Here is my application. If she is chosen I'll create a alt here on the boards :) Natasza Vogenson: Female Gnome Summoner 1 NG Small Humanoid (gnome) Hero Points 1 Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +3 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 size) hp 9 (1d8+1) Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3; +2 vs. illusions Resist cold 2 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 20 ft. Melee Dagger +0 (1d3-1/19-20/x2) Ranged Light crossbow +4 (1d6/19-20/x2) Spell-Like Abilities . . 6/day—Summon Monster I (6/day) . . 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 14), prestidigitation (DC 13), speak with animals Summoner Spells Known (CL 1): 1 (2/day) Mage Armor, Rejuvenate Eidolon, Lesser 0 (at will) Guidance, Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Light -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 9, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 16 Base Atk +0; CMB -2; CMD 11 Feats Point Blank Shot Traits Northern Ancestry, Rapscallion Skills Acrobatics +3 (-1 jump), Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Escape Artist +4, Fly +5, Knowledge (local) +5, Linguistics +5, Perception +3, Profession (fortune-teller) +7, Spellcraft +5, Stealth +7; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception Languages Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling, Orc, Sylvan SQ eidolon link, hero points, illusion resistance, life link, share spells with eidolon Other Gear Dagger, Light crossbow, 113 GP -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Damage Resistance, Cold (2) You have the specified Damage Resistance against Cold attacks. Eidolon Link (Ex) Mental link allows communication over any distance, but share magic item slots. Hero Points (1) Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses. Illusion Resistance +2 racial bonus to saves against illusions. Life Link (Su) Damage that dismisses Eidolon can be taken by you. It weakens if not in 100 ft. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail. Point Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet. Share Spells with Eidolon (Ex) Your spells ignore type restrictions for Eidolon and it can recieve your personal spells. Summon Monster I (6/day) (Sp) Standard action summon lasts minutes, but only 1 active at a time and can't use with eidolon. Vorrak:
Quadruped NG Medium Outsider Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 natural) hp 7 (+1) Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +0 Resist cold 5 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 40 ft. Melee Bite (Bite) +3 (1d6+2/x2) and . . Claw x2 (Claws) +3 x2 (1d4+2/x2) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 14, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 11 Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15 (19 vs. Trip) Feats Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +2 (+6 jump), Climb +3, Knowledge (planes) +2, Perception +4, Stealth +6 Languages Common SQ hero points Other Gear You have no money! -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Damage Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Damage Resistance against Cold attacks. Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only). Background: Natasza is one of many siblings, raised in the high norths. She has followed her brother, a famous bard, around throughout the winterlands. When he was incapacitated, she needed to pay some shady "physician" a grand sum to help him. This is the reason she chose the adventuring life, as she has a nice ability to summon a variety of creatures, and her ever faithful Vorrak. She is still unaware what he is, though he seems intent to protect her through everything. The spirit of her deceased brother has some connection to her eidolon, though he is heartbroken to tell her he has passed away. It would break her heart.
All right, I edited Roondar slightly to make sure she fits better into the campaign :) Roondar Anunciata: Female Gnome Summoner 1 NG Small Humanoid (gnome) Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +3 --------------------
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Szirtasz: Serpentine NG Medium Outsider Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4 --------------------
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Background:
Roondar has always been the runt of the litter, even though he can't even recall having a family to count on. Throughout the years she struggled to make ends meet, and there were times that even the colour of her eyes and hair started to lose its shine, because times were hard. When she got into contact with pesh, things went downhill fast. She had nothing, owed everyone and after several years addicted to the pesh, it almost didn't seem worth the effort of attempting to draw the filthy air into her tiny lungs. That's when Roondar was found by a friend from his earlier days, Haleen, whom she once considered her sister. She took care of her and even protected her sometimes, but over the years the contact was watered down and lost. Seeing Haileen, looking down at her in the gutter, was an eye-opener.
