It seems to me that Hialin’s transformation in Book 5 was a way for the writers to show the Dark Fate but also have a suitable span of time for Allevrah to have built relationships, solved complex astronomical equations, etc, in aid of her master plan. The consequence, however: that two colleagues on the Council both experience the (EXCEEDINGLY rare) Dark Fate, feels a little unsatisfying for me, so as the title of the post suggests, I’m wondering if there’s some way (other than a cinematic flashback) of the players somehow witnessing Allevrah’s transformation, thus meeting our BBEG before the finale. Any ideas?
The first thing that occured to me is that one could potentially swap books 4&5. After the victory at Celwynvian, while the regular elven warriors are cheering the PCs as heroes, the sortve “Men in Black” working for the Winter Council show up and bag ‘em, because they’re outsiders who’ve seen Drow. Queen spares their life and some version of Book 5 plays out, but with Allevrah as the already corrupted Councilor. I guess Auramesties would be alive too. So bing boom, curse her sudden but inevitable treachery, and the players see Allevrah become a drow before she BAMFs the heck out. Then into Book 4, but the players are trying to… catch her in Zirnakaynin/find evidence in Zirnakaynin?
That may not be the way to go about it or y’all may find the idea in general too half-baked, but since I believe an AP’s only as good as its BBEG, I’d love to have as many opportunities as possible for them to actually see Allevrah and what she’s about ahead of time, including potentially this really life-altering moment.
Your thoughts are so so welcome. Appreciate those who read this regardless.
Curious if the church of Abadar ever partners with those who ponder the philosophy of Kalistrade. There are obvious points of overlap, so much so I could see Abadarian worship either thriving or being outright banned in communities within Druma. But why wouldn’t a savvy Kalistocrat hedge her bets for the afterlife by throwing in a few prayers to big A after a day of raking in the ducats?
Thanks to anyone who’s put thought into this, or is willing to.
Like it says on the box, help me understand. Is it that whatever divine touch that overloads the poor oracle, giving her a debilitating curse, also marks her as holy, so people are drawn to her even if she jeebs them out?
With my historical and folkloric understanding of traditional western oracles, I’d imagine higher WIS than CHA, unless it’s the CHA that comes with intimidation (picturing the smoke and corpse filled caves of Delphi). I’d almost be inclined to swap their casting stats with clerics, who ostensibly have to preach their faith some of the time.
Hey folx, thanks in advance for your help. Are there any cool or unique weapons in Strange Aeons that I should bear in mind when I'm choosing feats like Weapon Focus?
I don't mind spoilers about the weapons themselves, naturally, though I'd prefer to avoid plot spoilers.
Hey folx, thanks in advance for your help. Are there any cool or unique weapons in Strange Aeons that I should bear in mind when I'm choosing feats like Weapon Focus?
I don't mind spoilers about the weapons themselves, naturally, though I'd prefer to avoid plot spoilers.
It occurs to me I still have a few more months while the best actors I know are unemployed: has anyone ever tried mounting a fully-realized production of “The Six Trials of Lazarod?” It’s certainly a silly thing to consider doing, but that’s a feature not a bug for some… what, apart from the fight choreo, atypical length, and references to Golarion an audience might not understand. would you think might make it difficult to pull off as a piece of theatre?
For those of you who have taken a whack even at acting it wholeheartedly, does it work as a play? Is it moving? Scary? Is Tybain funny?
Just rereading the back of Council of Thieves #1, where the iconics are Lem, Seltyiel as a Level 1 Fighter, Seelah, and Seoni, and it got me thinking what an odd combo Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Sorcerer would seem to me as a GM about to run the AP.
Has anyone still on the forums run or played any of the APs with the “recommended” 4 iconics? Did it feel balanced?
Hi y’all! Thinking about playing a melee combatant, likely a Warpriest or Fighter, and I’m wondering (assuming a GM running the AP loot as is, what weapons (only if you can try to tell me without spoiling the plot) might I wanna look at? Don’t wanna Favored Weapon Bardiche, por ejemplo, to discover they don’t make them in Ustalav.
