Bravo! Well done Victoria! And Congratulations again to Robert, Mikko, and Mike! Looking forward to seeing what you guys can do, and really looking forward to The Daughters of Fury! Again: Well done!
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When yet another shipment of sun orchid elixir disappears on its way to Pashow, the desperate Emir Guldis secretly seeks help to locate the missing convoy. Pashow cannot endure much longer without the elixir’s gold, under risk of insurrection and conflict with Aspenthar. To avoid famine and war, the PCs must follow the missing caravan’s trail through the deserts of Thuvia. Their quest leads to a city erased from history, and into the millennial dream of its slumbering ruler. Through the Dream Sands is an adventure designed for 5th-level characters. By the end of the module, characters should be 6th-level. Adventure Background
After losing other shipments to teleporting mishaps in previous years, Emir Guldis opted for a more conservative approach this time. Three heavily defended caravans were sent to the Citadel of the Alchemist to fetch the elixir, and each took a different route back to Pashow. The two decoys arrived a couple of days ago, but the one carrying the real vials did not. Yet, contrary to Emir Guldis’ fears, the elixir was not taken. Attacked by the Amushar tribe, most of the Emir’s men escaped through a mountain pass, heading into a valley dreaded by their pursuers. The fleeing caravan pushed through an electrical sandstorm, reaching an unnaturally peaceful area amidst the violent winds. There they found a city lost to memory and history, and sought shelter. However, mysterious powers within the city have trapped the unwary refugees in the shared dream of its inhabitants. Unable to wake up, these Thuvians – and their precious cargo – now wait for deliverance. Meanwhile, desperation has set in at the Emir’s palace. Only Emir Guldis and a few trustworthy advisors are aware of the current situation. If word of the missing caravan gets out, the implications are dire: the auction will be ruined, costing hundreds of thousands of gold pieces, and civil unrest is sure to take over the streets, as the already troubled city sinks further into debt and poverty. Agitators shall embrace the chance to depose Guldis and hand the throne to princess Ziralia of Aspenthar. The Emir demanded his counselors find someone to solve the problem. Fearful of the insurgents hidden among the locals, the counselors have turned their eyes to foreign adventurers. The chosen heroes must bring the sun orchid elixir to Pashow by the end of the week. Adventure Hooks
Emir Guldis has prepared a grandiose reception for his guests. A celebration takes place in the main square, with music and reenactments of famous comedies. While the common folk occupy the ground, the Emir and his guests sit in the tribune overlooking the crowd. Distant shouting disrupts the festivity. Three men arrive wounded and dehydrated, babbling disturbing news regarding the elixir shipment. The Emir immediately recognizes the survivors of his lost caravan. The men are taken away, but the crowd’s disposition shifts drastically as rumors of another lost shipment spread. A riot begins. The crowd hurls objects and insults at the tribune, and fights break out. PCs may attempt to calm the people, saving dozens of innocents. While doing so, they spot a man aiming a crossbow at the tribunes. If the PCs stop the agitator, they take credit for saving the Emir’s life; otherwise, the fired bolt hits Emir Guldis in the shoulder. An old wizard steps into the tribune and holds up an iron case; raising the lid, he reveals the six vials of sun orchid elixir, reassuring the crowd. PCs can make Will saves to see past the wizard’s illusion and notice that the box is empty. The deception is enough to end the riot, but festivities are over for the day. The old wizard invites the PCs to meet at the palace. During a sumptuous dinner, the old man explains the situation and pleads them to help the city. The Emir offers a reward should the group complete their mission in seven days: they must rescue the elixir by oathday, when the bids are opened. The wizard supplies the PCs with provisions, mounts and maps indicating the caravan’s route. According to the three survivors, the caravan was attacked by the Amushar tribe, two days away from Pashow. The Amushar are scorpion-riding sulis that live in a tightly-knit matriarchal community. Famous for high-profile heists and kidnappings, they hold rare stolen goods and often keep prisoners for