Haleen was instrumental in kicking the pesh addiction and making sure she got a job in society. Their friendship rekindled, until recently. Haleen’d been growing strangely morose and depressed. They normally kept no secrets, but whatever was bothering her wasn’t something she wanted to share.
This triggered a feeling Roondar hadn't felt in a long long time: sisterly love. It’s time to step in and protect her! After all she did for her! Several months have passed since she disappeared and finally a strange dream, no doubt a gift from Desna, was had that could lead to her.
Personality:
Roondar is obviously from the southern parts of Golarion, given her tainted skin and slightly coloured hair. She is still growing accustomed to her winter clothing. Even though you know (ooc) she is a summoner, you haven't seen his eidolon. Is good, yes?
I would like to submit Roondar Anunciata. She's currently built with point-buy in mind, but if I get accepted I'll rebuild her stats to something I'll roll up here :) I'm completely new to Jade Regent, and the summoner class. Trying to find my way in both, coz I would like to use some oriental influence to bring my Kingmaker table :)
Exactly! :D
I've done that with Kingmaker (irl) and I'm using things from one group and adding it to the other, and vice versa.. It's a nice addition!
Well, instead of doing your original "4x 20points" instead of the "4x 15points", you could always do "5x 15points"? :) That way you could have that one extra player, and not exactly ramp up the adventure. And, not sure if you are into this, but you could run 2 separate campaigns, both support 5x15, and see where both groups take it. It's not like doubling your preparation time, only adding a little time for posting on the boards :)
I know nothing about the rules concerning Mythic, so I am looking forward to this play by post to get to know the rules for the summoner, and the rules for the mythic adventures :D Roondar has been sitting in my character folio for a long time now, and I believe (s)he could be an asset to any party, but I have to warn you, I'm not exactly a min-maxer :P
Gnome AC 16 || HP 10|| Fort/Refl/Will +2/+2/+3 || CMD 11 || Perception +3
I've been thinking, and I want this one to be special. So far I've got a summoner (but don't want to "copy" Manzcar's character), an oracle or an alchemist. I'm leaning towards the second , but would like your feedback. I reckon your cleric is more of an "archer buffer"? Oh, this is Tamarie :p
And...
Kantoni: No Gender Serpentine CG Medium Outsider Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural) hp 7 (+1) Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +2 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 20 ft., climbing (20 feet) Melee Bite (Bite) +4 (1d6+1 plus grab/x2) and . . Tail slap (Tail Slap) -1 (1d6/x2) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 11 Base Atk +1; CMB +2 (+6 Grappling); CMD 15 (can't be Tripped) Feats Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +4 (+6 to balance, +0 jump), Climb +9, Perception +4, Stealth +7, Swim +2 Modifiers tail Languages Common Other Gear You have no money! -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Climbing (20 feet) You have a Climb speed. Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only). Grab (Medium) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon. Tail (Ex) Tail grants +2 Acrobatics checks for balance.