While part of the genius of the writing and design of these APs is that they are meta-plot light so you can pick up any AP and enjoy it fully without having to buy others, I personally LOVE those meta callbacks, or those moments of frustration when a PC from CoT, say, finishes HV and shakes her fists at the uncaring heavens... it’s such a nice payoff for seasoned campaigners.
So my question to the seasoned members of this forum, what are the metaplots you have found?
That’s right, Hook Mountain Massacre wasn’t enough, and the time of year is fast approaching where I need my most gruesome, terrifying, and maybe just terrifyingly funny horror adventures.
One shot preferred, but any creepy or gruesome adventure starring ogres, that could be done between 1-4 sessions, would be very appreciated.
I’m coming in early on: they've only just completed Chapter 1 of Book 1, but it’s clear to the GM the tone is broadly comic evil, not gross or nasty. So far they are:
What do y’all think? Some kind’ve evil Druid, to help tank and heal? A rogue to get that sweet sneak? Curious both for optimizing the team as well as for a class you know is fun, or relevant, in this AP.
Looking for story and/or thematic connections to the AP, without too many spoilers. For instance, I understand worshipping Nocuticula might have a payoff somewhere in the campaign, but not how why nor when.
Which faith do you wish you had played/your players had chosen?
Looking for adventures starting in medias res. Now, obviously the first book of Serpent’s Skull starts
Serpent’s Skull Spoiler:
mid-toe-eating
, which is close to perfect, but I’d love something that wraps up in a single session, not the start of a major AP. Anything in PFS that would work? Anything else written at Paizo?
Looking for a Pathfinder adventure that starts right in the middle of action (in medias res, as the kids are saying these days), as opposed to a load-up meeting with Venture-Captain Tom Exposition.
Any insights as to scenarios/adventures I should check out?
The players guide gives so many options: Andoletta or Iomedae? Gorum or Norgorber?
Not looking for mechanically sound ones, but rather opportunities in the AP’s plot and themes to feel like my PC’s faith is connected to the events around me. Obviously the DM will do a lot of that work, but without spoilers: does the AP give any indication as to its favored gods?
Not concerned with mechanical benefits, purely connections to story and theme.
A friend had a blast going through as a cleric of Sun Wukong, though I doubt there were any plot connections as written (some thematic to be sure) in the books themselves.
Does anyone who’s GMed or read this have any suggestions?
I know this isn’t primarily a religion focused campaign, but if I wanted to make my GM’s job easier by having my character worship a deity that would really fit neatly into either the APs plot, and/or into the themes of the campaign?
Someone in another thread mentioned Alseta, presumably for an elven PC. And Smiad is attractive, but for how little play worshipping an empyrean usually gets in an AP. Any other thoughts?
Looking not for mechanical optimization, but story bang for my deity buck. My DM will find a way to work my cleric’s faith into the story regardless, but which deity selection would make his job the easiest?
Norgorber seems right at home with the themes here, but I’ve vaguely heard that evil PCs kinda cause the plot to hiccup near the end... which deity do you wish YOUR cleric player had chosen?
On paper, Elion seems a perfect Thematic fit for Ruins of Azlant, but He is “unknown in Golarion,” and multi-classing into one once we discover His existence seems mechanically inoptimal, to say the least.
So assuming your cleric were starting the adventure as written, and assuming too that you wanted that cleric’s faith to tie as closely as possible to both the plot-as-written and the themes of this adventure path, which deity would you choose?
Looking for deities for my party’s cleric that would MOST fit in with the themes and plots of this AP, while still being a believable choice given the starting circumstances of the party.
Erastil, Gozreh, and Cayden Cailen have been suggested to me, and a certain archfey, but if y’all were running (with the understanding that no matter what your PCs chose you’d find some way to make their faith relevant), which deity selection would make your life easiest? Which would make you rub your hands together with delight at how perfectly it fits?
This is a weird AP for it, but I’d love to build a character of faith whose deity actually MATTERS to the story in some way.
I thought Lamashtu, but my understanding is that evil characters might find themselves dissatisfied with some reveal later on in the AP.
Without too many spoilers, if y’all were running and had a cleric in your party, which deity selection would make your job easiest and most fulfilling, given the story you have at hand?
