In Galt's short history the small nation has undergone a series of unending rebellions, each one violent but ultimately inneffective at achieving real change. The only constants have been the Gray Gardeners; ruthless masked enforcers who act without accountability, and the Final Blades, the magical guillotines they use that take souls as well as lives. Now after so long there are whispers of events that might change the cycle of destruction, and of the legendary heroes that might change the destiny of a nation.
Welcome Adventurers! Our final party looks like this:
Errestan playing a Warpriest of Pharasma
Hawthwile playing a Spirit Barbarian
Watery Soup playing a Forensic Investigator
KingTreyIII playing a Linkle inspired Crossbowslinger
Gyrfalcon playing a Turrey Butterhill, a famous Shelynite Bard.
Firstly let me say that if anyone wants to change anything about their character or switch it up entirely that's fine. In particular Watery Soup I thought either of your characters would be a good fit (and I sort of want to see a 16th level alchemist!)
Mechanically speaking I think the group as-is is a good mix of melee, ranged and support. I've gone for 5 players rather than 4 as the adventure is written for mainly to give us a cushion in case we lose anyone. I'll be adjusting the encounters in-line with the GM guidelines, hopefully it will all work out!
Builds
Backstory
I know that some of you have started or even finished your character builds, but I wanted to give everyone a little time from now to get all the mechanical details finalised, and to get your backstories in place. The adventure will begin with you receiving an urgent invitation from Camilia Drannoch, leader of Galt’s Revolutionary Council. Rumours have been circulating that she is gravely ill and desparately seeking aid. For some reason she has heard of you and sent a personal invitation to attend her at home in Isarn. Where are you when you receive this? Do any of you know each other already? Are you already in Galt, or has she sought you out elsewhere in the world for your specific abilities? Whatever the answers, those are just a few things to think about, discuss between you and hopefully inspire you to tweak your backstories.
@Watery Soup; if your loved one lost to a Final Blade might have been in Litran, it could potentially give you some personal connection to the story.
Gear
As I said in recruitment, we'll be using default character creation rules. Anything uncommon needs approval (except for Gunslinger), but I'd expect to say yes to most things, particularly spells.
Please make clear on your character sheets which things you took in which slots, and which were purchased. Regarding the magic carpet I'm not sure if it has been made yet or not, but I did do a homebrew one when I converted Feast of Dust. That was before the Gamemastery Guide came out and I more or less just copied the Broom of Flying, but I'd be happy if you wanted to use it Turrey, especially if anyone experienced in converting items to 2E wants to give it a once-over and help get it into shape.
Carpet of Flying:
Item 12 MAGICAL TRANSMUTATION MINION
Price 1,900 gp
Usage Ridden; Bulk 2 Hardness 10; HP (BT) 80 (24)
Immunities Cold, Bludgeoning, Object Immunities
Resistances Piercing 20
Weaknesses Slashing 10, Fire 10
This luxurious, magically resilient carpet is big enough to comfortably seatt two medium creatures. It can levitate and respond to its passengers mental or spoken commands to move. It has a fly speed of 60 feet unencumbered, 40 feet when laden with up to 10 bulk and 30 feet with up to 20 bulk.
Activate (◈◈◈) command, Interact; Requirements You are the lone rider of the carpet and at least 40 feet up Effect You descend rapidly toward a designated target and make a Strike. Make a DC 30 Acrobatics check
Critical Success Your target is flat-footed to the Strike and you gain a +2 status bonus to damage
Success Your target is flat-footed to your attack
Failure You lose your footing and cannot make an attack
Critical Failure You fall from the original height
Character Sheets
I've made a few test 16th level characters to get a feel for it, and I think the most challenging part for me will be remembering your reactive abilities. To that end I'd love it if you could highlight anything near the top of your character sheet I need to remember. For example if you have an attack of opportunity (or more than one!). If you cast Mind of Menace every day and wish to use it as soon as you can, etc.
I'd also like to be able to see which feats you've taken at which levels and when you increased which skills. Otherwise feel free to format your sheets however you prefer.
We can get started as soon as all the characters are ready, but please don't feel rushed. Ideally we'd be ready to start in about a week, but we can go sooner if everyone is ready.
Running the Game
Inspired by another PF2 game I'm in, I intend to record the state of your current hero points in the campaign header to avoid confusion, and to reset hero points to 1 on the first of every month. I'll be making some slides for maps and images, and I'll also throw up a spreadsheet to record what your usual exploration mode activities are.