ransom. Despite their brutality in battle, these tribesmen are surprisingly civilized when negotiating their merchandise. Retracing the caravan’s steps, the PCs are attacked by an Amushar band mounted in giant scorpions. The Amushar riders attempt to capture the PCs alive. If defeated, the tribesmen surrender and propose to exchange their lives for the Thuvian prisoners. They lead the PCs to their camp, but know nothing about the sun orchid elixir. The camp consists of exuberant tents raised in a circle, and a few cage wagons in which the tribe keeps prisoners, treasures and unusual pets. The PCs meet Amata, a tenacious middle-aged woman who holds complete authority over the tribe. Amata does not possess the elixir, but has valuable information to trade. If the PCs cannot meet her price, she offers a gamble: they will fight her pet criosphinx in a combat to death. If they win, she hands them the captive Thuvians and helpful information, and the PCs may keep their Amushar prisoners if they so desire. Otherwise, Amata keeps the PCs’ loot. According to Amata, the caravan fled past a mountain pass called the Stray Archway into an inhospitable valley, a region immersed in a furious electrical sandstorm for as long as the Amushar remember. The Amushar captured or killed only part of the caravan before giving up pursuit. The rest of the convoy rode into the storm carrying the elixir, and is probably still roaming inside it. The PCs cross the Stray Archway and reach the sandstorm a few miles into the arid valley. They must make checks to avoid getting lost in the storm. From time to time, the PCs come across fallen travelers and their dead mounts, half-buried in the sands. Bound aghashes empower the sandstorm, while lightning elementals generate the electrical charges. Following the caravan’s trail, the PCs soon reach a peaceful bubble amidst the raging sands. There rests Xardas. The Stray Archway (Bonus Location):
The sandstorm clouds the sky and completely surrounds Xardas. Streets show no signs of recent activity; still, the city does not look abandoned at all – on the contrary, it is in pristine condition. Buildings are clean and clear of sand, and exquisite gardens of clay sculptures inlaid with gemstones replace what used to be lively flower beds. A quick exploration reveals that everyone in the city seems asleep, but feverish moans denote haunted dreams. The PCs notice a faint lullaby that pervades the whole town. Soon after entering Xardas, they are attacked by dreamlings. Dreamling Swarm:
The whole human population is under a sleeping curse, but other creatures inhabit the city. The PCs should explore the area using a sandbox approach to locate the caravan and the elixir. A. Mystic Monolith
In 830 AR, Xardas was a powerful city-state ruled by the sorcerer-king Beldusar. The king’s expansionism, combined with unparalleled greed and cruelty, made Xardas a hated enemy across the lands. To put and end to Beldusar’s reign of terror, spellcasters from dominated regions combined their forces to lay a supernatural siege to Xardas, creating an impassable magical sandstorm that also blocked teleportation. The Xardanian wizards created a protective bubble around the city, but could not dispel the storm. Cut apart from trade routes, Xardas quickly succumbed to hunger and thirst. Divinations indicated that the magic behind the storm would fade over time. To save the city, the local wizards invoked a sleeping curse that would preserve the citizens until Xardas could rise again. The ritual was centered on King Beldusar: when the time came, he would wake and lead his people back to glory. The wizards summoned a guardian to look after the king and his subjects, for the curse could be lifted by the king’s premature death. The wizards perished performing the weeks-long ritual, incapable of including themselves in the effect. Their demise spawned poltergeists and a haunt that continuously chants a somber, drowsy lullaby. B. Royal Palace
C. Keeper’s Sanctum
Cloak of Wakefulness:
D. Temple of Nethys
After gathering all information, the PCs learn that the elixir is in Beldusar’s demiplane. Killing the king right away would forever lock the elixir and the Xardanians’ in an unaccessible demiplane. They must instead physically enter Beldusar’s dream to retrieve the item and wake him up from within. Guided by the Mystic Monolith tablets and with the Keeper’s aid, the PCs can peek into Beldusar’s dream and verbally project those images in a lump of clay, that is then dissolved in water. The puddle of clay turns into a portal to the other plane.