Presenting, with the stats rolled:
Roondar Anunciata: Male Gnome Summoner 1 CG Small Humanoid (gnome) Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +3 Dex, +1 size) hp 12 (1d8+4) Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +4; +2 vs. illusions -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 20 ft. Melee Dagger +0 (1d3-1/19-20/x2) and . . Spear +0 (1d6-1/x3) Ranged Sling +4 (1d3-1/x2) Spell-Like Abilities Dancing Lights (1/day), Ghost Sound (1/day), Prestidigitation (1/day), Speak with Animals (1/day), Summon Monster I (8/day) Summoner Spells Known (CL 1): 1 (3/day) Mage Armor, Rejuvenate Eidolon, Lesser 0 (at will) Guidance, Acid Splash, Light, Detect Magic -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 9, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 20 Base Atk +0; CMB -2; CMD 11 Feats Breadth of Experience Traits Finding Haleen (Summoner), Pesh Addict (Katapesh) (Bluff) Skills Acrobatics +2 (-2 jump), Bluff +11, Climb -2, Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist +2, Fly +4, Handle Animal +9, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (engineering) +5, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Knowledge (planes) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Linguistics +7, Perception +4, Profession (fortune-teller) +10, Ride +2, Sense Motive +3, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +6, Swim -2 Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan SQ eidolon link, illusion resistance, life link, share spells with eidolon Combat Gear Oil; Other Gear Studded leather armor, Dagger, Sling, Spear, Backpack (3 @ 2 lbs), Belt pouch (4 @ 4.5 lbs), Chalk, Cooking kit, False-bottomed chest, small (8 @ 14.3 lbs), False-bottomed cup, Flint and steel, Fortune-teller's deck, Lamp, Marbles, Mask, Powder, Rope, Spell component pouch, Waterskin, Wyvern's Race (Board game), 3 PP, 25 GP, 4 SP, 8 CP -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Dancing Lights (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Dancing Lights once per day. Eidolon Link (Ex) Mental link allows communication over any distance, but share magic item slots. Ghost Sound (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Ghost Sound once per day. Illusion Resistance +2 racial bonus to saves against illusions. Life Link (Su) Damage that dismisses Eidolon can be taken by you. It weakens if not in 100 ft. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail. Prestidigitation (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Prestidigitation once per day. Share Spells with Eidolon (Ex) Your spells ignore type restrictions for Eidolon and it can recieve your personal spells. Speak with Animals (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Speak with Animals once per day. Summon Monster I (8/day) (Sp) Standard action summon lasts minutes, but only 1 active at a time and can't use with eidolon.
@DM: Okay, I'll edit her asap. Won't change much for her background, nor her 'friend'. And yeah, I have a Munchkin friend in my game too, and I edit the encounters slightly to cause a slight inconvenience. ;) @Edward Sobel: I have the "finding haleen" trait aswel, so if we both get picked we will know eachother. Be sure to look at my background, if you want. I look forward to us sharing some details.
I would like to add my name to the possible recruitment. This character was made for a 20 point buy Legacy of Fire that I was not lucky enough to get into, so I will have to edit her.
I would like to join because I had some PBP fun, but then the groups suddenly died on me.. Strange, and really sad! Rolls: 5d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 1, 3, 5) = 18 >> 14 5d6 ⇒ (4, 1, 1, 2, 5) = 13 >> 11 5d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 4, 6, 6) = 25 >> 18 5d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 2, 5, 3) = 17 >> 14 5d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 6, 6, 1) = 23 >> 17 5d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 6, 1, 5) = 20 >> 16 Wow! Euhm, if these are a bit over the top, I will not mind downgrading some of them.. Just let me know, I will wait before I edit my character to these (godlike) stats.
Roondar would like to volunteer, so I'm dotting for interest.
Is it okay to submit more than one character?
Roondar knows nothing about it :) Herolab character sheet for 15pt buy can be found here on google docs.
I would like to volunteer Roondar Anunciata for this. I would have to scale down from 25pt buy to 15, and probably change the traits, but I'll work on that if you are interested in him/her. The background can be found down here \/ Spoiler: Roondar has always been the runt of the litter, even though he can't even recall having a family to count on. Throughout the years he struggled to make ends meet, and there were times that even the colour of his eyes and hair started to lose its shine, because times were hard. When he got into contact with pesh, things went downhill fast. He had nothing, owed everyone and after several years addicted to the pesh, it almost didn't seem worth the effort of attempting to draw the filthy air into his tiny lungs. That's when Roondar was found by a friend from his earlier days, Haleen, whom he once considered his sister. She took care of him and even protected him sometimes, but over the years the contact was watered down and lost. Seeing her, looking down at him in the gutter, was an eye-opener.