I have been trying move house for about a year. I had originally planned to delay starting this game until after the move, but after another delay I got impatient and posted the recruitment. Naturally we finally got a move date this week, we'll be moving on November 12th. I expect to be able to post with a somewhat reduced frequency in the week or so leading up to that date, and for some time afterward. Especially right afterwards when we may not have internet. Apologies in advance, hopefully it won't last too long.
And with that, over to you! I'll keep an eye on here for any questions and kick us off when everything is ready
In Galt's short history the small nation has undergone a series of unending rebellions, each one violent but ultimately inneffective at achieving real change. The only constants have been the Gray Gardeners; ruthless masked enforcers who act without accountability, and the Final Blades, the magical guillotines they use that take souls as well as lives. Now after so long there are whispers of events that might change the cycle of destruction, and of the legendary heroes that might change the destiny of a nation.
I'm looking for 4 players for a game of Night of the Gray Death, a module for level 16 characters, and you will level up to 18 during the course of the adventure. It hasn't been sanctioned for PFS yet, but if it gets sanctioned while we're playing I will give out chronicles for it as well. Recruitment will be open for a week, so until around 20:00 BST 29th October. We'll be playing here on the Paizo forums, using Google Slides for maps.
I'm not looking for builds at this stage, creating level 16 characters is a fair amount of work so a character concept that you'd be interested in playing will be sufficient. Ancestry, Backstory, Class will do, perhaps with a thought to where your build will go, or which archetypes you'll be dipping into. I'll make a selection based on the player / character / team dynamics.
About me
I've been playing and running PF2 since launch, though the highest level I've run so far is a conversion of Feast of Dust which ended at 14th level; this will be the highest level content I've run for PF2 yet. It's also the first time I'll be running PF2 play-by-post, which is decision of questionable wisdom but one I've nevertheless made! I like to run fairly quick games that aim for a post rate of about one post per day. When I have time I also like to make reasonably length posts. You can see some examples of my most recent modules here:
About the Adventure
“Night of the Gray Death” is a Gothic horror adventure in the vein of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories. The adventure includes a notice that a higher-than-usual amount of XP comes from investigation rather than combat. That said it is still a Paizo adventure so there is plenty of combat. It also sees a chance for your characters to have a significant effect on the state of Golarion, and anyone who enjoyed the spooky setting of PFS adventures set in Galt (especially 9-20 Fury of the Final Blade) will enjoy the setting and plot. There are no adventure specific backgrounds.
Character Creation Guidelines
We'll be using the default rules for character creation, with no variant rules like Free Archetype. Anything uncommon or rare will need approval. I think it's likely I'd allow most options, but I'd like to have the chance to confirm that. Gunslingers and Inventors are common (because they're new and I'd be excited to see one), and adopted ancestry is uncommon (I'm not ruling it out, but I have a weird aversion to adopted characters and I'd prefer it if the whole party wasn't adopted by gnomes). I'd also allow playtest Psychics and Thaumaturges if anyone wanted to try one of those. There's no need to build an actual character at this stage, but if you can't help yourself, Starting gear is 1 15th level item, 2 14th level items, 1 13th level item, 2 12th level items, and 3250GP
What I'll be looking for
- A 16th level adventurer has likely had a storied career. How did your character become so powerful? The adventure presumes that you are somewhat famous (you will receive an invite at the start based on your reknown), so why is that?
- A background that gives you motivation to help Galt would be great. Perhaps you are from Galt, perhaps a loved one met their fate at a final blade, etc. Having a strong reason to pursue the adventure will help the narrative
- I'm a sucker for righteous characters, and the story of this module is dark so they would fit well. Non-good characters would need a very compelling backstory.
- Having an establised record on the forums here would be helpful, I especially favour posters with a record of expressive posts. If we've played together before, even better!
- Some experience with PF2 is a must. A 16th level adventure is probably not a good choice for your first time.
- This is a brand new adventure so is unlikely to be an issue, but I prefer to run for players who have neither read, run or played the module before so we can keep some of the surprises. If you're planning to run this one yourself in a few weeks, or read it as soon as your subscription arrived, this isn't the game for you.
This is a tier 5-9 scenario that takes place is the mountains of Katapesh. It contributes to the storylines of the Silver Crusade and Liberty's Edge factions.
Once everyone has decided on characters, check into the gameplay thread and I'll kick us off!