Going through the portal, PCs land in small isles of sharp obsidian shards afloat in a sea of quicksilver. Colors, sounds and smells amalgamate in a synesthetic chaos. The metallic ocean spreads for as far as the eye can see, mirroring the shifting sky, while an imposing ziggurat stands atop a hovering pyroclastic cloud. Rivers of lava cascade from the cloud into the sea, creating rolling mists of poisonous gas. Dreamlings are virtually everywhere, but ignore the PCs and are harmless inside this demiplane; however, Beldusar can use them as raw material to create other creatures of his imagination. The king detects the intruders and rises from the mercury in liquid metal form; he threatens the PCs and melts away summoning chromed tentacles that attack the invaders. Beldusar dwells in his treasure chamber deep inside the ziggurat. To reach the building, the PCs use a flight of floating steps spiraling up towards the volcanic cloud. Climbing the stairs proves tricky: the steps move constantly, and geysers of boiling quicksilver and poisonous steam shoot from below. Flying characters are also affected by the geysers. The PCs can walk above the pyroclastic smoke. Beldusar’s image reappears, this time made of ashes and amber. He demands submission, and starts pulling monstrous heads from the cloud, creating a pyrohydra. After defeating the hydra, the PCs reach the ziggurat, but cannot locate any entrances. They must solve a puzzle to find their way in, where a labyrinth of mirrors awaits them. Beldusars materializes behind the mirrors and shows the PCs their worst nightmares, while the PCs’ distorted reflections portray them as persons they dread becoming. They must conquer their fears to get out of the maze. At the ziggurat’s main chamber, corridors filled with cellblocks irradiate from the circular room, and a central spiral staircase ends in the ceiling. The cells are overcrowded with the consciousnesses of the Xardanians. The chamber’s floor starts crumbling, revealing a giant mouth below. Within its maws, multiple rows of sharp teeth encircle a pool of lava; it speaks with Beldusar’s voice and spits a flame drake against the PCs. Through a secret door at the top of the stairway, they can reach the treasure chamber. Beldusar sits in a throne at the center of the room, surrounded by chained slaves and huge heaps of gold. Most of the hoard comes from his imagination, but some was brought by dreamlings from the material plane. If the PCs try to reason with Beldusar, he refuses to wake up; he sees himself an immortal god inside his realm, and is unwilling to trade this existence for a lesser one in the material plane. With a gesture, Beldusar unshackles the slaves and transforms them in reflections of himself. Piles of treasure tumble down to bury the PCs. The heroes must pick the true Beldusar from the crowd and destroy his dream persona in a final showdown. With Beldusar defeated, the demiplane collapses, spilling the sun orchid elixir case and all other physical contents in the material plane. PCs return to the royal bedchamber, where the Keeper stands peacefully by Beldusar’s comatose body. The Xardanians remain asleep, and PCs must slay the king to finally lift the curse. Compelled by by the ancient wizards’ magic, the Keeper unwillingly fights the PCs to protect the king. As the genie dies, he thanks the PCs for delivering him from his millennial burden. Beldusar’s death releases a powerful wave of arcane magic that wakes the whole city. Conclusion
Recently, an egelsee cocktail found its way into the water well. Using its addictive glob, the creature lured guards into the well, where it feasted undisturbed and multiplied. The spawned oozes soon climbed out and took over the whole keep. With the yearly wardstone ritual approaching, the remaining soldiers sent a call for help and barricaded themselves inside the chapel, trying to perform the ceremony in time. The oozes broke down the door and drank each last of them dry. With nobody left to tend to the wardstone, it has now become vulnerable to the abyss’ forces. Word of the keep’s forsaking reached both sides of the border at about the same time. In the Mendevian city of Kenables, messengers warned prelate Hulrun about the situation. The prelate dispatched an elite team to move in quickly and protect the wardstone, with a new garrison marching behind. On the Worldwound side, border watchers spotted the empty battlements and reported back to Aponavicius, mistress of Drezen, who sent forth her own human troops. As both armies race to occupy the keep, Aponavicius already has the upper hand: her special team was the first to arrive, and now makes preparations for the incoming Drezen army. PCs arrive at the site as the Mendevian elite team. From outside the walls, they can see the lowered bridge and the enemy army fast approaching from the other margin. They must save the wardstone and stop Aponavicius’ invasion.