Haleen was instrumental in kicking the pesh addiction and making sure he got job in society. Their friendship rekindled, until recently. She’d been growing strangely morose and depressed. He and Haleen normally kept no secrets, but whatever was bothering her wasn’t something she wanted to share.
This triggered a feeling he hadn't felt in a long long time: brotherly love. It’s time to step in and protect her! After all she did for him! Several months have passed since she disappeared and finally a strange dream, no doubt a gift from Desna, was had that could lead to her.
Roondar can be found talking to himself quite often, most of the times with a very angry voice. He tries to avoid the subject as much as he can, and will joke about it if someones asks him directly.
Hello Manzcar, this is Travis ;) This is Roondar Anunciata, desert gnome with a history, applying for the position in your Legacy of Fire campaign.
I daresay I am particularly proud of his background! :) Roondar Anunciata
Defense:
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 size) hp 10 (1d8+2) Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; +2 vs. illusions Offense:
Melee
Statistics:
Str 11, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 18 Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 11 Feats ___Breadth of Experience Traits
Skills
Languages
Special Abilities:
Dancing Lights (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Dancing Lights once per day. Eidolon Link (Ex) Mental link allows communication over any distance, but share magic item slots. Ghost Sound (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Ghost Sound once per day. Illusion Resistance +2 racial bonus to saves against illusions. Life Link (Su) Damage that dismisses Eidolon can be taken by you. It weakens if not in 100 ft. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail. Prestidigitation (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Prestidigitation once per day. Share Spells with Eidolon (Ex) Your spells ignore type restrictions for Eidolon and it can recieve your personal spells. Speak with Animals (1/day) (Sp) With Charisma 11+, cast Speak with Animals once per day. Summon Monster I (7/day) (Sp) Standard action summon lasts minutes, but only 1 active at a time and can't use with eidolon. Background:: Roondar has always been the runt of the litter, even though he can't even recall having a family to count on.
That's when Roondar was found by a friend from his earlier days, Haleen, whom he once considered his sister. She took care of him and even protected him sometimes, but over the years the contact was watered down and lost. Seeing her, looking down at him in the gutter, was an eye-opener.
Haleen was instrumental in kicking the pesh addiction and making sure he got job in society. Their friendship rekindled, until recently. She’d been growing strangely morose and depressed. He and Haleen normally kept no secrets, but whatever was bothering her wasn’t something she wanted to share.
This triggered a feeling he hadn't felt in a long long time: brotherly love. It’s time to step in and protect her! After all she did for him! Several months have passed since she disappeared and finally a strange dream, no doubt a gift from Desna, was had that could lead to her.
Roondar can be found talking to himself quite often, most of the times with a very angry voice. He tries to avoid the subject as much as he can, and will joke about it if someones asks him directly. Even though you know (ooc) he is a summoner, you haven't seen his eidolon.