For years a Pathfinder team has surveyed Qadira's Zho Mountains in an attempt to reconcile its twisting valleys with a series of old maps recovered years ago on the Silken Way. When the team disappears soon after reporting a strange illusory effect in a mountain pass, the Society sends the PCs—funded by an unusual benefactor—to uncover whatever is hidden in those peaks and rescue the agents.
This will be the gameplay when we get started, feel free to dot in.
"In the cobbled streets of Old Korvosa, down dark alleys and occult curio shops, secrets stir and the light of day does little to pierce the foggy veil of the tall and narrow streets. A series of bodies have been discovered in the Bridgefront district in peculiar circumstances, and it falls to investigators from the famed Pathfinder Society to investigate."
Hi Folks! Thanks for filling in the survey, and for joining me on another adventure! This module and Realm of the Fellnight Queen were tied in terms of how many could play, and I picked this one for the theme and the lower level. I would hope to start in a few days time, or perhaps next week once everyone is ready. In that time if we could establish which characters are playing that would be great.
The module is a 64 page adventure in 3 parts, and I intend to play them in PFS mode. The whole thing is sanctioned, but you don't get your first chronicle sheet until the end of part 2, then another after part 3 and a bonus chronicle for the whole thing. Legal levels for the first two parts are 5-7, then 6-8 for part 3, followed by 7-9 for the bonus chronicle.
There is a strong occult theme and plenty of content from occult adventures, and I expect it might take us quite a while, perhaps as much as twice as long as Carrion Hill.
It's been a long journey getting to Karcau in North-Eastern Ustalav. It is far from Absalom and with the World-wound, Numeria, Razmir and the Holds of Belkzen on its borders, even getting to it is challenging. But you were called for specifically, and so you came.
The directions you were given to the Pathfinder lodge lead you to a picturesque manor and estate a few miles south of the city. A sign hangs on the gate that reads "Miregrold Manor", and a cobbled path leads to the front of the manor building, which like so many things in Ustalav, is grand, old, and showing its age.
You arrive late in the afternoon, and find the interior of the manor to be rather more up to date. It has the warped, creaking floorboards of an old house, but the numerous pathfinders moving around inside with purpose give it a much more functional, lively air. Paintings, tapestries and sculptures have been replaced with desks, bookshelves and training dummies.
You are clearly expected, and are ushered immediately into a drawing room which has been converted into the office of Venture-Captain Basia Kalistoff. She is dressed in a extravagant, dark dress with a plunging neckline and an absurdly high collar that could only be fashionable in Ustalav.
There's a Picture in the slides
"Pardon my attire, real politics is Karcau is done strictly at the Opera, and so I'll need to leave soon for tonights performance. Pathfinders have had a poor reputation in Ustalav, partially due to my predecessor's crimes here, and partially due to the suspicious nature of our populace. I have been working hard to change that, and recently we decided to expand our operations and open a lodge between here and Caliphas."
As she talks, she's putting on jewellery and applying finishing touches to her make-up.
"Carrion Hill seemed to be a prime location, being roughly half-way between us, central, and with a commanding view of the surrounding area due to the hill. I sent a team to survey the area, get a feel for the political situation, any hidden dangers and so forth. I expected them back with a full report after two or three weeks, but when they didn't return, and didn't respond to our divinations, I called for you. This was now six weeks ago, and I fear the worst"
She pauses putting on her earrings and make-up to add some emphasis to her words.
"I would like you to find our team and bring them home. Oleg - their leader - is brash and impetuous, but he's a good agent. Find out what has happened, and if necessary, complete their report on a possible Carrion Hill lodge. You come highly recommended, so do not make me send a team after you"
She deftly clips her pearl necklace into place and turns to you.
Thank you all for your interest. To get us started please could you give the following details for your eventual chronicle sheets. Feel free to PM me instead if you'd prefer
Player Name:
Character Name:
PFS Number:
Character Number:
Faction:
Progression (normal/slow):
Start XP:
Start PP:
Start Gold:
After that make an introduction in gameplay and I'll get us underway when everyone has posted
"Walk, if you will, the claustrophobic alleys of the Tangle, the middenstone vats of the Filth, and the cobbled white roads at the summit of an ancient hill. Know that this is but the latest of cities to crown this summit, a monument to the filth and grime and waste of civilization. The city was built upon the battlefields of history past, for many have sought to control this key feature, this lonely hill in a sea of mud and mire. Only its name has remained constant through the ages—Carrion Hill."
