Olodrin's page

Hi all,

I will be moving from Washington, DC to Augusta, Maine at the end of July. Any friendly Mainers with an empty slot in their game?

Thanks,
Olodrin

Hey all, I know I sent out a similar message some time ago, but I have more current information to share with any of the SCAPpers from Maine.

My wife and I will be moving to Manchester, right outside of Augusta, at the end of July. If any of you friendly Maine SCAPpers have room for one more, either in SCAP or another game, it would be totally and utterly awesome.

Anyhow, sorry for the non-SCAP-specific post.

Olodrin

Hi all,

Apologies for the non-sequiter post, but I feel like the Paizo SCAP boards are sort of like that musty old pub that we all pop into for a pint on Tuesday evenings to catch up on the news.

I'll cut to the chase. Any of you SCAP-ers in Maine have room for a fellow Paizo-ite in your game?

Thanks,
Olodrin

Hello fellow SCAPers,

My players have just completed their third session of TotSE, and have just completed the first and second enounters at the Cathedral of Feathers. At the moment, I have 3 10th lvl PCs, and 2 9th lvl NPCs.

While they made it through the Narthex in relatively good shape (mostly due to a fabulous set of saving throws) the encounter in the Cathedral proper was extremely difficult (due entirely to an abysmal chain of saving throws).

In the surprise round, the heavy and the scout surged out ahead of the party. Both fail their Spot checks, allowing the Succubus to dive down and charm the archer (a follower of Kord), convincing him that the mean ol' wizard was evil, and that she was a maiden in distress. Also during that round, the Salamander put up a Wall of Fire, separating the heavy and the scout from (importantly) the main healer.

In the 1st round, the wizard pops over the WoF to get away from the archer and got fireballed, along with the heavy. The wizard did, however, convince the scout that he to go back and help the archer out by killing the succubus. The heavy charged the Salamander and took an AoO from the Salamander's tail; he ended up grappled 10 ft out, leaving him deliciously in range of the Salamander's longspear. The heavy doesn’t carry any small magical weapons, so he was pretty much out of the fight until he broke the grapple, 4 rounds later.

So the scout went around the wall to help the archer, got charmed by the succubus (Charm Monster) and immediately begins guarding the rear of the party, ie stood out of the way of the combatants.

So a few rounds pass, the cleric takes out the succubus with a few rounds of Spiritual Hammer, when the Salamander decides to play the rest of his hand and pull out the Huge Fire Elemental.

Thankfully, Kaurophon managed to work his way around the Guardinal and rejoin the group (using Dimension Door) and weakened the elemental, salamander and Wall of Fire with some Cones of Cold, allowing the party to regroup and finish them off. We ended up with one dead and everyone else in the single digits, except the scout, who never took any damage.

Anyway, it was a great fight. I am so happy with it that I needed to share with some people who would understand.

Thanks,
Olodrin

Hi everyone,

Quick question. For those of you that have rounded off DL and are heading into TotSE, how are you making this transition?

I ask because, according to the hardcover, the PCs should have a chance to rest and re-equip post DL, but I think this would tend to ratchet down the tension of the story. Also, I want to use DD's Battle of Redgorge mod. Clearly, I would like to barrel from the end of DL right in TotSE, without having to convince my players of Kauraphon's good intentions.

My thought at the moment is to use my player's rampant addiction to loot to my advantage. They will find the (apparently) dead body of a half-fiend in the desert at the end of DL, and as soon as they touch it (for looting purposes), they are transported instantly to Occipitus. They awake in a rather dazed state to find that the supposedly dead half-fiend is in fact very much alive and impatient to get started, and continually refers to the dream haunted character as Lord so-and-so.

I am very much looking forward to play Kauraphon as a grumpy curmudgeon.

So, to summarize:

Do the players need a break at the end of DL?
Has anyone been able to use the DD's Redgorge mod while following along with the book instructions?

Thanks,
Olodrin

So here it is: the players fight their way through the Demonskar, go through the Starry Mirror, find Alek, and fight Nabthatoron. Then some dude in a robe show up, in the middle of the freakin' desert, and says "hey guys, my name is Kauraphon, I radiate evil and I know lots about this big conspiracy that you're starting to suspect exists. I have an idea, let's go to Hell."

Yeah.

Well, if my mage player doesn't have Teleport at this point (which he will, because he's not a moron), the party can still call Meerthan to get them home. I just don't see the cryptic mutterings of a clearly dead paladin driving them into Kauraphon's arms.

Has anyone else had this problem? It feels a little too much like railroading.

How did you get your players to go with him? Keep in mind that we're about two sessions from this now, so clever foreshadowing that might have helped is not gonna happen.