Of course there are always mechanics to consider, and I’m aware I want a beefy boy HP-wise, but I’m really a story guy at heart and without having anything TOO spoiled, is there a deity I could choose that would MOST link my faith into the plot without extensive rewrites?
I’m thinking theme/plot wise, not mechanics (though I understand getting them fire is a BIG help)... obviously y’all are good enough DMs to make your PC clerics feel like their faith matters, even if they pick some Azlanti rando, but which deity selection would make your job easiest? What’s there in the writing?
I know this is a planar adventure, and maybe more gonzo than divine, but if I wanted to roll up a cleric that would make the DM’s job of integrating my faith into her campaign easiest, what should I choose?
Looking at Cayden Cailen, looking at Nethys, looking *hard* at Urgathoa (those extra pounds should serve me well in the cold), but I’m willing to drop all of those ideas if someone can suggest a deity that’d fit better.
What deity selection would give you the warm fuzzies and think “oh yes, this is going to pay off splendidly down the line?”
Looking for plot and thematic relevance rather than mechanical benefits, even though I could and would obviously find a way to make my cleric’s faith feel relevant regardless... I just wanna know which would make my job easiest?
A good friend told me he had a great time running a cleric of Gozreh through this AP, but while I don’t want all the plot reveals ruined for me, which deity do y’all think would pay off the most in terms of THE STORY of this AP (do incidents happen involving this deity or its worshippers? Is there historical or religious links to its worship? Failing that, which deity do you think would be most THEMATICALLY appropriate for this campaign?
I’m very curious as to the “ideal” cleric for Second Darkness, not mechanically, but purely in terms of relevance to the plot at hand. Reading the player’s guide, it seems like Calistria could be a strong choice, but if y’all were running the AP and one of your players wanted to be a cleric, which deity choice would make you rub your hands with anticipation?
I’m very curious as to the “ideal” cleric for each AP, not mechanistically, but purely in terms of relevance to the plot at hand.
There are some Paths, like Carrion Crown, where this seems obvious, while others, like Reign of Winter, where I have no freakin idea.
Not super interested in answers just saying you‘re having fun in Book 2 of your play through with such-and-such a build; I’d really like those DEEPLY familiar with any or all of the APs to weigh in with their top choice (or top two of you MUST) for each AP.
In the spirit of playing along, I took my own swing at it, but I am NOT deeply familiar with every AP, and because I’m a perverse theorycrafter, I made myself never repeat deities, though I’m sure there are two each for Pharasma and Cayden Cailean, and prolly at least three for Iomedae.
Here goes:
Rise of the Runelords: Desna
Curse of the Crimson Throne: Abadar
Second Darkness: Calistria
Legacy of Fire: Sarenrae
Council of Thieves: Iomedae
Kingmaker: Erastil
Serpent’s Skull: Gozreh
Carrion Crown: Pharasma
Jade Regent: Cayden Cailen
Skull & Shackles: Besmara
Shattered Star: Irori
Reign of Winter: Nethys
Wrath of the Righteous: Shelyn
Mummy’s Mask: Ra
Iron Gods: Brigh
Giantslayer: Torag
Hell’s Rebels: Milani
Hell’s Vengeance: Asmodeus
Strange Aeons: Lamashtu
Ironfang Invasion: Gorum
Ruins of Azlant: Apsu
War for the Crown: Norgorber
Return of the Runelords: Nocticula
Tyrant’s Grasp: Andoletta
Age of Ashes: Milani
Extinction Curse: Sun Wukong
Agents of Edgewatch: Grundinnar
While I understand that combat maneuver builds are feat-intensive, and most choose to avoid them for that reason, a dear and loyal player of mine is UNSHAKABLE in her desire to build a Trip-focused PC. Fine, all well and good.
Since I am not a sadist, and my other players are totally game to build their PCs to WHICHEVER AP I choose, I want to avoid choosing one with lots of many-legged, flying, or Huge creatures (though I know of course there will always be some, and I know, too, every PC will find some situations they are not useful in). Which led me to the idea of asking the forums:
Which are the APs that have the highest number of humanoid encounters and humanoid BBEGs? The tripper doesn't need to be the star of the party, but I'd hate for her to feel useless compared to the other ladies.
Thanks so much in advance for taking the time and care in giving me your ideas.