In the wardstone chapel, read or paraphrase the following:
A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check reveals that the cultists are reversing the wardstone’s magic, but their ceremony can be disrupted using the tome on the floor. For purposes of calculating hit points and area, the Drezen army has 500 veteran soldiers (guard, Pathfinder Game Mastery Guide 260). It begins the encounter 280 ft. away from the main gate, advancing 20 ft. per round. Catapult attacks or damaging spells cast against the army reduce its speed by 20 ft. as soldiers scatter and regroup. Frontline soldiers carry a magic ram that deals 3d6+18 points of damage to walls and gates; twice per day, the ram works as a dispel magic spell (CL 5) when used to strike a magical barrier. A1. Bridge ward
Creatures: After killing the garrison, most of the egelsee cocktails plunged into the river and wandered away looking for more food. Two of them crawled back to the water well, but the recent movement has disturbed them. They climbed up to the well’s rim and can be noticed with a DC 18 Perception check. Led by the bandit Ezemael, Aponavicius’ team includes the half-fiend minotaur Montaug and the wizard Vannara. Their task is to escort a cabal of cultists (8 acolytes, Pathfinder RPG Game Mastery Guide 304). The demons of Drezen have taught the cultists how to conduct a ritual that can ruin the vulnerable wardstone. The group lowered the bridges and made preparations to protect their stance. Vannara defends the bridges from the siege bastion (A7) with her cythnigot qlippoth familiar. Ezemael and Montaug block the chapel’s door. Inside the chapel, Aponavicius’ cultists hurry to conclude their diabolic mission. Trap: Ezemael booby-trapped the left mechanism of both drawbridges with tangleburn bags. Attempting to raise the bridge springs the trap. Development: To win this encounter, the PCs must protect the wardstone, defeat Ezemael’s team, and raise or destroy the drawbridges to prevent the invasion. The encounter begins when the PCs enter the bridge ward. The cultists ignore the PCs and do not fight. They need 5 turns to finish the ritual, but can be delayed. As a standard action, a PC can use the religious tome and make a DC 22 Knowledge (religion) check to cancel one turn of the cultists’ chanting. The ritual can continue as long as there is one cultist ready. If the cultists complete the ritual, the chapel starts falling apart as the wardstone loses its magic; anyone inside the building takes 4d6 damage from falling debris (DC 20 Reflex save halves) for the next 3 rounds. The egelsee cocktails attack the nearest creatures in the ward. Vannara casts invisibility before the combat starts and attacks from the siege bastion, readying dispel magic spells to counter spells that target the cultists or the bridge. Ezemael and Montaug block the chapel’s door and protect the ritual. Ezemael attempts to trip his enemies. Montaug bull rushes anyone trying to approach. Unless slowed down by attacks, gates or other obstructions, the army enters the second drawbridge (A3) in the 9th round, and the first drawbridge (A2) in the 12th round. A bridge cannot be raised if the army is already over it. In the 15th round, the army enters the keep. If it enters the keep, the encounter ends, and PCs should flee. The army does not pursue fleeing enemies. To raise a bridge, two creatures must operate the opposed drawbridge mechanism on the bridge’s sides. Each operator takes one mechanism and makes a DC 10 Strength check each round as a full-round action. It takes three pairs of successes to completely raise one drawbridge. The DC increases to 15 if the army reaches a bridge before it is completely raised; on a failed paired check, the frontline soldiers force the bridge down and advance. To destroy a bridge, the PCs can employ the light catapults (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 435) in the siege bastion (A7), using alchemical fire canisters as ammunition. Six canisters fill the box in area A7. A bridge struck by a canister takes 4d6 fire damage and catches fire. A fireball or similar spell can ignite the bridge. Vannara puts out the fires using sleet storm. The army withdraws from a burning bridge and cannot swim through the river. Drawbridge Trap CR 4 (2)