Thanks,
Olodrin

In looking through the effects of the statue in the temple of Bhal Hamatugn, I noticed that first and foremost is the permanent, widened Unhallow.

Unhallow has three components:
1. Acts as a Magic Circle Against Evil (+2 Deflection AC, +2 saves vs good creatures or their effects, shields from compulsions)

2. Makes it more difficult to turn undead, and easier to rebuke them

3. Allows the caster to tie one spell of a set of spells to the location.

Is it me, or has this last element been missed? Frankly, the idea of tagging a Dispel Magic set to go off on anyone who is not evil sounds fantastic, or maybe tagging Death Ward would be best (my necro mage would hate me even more than he does already).

Is this third element taken up by Aushanna's summoning?

The available spells are as follows:
aid, bane, bless, cause fear, darkness, daylight, death ward, deeper darkness, detect magic, detect good, dimensional anchor, discern lies, dispel magic, endure elements, freedom of movement, invisibility purge, protection from energy, remove fear, resist energy, silence, tongues, and zone of truth.

Any thoughts here?

Thanks,
Olodrin

Hi all,

My five guys are about to enter the Pit of the Seven Jaws (PotSW), and they are just on the cusp of 7th. Should I cheat a little and bump them up to 7 before they head in?

Thanks,
Olodrin

A quick question: does anyone know of a decent way to handle the Swallow Whole ability?

Today, my 6th level part came across a T-Rex. In the 1st rd, it grabbed Ruphus, doing 3d6+13 pts of damage, then swallowed him in the 2nd rd doing 2d8+8 bludgeoning +8 pts of acid, resulting in a stunning 3d6+2d8+29 pts in 2 rds! I didn't want Ruphus (my favorite NPC) to die, so I had the beastie swallow the party tank next and help cut his way out (not a strict rules interpretation, but hey, I'm the DM).

So, has anybody come up with some sort of substance that forces critters to puke swallowed adventurers? Obviously, it shouldn't be something that works automatically, which would obviate the terror of being swallowed, but... well, you see what I mean.

Thanks,
Olodrin

Hello all,

Over the last little while, I've been trying to liven up my game with a couple of unusual creatures. Having set Ebon Triad HQ under a sunken ziggurat out in the jungle, I've been having a lot of fun trying out some of the critters that don't often show up in dungeons. One in particular that caught my eye is the Tendriculos:

Tendriculos
Size/Type: Huge Plant CR 6
Hit Dice: 9d8+54 (94 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +9 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+23
Attack: Bite +13 melee (2d8+9)
Full Attack: Bite +13 melee (2d8+9) and 2 tendrils +8 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, paralysis, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, plant traits, regeneration 10
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +2, Will +4
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 9, Con 22, Int 3, Wis 8, Cha 3
Skills: Hide +9, Listen +1, Move Silently +1, Spot +1
Feats: Alertness, Iron Will, Power Attack, Stealthy

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a tendriculos must hit a creature at least one size smaller than itself with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the opponent in the following round. A tendriculos can also use its improved grab ability on a tendril attack. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold, picks up the opponent, and transfers it to the mouth as a free action, automatically dealing bite damage.

Swallow Whole/Paralysis (Ex)
A tendriculos can try to swallow a grabbed opponent by making a successful grapple check. Once inside the plant’s mass, the opponent must succeed on a DC 20 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 3d6 rounds by the tendriculos’s digestive juices, taking 2d6 points of acid damage per round. A new save is required each round inside the plant. The save DC is Constitution-based. A swallowed creature that avoids paralysis can climb out of the mass with a successful grapple check. This returns it to the plant’s maw, where another successful grapple check is needed to get free. A swallowed creature can also cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the tendriculos’s interior (AC 14). Once the creature exits, the plant’s regenerative capacity closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Huge tendriculos’s interior can hold 2 Large, 8 Medium, 32 Small, 128 Tiny, or 512 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Regeneration (Ex)
Bludgeoning weapons and acid deal normal damage to a tendriculos. A tendriculos that loses part of its body mass can regrow it in 1d6 minutes. Holding the severed portion against the mass enables it to reattach instantly.

Another was brought to mind by the apocryphal "Gazebo Incident" (for those poor few of you who are not familiar with this, please check it out here: http://www.dndadventure.com/html/articles/gaming_stories.html)

My wife found this story to be so amusing that she asked me to elaborate on it in game, and so I give you Gazebo!

