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Name: Zirren
The PCs had gotten to the Spar and are attacked by wererats. Zirren suffers a critical dagger attack with sneak attack with 3 HP left.
I have made several changes to the Second Darkness AP in all 6 books. Spoiler: I have made changes to every NPC in the book by incorporating Pathfinder RPG rules since all NPCs were built using 3.5 rules. This typically beefed up most encounters by adding 1-2 class levels on each NPC. I also took advantage of the advanced players guide and ultimate magic/combat by using archetypes. I also applied the drow noble template to anyone with the last name Azrinae throughout the AP.
The following are changes I made by book. Book 1: (1) Added the Pathfinder Society scenario "Cyphermage Dilemma" by changing the Tian cyphermage scholar to a Tian investor that Saul VanVancaskerkin wants them to rescue so that he will invest in the Gold Goblin. (2) Another addition was a trap placed on the front door of the Gold Goblin when the PCs go back to fight everyone. It is an animate object spell that triggers on the Gold Goblin statue and has it attack anyone trying to enter the casino (saul pays a local wizard to put it in). Book 2: Not much was changed in this book other than switching from the 3.5 rules to Pathfinder. However, doing so turned the zombies from a CR 1 to CR 1/2 which allowed me to double the amount of zombies for the same XP (Made combat more exciting). Book 3: (1) Replaced the Drider in the alchemists dungeon (I wanted a more dramatic reveal for such a classic enemy to be in book 4) with Grothluts since I have not seen enough Fleshwarps in the AP and it is something that should truely disgust the PCs. Also I made it so the Grothluts did not take a penalty to movement through the acid due to the acid resistance and their slimy exterior. I also made the alchemist an actual Alchemist instead of a Bard. (2) Ran the Set Piece found in Book 3 and had the ghost fascinate all creatures in the building (including the gray render) when combat occurs. Book 4: (1) Informed the party that there was a second Aiudara key that teleported the PCs to fight in the Pathfinder Society module (Drow of the Darkland Pyramids). Replaced the quasit fight with Oronci and replaced the young driders with drow skirmishers and soldiers from book 3. I also replaced the demon inside the pyramid with a Balban demon (He can trample down the 10ft hallways). I have also changed the drider that fights with Jevana with two Babau demons. The scenario has them come back through the portal and complete book 4 as intended. (3) Gave Erdrinneir Vonnarc two Nemet Noktorian Ghoul wizards as adds as well as a Marrowstone golem (A gift from Nemet Noktoria to the Vonnarc family). (4) I added a Roper encounter to the Darklands escape section where he ambushes one of the PCs and who has to survive by having extended conversations with the roper or else be eaten due to boring the roper. Book 5: Not much was added, except the standard changes from 3.5 to Pathfinder. Book 6: (1) Replaced Denrelwe's drow soldiers with two Ghonatines. (2) Replaced the Aboleth mage with a veiled master as it made more sense thematically. Book 7: Added "Rise of the Drow: Commander of malice" to the end of the AP to take the players all the way to level 20. I incorporated Alicavniss Vonnarc into the book and replaced the twilight daughter. I also swapped the Fiendish dinosaurs with the Titan fight and replaced the fiendish dinosaurs with a group of Demodands who worked for the titan.
I played 3.5 for a few years and gave 4e a try and found it to be too focused on combat and felt more like a video game than what I wanted from a tabletop RPG. Don't get me wrong, I love a good video game, but it is far more restrictive than a tabletop RPG. Pathfinder felt like the next logical step after 3.5. Another reason I like playing games like this is that my friends and I formed a group back in college and continue to meet and play to this day. It is a time where everyone can get together, catch up on life, and take part in an epic story. Being both a player and a GM, I look forward to every session just to see what ideas my friends and the campaign have in store for us.
I have had moments where my negligence has also caused a player to suffer. I would probably have retconed in your situation. At the start of every session I ask all my players to tell me where they left off, and if they forgot something like if they healed or not I would remind them. But usually I don't retcon for players if they make the same mistake... There have been moments where a player would get hit by a creature that just rolled the AC he had written down, the damage would be dealt and resulted in character death. Moments later there would be an outcry that he forgot to add that "+2 sacred bonus to AC" or something along those lines. I have since made a house rule that whatever number a player says he rolled is the result I use.
When I ran my first D&D campaign I found myself avoiding killing my players since I knew how upsetting it could be, particularly the leader of the party. I've since come a long way from those days and have not pulled punches so much. My last campaign was pretty bad in that if a player died not only did he have to make a new character, but that character started a level lower than he was (some characters had 9967/10000 xp). One reason I did this was because most of them were veterans and I felt they needed a challenge. As much as it hurt when they died, it made them more cautious with characters they made from then on. Another ocassion was when I nearly tpk'd the party in my current Kingmaker campaign (Random encounter shambling mound at lvl 1), killed everyone but the sorcerer who barely out ran the thing. This moment helped create a balanced party that works together rather than playing characters that did not. Like everyone else has mentioned, allowing the character to die could move the campaign in a more positive direction than you think. Also, I feel a sense of pride when my players tell others of the horrors they witnessed in my campaigns. Along with a little mix of shame...
Was pretty bad for my Kingmaker group. Still level 1, the party headed towards the river camp after killing Happs and company. By the time they get into the Narlmarches I managed to roll a shambling mound. Seeing that discretion is the better part of valor, I run the encounter. Everyone failed spot checks (wasn't surprised there)so mound got surprise round and durfed the eidelon (was being nice). The rest of the party charges the monster, and next thing I know 3 dead heroes and a sorcerer fleeing for her life. Was quite a terrible experience for all of them, but not it has actually gotten them to create a better party and start to actually work together.
It was also funny having the new heroes sign a charter full of crossed off names. :D |