Egelsee Cocktail (2) CR 5
Ezemael CR 6
Montaug CR 6
Vannara CR 6
This tangle of rotten, lifeless roots raises two tentacles above the ground, reaching for fresh blood to quench its unholy thirst. Leechroot CR 4
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----- Special Abilities -----
The brutal Goblinblood Wars left in their wake a devastated land, a horde of orphaned children, and, among other tragedies, the arising of a new undead horror. The first leechroot emerged from the remains of plants drowned in the blood-drenched soils of Chiterwood. A chaotic intertwining of rotten roots, this monstrosity quickly spread its curse, soaking other dead plants in its sap to spawn a horrid offspring. Not even the cleansing fire that consumed Chitterwood could rid the world of this sprouting danger. Moving underground, the leechroots dispersed to forests all over Avistan, reaching as far as the Ustalavic Shuderwoods. A leechroot is driven solely by an insatiable thirst for blood. It hides among undergrowth and below the earth while waiting for unwary prey, slashing against anything that comes its way. Relying on razor-sharp tentacles, a leechroot snatches its victims and feeds directly from their wounds. The absorbed blood mutates into a thick, dark red sap which runs through the leechroot’s vessels and oozes from its unhallowed body.
Water-Born Votary (Monk) A fervent follower of the River Preacher, the water-born votary is the protector and sage of the Riverton congregation. This zealot adheres firmly to the community’s dogmas, and while others manifest their devotion by serving as priests, the water-born votary treads a different path towards his god. Through contemplation and training, he seeks to become one with the river, thus attaining the ultimate communion with the Water Rat. Class Skills: A water-born votary gains Knowledge (nature) and Survival as class skills and does not gain Perform and Ride as class skills. Riverton Vow (Su): At 1st level, a water-born votary swears to uphold Hanspur’s tenets and to rigidly obey and enforce the Six River Freedoms. He increases his ki pool by 1 ki point for every 6 water-born votary levels (minimum +1). This ability functions like a monk vow. Run the River (Ex): At 4th level, a water-born votary adds 10 ft. to his swim speed. This speed increases by 10 ft. for every two levels above the 4th (to a maximum of 90 ft. at 20th level). This ability replaces slow fall. Revered Deathbed (Su): At 7th level, the belief that death on water is the only honorable death protects the water-born votary. If reduced below 0 hit points while out of water, he can spend 3 ki points as an immediate action to stabilize at -1 hit points, ignoring the extra hit point damage. This ability replaces wholeness of body. Aquatic Surge (Ex): At 9th level, a water-born votary can make a Swim check to jump from the water, adding his water-born votary level and using his swim speed to determine bonuses. Rough and stormy waters increase this check’s DC by +2 and +4, respectively. This ability otherwise works like an Acrobatics check made to jump. This abiity replaces improved evasion. Hanspur’s Embrace (Su): Starting at 15th level, once a day after successfully initiating a grapple, a water-born votary may submit his foe to a deadly imitation of the water-born rite. He must announce the use of this ability before making the grapple attempt (a failed attempt wastes this use). The grappled creature must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the water-born votary's level + the water-born votary's Wis modifier) or immediately begin to drown. Breaking the grapple ends the drowning. Creatures that do not breathe or breathe underwater are immune to this effect. This ability replaces quivering palm. One With the Flow (Su): At 19th level, a water-born votary seamlessly blends with water. Whenever he is touching a natural body of water, he gains concealment. If he is completely submerged, he gains total concealment instead. This ability replaces empty body.