Gazebo, Advanced Mimic, CR 8
Size/Type: Huge aberration (Shapechanger)
Hit Points: 21d8+ 126 (210)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 10
AC:16 (-2 Size, +8 Natural), Touch 8, Flat-Footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+31
Attack: +22
Full Attack: +22/+22 (2d6+8, slam), 19/20
Space/Reach: 15/15
Special Attacks: Adhesive, Crush
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, immunity to acid, mimic shape
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +9, Will +14
Abilities: STR 27, DEX 10, CON 21, INT 10, WIS 13, CHA 10
Skills: Climb +20, Disguise +20, Spot +9, Listen +9, Diplomacy +12
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (Slam), Improved Sunder, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Toughness (+1HP/HD), Weapon Focus (Slam)

Adhesive (Ex)
A mimic exudes a thick slime that acts as a powerful adhesive, holding fast any creatures or items that touch it. An adhesive-covered mimic automatically grapples any creature it hits with its slam attack. Opponents so grappled cannot get free while the mimic is alive without removing the adhesive first.
A weapon that strikes an adhesive-coated mimic is stuck fast unless the wielder succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. A successful DC 16 Strength check is needed to pry it off.
Strong alcohol dissolves the adhesive, but the mimic still can grapple normally. A mimic can dissolve its adhesive at will, and the substance breaks down 5 rounds after the creature dies.

Crush (Ex)
This mimic deals 2d6+8 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Mimic Shape (Ex)
This mimic tends to assume the shape of a small garden gazebo, about 10 feet across and a roof 8 ft high. A mimic’s body is hard and has a rough texture, no matter what appearance it might present. Anyone who examines the mimic can detect the ruse with a successful Spot check opposed by the mimic’s Disguise check. Of course, by this time it is generally far too late.

Skills
A mimic has a +8 racial bonus on Disguise checks.

My players have been enjoying SCAP immensely. Indeed, they have been enjoying it to such a degree that several of them have decided they want to run the next APs (AoW & ST).

However, buying the back issues of the necessary magazines is kind of inconvenient, so I am wondering if there is any indication that these APs will follow SCAP's lead and be published in hardcover format.

Anyone?

Hey all,

So, in a fit of inspiration, I decided to locate the Ebon Triad's Headquarters (ET HQ) beneath a ziggurat out in the jungle, forcing my players to cut their way through trackless wilderness full of very wild, and often very hungry, critters. Keeping in mind that my party was a group of 5 4th lvl characters (bolstered somewhat by Shensen), I used the the monster filter on d20srd.org to bring up the appropriate animals for the climate and class level and had a blast.

Here's the rub; they will now be heading into ET HQ at 5th lvl. I've done some calculation around encounter level and a bunch of the combats still come out as "Very Challenging" but I just wanted to check this past some of you all on the board.

Will this be a cakewalk for my players? should I bolster some of the encounters in ET HQ?

Thanks,
Olodrin

The Demonskar Ball: before or after the events in Flood Season?

Hey all,

My players, being the clever sort, have survived the gnomish enclave, with only one death in the process, and found the elevator down. Being particularly clever, they decided to gum up the elevator's works before leaving to rest and re-equip, intending to deal with the MF in the morning (or at their earliest convenience).

My problem is this: the folks in the MF are going to know something is wrong when their elevator stops working, and would, I assume, set up a plan for when the elevator-wreckers deign to come for a visit. That being the case, I can't imagine that my players could possibly survive the onslaught of half a dozen hobgoblins, the tree construct and Kazmojen and Prickles, not to mention the tactical advantage of the opposition of controlling the pit traps.

Has anyone found a fun way to resolve this issue? Or should I just go gang-busters on the party and assume they can find a way out of trouble? Interestingly, 3 of the 4 adventurers are right on the cusp of 3rd level. Perhaps making up another 50xp would provide a solution.

Thoughts?

Hey all,

I just ran my first session of the SCAP, and my 4 players ripped through the investigation and have started into Jzaridune. While they are being roundly trounced by some of the monsters, they seem to be holding their own through clever tactics.

After the session, I did some xp math, and came to the rather surprising conclusion that they had earned over 1500 xp each in the first session. Is this unusual?

Comments are welcome.

Hey all,

Going to be starting the SCAP soon, and am looking for a little advice. As of now, I have five players: ranger, urban ranger, psion, fighter and an evoker. Note the lack of healing and roguey-ness.

I figure the healing can be done through scrolls, potions and wands, but I am more concerned about traps, locks and secret doors. My thought at this point is to introduce a trap+lock expert (maybe Ghelve had an apprentice?) as per the Expert NPC class.

My question is this: am I removing a lethal threat and making the game more enjoyable, or am I simply removing a party challenge and making the game less fun?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Olodrin