Welcome foolish mortals! I recently completed my first play-by-post PFS scenario and enjoyed it very much. Next I would like to try running Carrion Hill, the lovecraftian cosmic-horror themed module set in Ustalav from 2009, for PFS credit.
I am looking for a group of 4 level 5 PFS characters who would like to play, and be happy to be locked up in a game for the several months it is likely to take. I'd also accept 5 or 6 players if some or all were level 4. The theme is cosmic horror in an urban setting, and the gameplay investigation and dungeon crawling. Completing it will net you 3XP and 4PP, as well as level-appropriate gold.
From you I'd expect a commitment to regular posting, ideally once per day during the week, and explicit consent to bot your character if we've been waiting on you for more than a day via botting instructions. I'd also like to see your full character details in your profile, and remember that this is being run as part of Pathfinder Society so they must be PFS legal characters.
For my part I intend to keep up with the same posting rate, and to do my best to make the world seem rich and terrifying. I use block initiative, where actions are resolved in the order that players post, characters are considered to have delayed in order to allow it. I also prefer to have players roll their own saves, but I will roll them where it is expedient to do so.
I would prefer to keep the number of players replaying the module to a minimum, so if you have played (or GM'd) it before please include that when you post your interest.
Finally I don't intend to run this first-come first-served, as I'd like to ensure there's a fairly balanced party if possible. I'll leave the recruitment open for a few days and then choose a team from the responses, assuming there's enough interest.
Each of you has received a letter from Venture captain Jorsal of Lauterbury, summoning you to a mission in Iobaria:
Venture Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury wrote:
Pathfinders,
As you are no doubt aware, the Fifth Mendevian Crusade has won significant victories of late with the help of our own Society, and in the wake of these victories, we have discovered a number of old Sarkorian sites about which there is great mystery. We are trying to track down some of the original inhabitants of these sites, or their descendants, in the hopes that they will be able to shed some light on the history and significance of these locations, and perhaps we could even help them resettle their old lands!
It is to that end that I am dispatching you to the town of Mishkar in Iobaria, where our agents have discovered that a survivor of the Farheaven Clan is said to dwell. According to our sources, she goes by the name Nelket, and it is my hope that she can speak about her clan's history, or point you to someone who can. Learn what you can, and bring the information back to the Society. If you can bring Nelket or some of her kinfolk with you, all the better.
I do not expect you will face much difficulty in this task. However, Iobaria is a wild and dangerous land, so be on your guard.
Inheritor's grace be with you,
Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury
Mishkal is a long way away however, and you will have a great deal of travelling before you, in which time you will have plenty of opporunity to get to know your fellow pathfinders.
Feel free to post introductions before we get started
I intend to run this game according to the following rules:
1) I'm expecting roughly around 1 post per weekday and 1 per weekend. If we've been waiting on you for 24 hours I'll resolve things, either by botting you (if you 've posted your consent or instructions for doing so), or putting you on delay. Please let us know if you expect to be away for a while.
2) I'll be using block initiative, rolling your initiatives and resolving actions in post order. Feel free to post conditional actions like "I wait until the bard, then attack". If necessary I may roll saves for players too
3) I would like you all to put your basic information (AC, saves hit points etc) in your profile header, and your full character sheet in whichever format you prefer in your profile.
4) Please could you provide the following information in this thread before we begin:
Player Name (as it will appear on the chronicle):
Character Name:
Organized Play ID and character number:
Faction:
I have been enjoying PbP a great deal, and finding myself with a lot of free time I thought it was time I tried the GM role. I'm looking for 4-6 adventurers for historical research in Iobaria in "9-18 Scourge of the Farheavens", a tier 1-5 scenario.
My intention is to take folks first-come-first-served, and to begin at most 48 hours after we get four players, sooner if we get to six before that time has elapsed.
Please post below if you're interested, and go easy on me!
Both the Archives of Nethys and d20pfsrd show the spell "Read Weather" As being on the Shaman spell list, despite not being on the official list included in the Advanced Class Guide, which came out after Inner Sea Gods as far as I can tell.
Was this spell added to the Shaman list via some means I'm unaware of, or are Nethys and d20pfsrd in Error?
PS. This also applies to other several other spells in Inner Sea Gods, like "Aspect of the Nightingale" and "Dream Feast"