Reins of the Unstoppable Stride
The reins have 5 charges. Charges spent are automatically renewed each day. While riding his animal mount in a straight line, the rider can spend any amount of charges as a swift action to instantly create an extradimensional shortcut in the material plane, traveling 5 feet per charge spent and skipping the correspondent consecutive squares without suffering their penalties and effects. This ability can be used during a mounted charge action, in which case the skipped squares count as clear path toward the opponent. Squares traveled this way do not count against the mount’s movement for that round. The rider must be riding alone and holding the reins with at least one hand to be able to spend charges, and he cannot open a portal unless he spends enough charges to reach an unoccupied area. The reins also mitigate the pain typically inflicted by the bit on a mount’s mouth, as well as other discomforts. Animal mounts wearing them feel exceptionally invigorated and do not fail automatically in Constitution checks to maintain a forced march while bearing a rider. Construction
I searched the forums for a ruling about this but wasn't clear on the answer. Anyway, here it goes. It came up during our latest session: we had a character charging on his horse and he wanted to draw a weapon and then attack at the end of the charge. By the rules, charging is a full-round action. The question is, does a mounted charge require that both mount and rider spend their full-round actions to charge? Or only the mount needs to spend his full-round action to charge, while the rider still has a move action and a standard action to use (gaining the benefits and penalties from the mount's charge)? At the time we ruled that the character could draw the weapon using his move action and attack at the end of the charge using his standard action, but I wanted to confirm if that is right. Thanks for the help! P.S.- By the way, said character didn't have the Quick Draw feat.
Wondrous items are usually command word activated or use-activated. Activating an item with a command word is usually a standard action, while activating a use-activated magic item is, according to the rules, "either a standard action or not an action at all" (emphasis mine). A big concern in terms of game balance is the issue of action economy. The general advice in the critique my item threads is "activating an item should be a standard action", because otherwise it allows a character to activate an item and attack, activate an item and cast a spell or activate an item and then activate another one in the same turn - all of which may unbalance a combat round. However, there are precedents in the rules - boots of speed take only a free action to activate, and Scott Fernandez's nightmare boots from RPG Superstar 2011 play around with swift and free actions to activate the item. Granted, these are exceptions. So, is there an objective way of determining whether an use-activated item such as those boots could or should make use of free actions instead of standard actions, or should we just go with gut feeling? Or simply make it a standard action and leave it at that?
Just something I've been wondering: why do you play Adventure Modules/Paths? Or why don't you? Every GM I know, including myself, ends up running homebrew campaigns and adventures. I believe this might be in part because there's littles access to Adventure Modules, Campaign Settings and Adventure Paths in Brazil, since everything has to be imported and it's just not as practical as going to your local store and picking something up. So, people basically get the Core books and start playing homebrew. However, I don't know if local gamers just prefer to run their own settings or if it is really a matter of supply. How does it work for you guys? Do you sometimes play Adventure Modules to take a break from an ongoing campaign (or even include them in your campaigns to save some preparation time) or do you play mostly homebrew too?
Ok, quick to the point: An enchantment spell modified by the Threnodic Spell leaves an enchantment or a necromancy aura?
Let me try to ask this without giving away anything, since it might break the anonymity rule: Do the spells required to build an item need to justify all of its power's mechanics? For instance, suppose you item´s theme is fey inspired and uses a lot of enchantment, but some effect ressembles the rules of an evocation spell. Yet, theme-wise, it wouldn't make sense for the item to have an evocation aura. Could you go only with the spells that fit thematically? Assuming, of course, that you still price the item correctly considering its effects and not merely the spell requirements.
Do aging effects stack per age category or do the bonuses and penalties overlap?
Hello, I´ve had this doubt literally for years. It must be somewhat obvious, because even though I´ve searched clarification before, I haven´t understood it perfectly. It´s abaout the enhancement bonus for magic weapons. Just tell me if I´ve got it straight: Say you have a +2 Holy Flaming Longsword. 1. Is this longsword considered a +5 longsword (+2 enhancement, +2 from holy, +1 from flaming)? 2. How much damage does it deal to an evil creature? I´m thinking 1d8 +2(enhancement)+1d6(flaming)+2d6(holy). Is that correct? 3. What is its bonus to attack rolls? +2 from enhacement or +5 from the weapon "magical level"? Thanks!
Hello all! A quick question: does the feat Shield Focus grants a +1 AC bonus to the shield spell? Is there an official ruling? |