorming one for Starfinder's Dead Suns AP, but haven't made a lot of progress with it.
Sadly, there's nothing in the hopper for Age of Ashes...
Well, "theater of the mind" definitely means there's going to be GM interpretation of the character/monster positioning since we're not using a map. I'm not sure I'd call that GM fiat or GM whim, since dice rolls still matter. But, if you're not comfortable with that, I understand. That type of game isn't necessarily for everyone. So, if you want to drop out now that you have a better understanding, I certainly won't hold that against you.
In the meantime, I haven't seen Suetonius weigh in with any additional thoughts. I'm prepared to move the game along tomorrow if he doesn't chime in. FYI for everyone, I have a family beach trip this weekend, but I believe I'll still have wifi, so I plan on bringing my laptop with me to keep things going. If something unforeseen happens and I can't get a connection, I'll return on Sunday evening.