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Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–29—All for Immortality, Part 3: Serpents Fall (PFRPG) PDFPaizo Inc.Our Price: $3.99 Add to CartAn excellent narrative finale mired by gameplaySerpents Fall is excellent in the sense that players are able to tie a nice little bow on a number of problems that have plagued them for the past few seasons. Revenge is sweet, and many PCs (and NPCs) enjoy some degree of retribution by the finale. The roleplay encounters are great -- pretty much every combat (potential or otherwise) is prefaced by one -- so it's quite easy to get lost in the moment and behind on schedule. Considering how lackluster the encounters and investigation are, it's time well spent. Serpents Fall suffers from a similar problem as Part 2: very forgettable encounters. Players are more likely to remember the interactions pre-combat than they are any real threat of death. Spoiler:
This entire scenario was solved with judicious castings of fireball and a little brute strength... every... single... encounter. There are two potential final encounters, and "the second one" is, I feel, a very dissatisfying conclusion to what has been a solid trilogy for seeker players. Beyond encounters, the investigation segments feel tacked on and the "awareness" mechanic... Awareness:
So... the party starts with 3 awareness points, there's no way to reduce your awareness points, there are mechanics that effect combat if your party has less than 3 awareness points, roleplaying is penalized by adding awareness points, and you run the risk of losing a prestige point for going over 4 awareness points... I still recommend doing the entire trilogy, especially for the closure it will offer a number of PCs. I definitely rank it someplace behind Part 1 and well ahead of Part 2. I've had the opportunity to both play and run this scenario, and both times, it left me wanting. As a GM, it was somewhat frustrating to prepare... the unclear map delegations became a source of several inside jokes betwixt my players and I. The story is somewhat of an inconsequential mess, initial encounters and puzzles were forgettable, and the final boss would have literally been easier for this particular party if we had chosen hard mode. Spoiler:
The party had an evoker who was able to change energy types... early in Round 1, the Godfont would have split, and the evoker would have done even more damage, versus leaving it at single-digit hit points for the next person to clean up. As a player, the final boss was certainly a highlight (never thought I'd have to bring out those spells with spell kenning), but one combat an enjoyable scenario does not make. Had the pleasure of running this for my fifth-star adjudication for two Venture Captains, two Venture Lieutenants, and another experienced GM (there were 21 stars on the opposite side of the screen) in an open slot. After a pretty thorough introduction for the players, this scenario hits the ground running full-tilt. Spoiler:
There are three fairly involved encounters to prep for this scenario... get comfortable with oracles and mesmerists Combats are tough but memorable -- probably the most interesting fights in the entire trilogy. I've since run this twice and played it once, and in all cases the final fight is a puzzler with a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend this as a supplement or alternative to Eyes of the Ten for eligible characters. So, this 31-page behemoth was one of the five-hour slot scenarios I had to run at GenCon. I enjoyed reading through it... a lot of flavor (some of which the characters may never encounter), a lot of potential combats (about a half-dozen encounters), and extremely sandbox-y. This scenario could easily take a large block of time if you allow it to. Spoiler:
The party I ran this for was unique prepared for the task and was able to legitimately complete the scenario. It shocked me that it would be possible, but they met every criteria listed, even if it was just with an hour to spare in all cases. I would certainly recommend this one to enterprising GMs that are willing to allow their players the time this scenario deserves. Ran this three times at GenCon. This scenario could be quite rough depending on party makeup, and reliance on the NPCs for certain tasks (like massive knowledge checks for low-level parties) can prevent players from getting all of the rewards, but all three of my tables (ranging from Level 1 pregen newbies to a late-night multi-star GM run) were 100% successful with no deaths. This scenario can be jarring, but I was actually a fan of the juxtapositions (as were my players, or at least I got that impression). Spoiler:
Welcome to the year of the magus. A fourth session:
I ran this one locally for a group of seasoned players, and only one of the table of six left the Red Redoubt alive. The problem was the Fearmonger Prototype, which the party was using poor tactics against. I ran this one today for a table of experienced players, levels all across the board... per the rules, my five PCs played up with the 4-player adjustment. The lead-up to the eponymous dungeon went fantastic. Plenty of opportunity for RP, and it certainly sets the mode for the rest of the adventure. I'm happy to report there was no reason to pull out the NPC Codec. The map of the first level is a bit confusing.
Why, you might ask?:
The false hallway trap leads PCs to an area that is not mentioned on the map. I assumed it wasn't a big deal and went about my business (never came up, Rogue aced his Trap Spot). There is also a secret door in the throne room which, unless I overlooked it a half-dozen times in a row, was never mentioned. I set a reasonably high DC for spotting it which, again, Rogue nailed. First "encounter" in CoS was pretty challenging for the table.
Did our heroes survive?:
That last bit of climbing was problematic for some of the party, but it definitely gave the encounter some excitement. 4-player adjustment helped a bit, but the other creature was what caused problems. The paladin turned out to be the answer. The final encounter turned out to be a rough one.
Did our heroes survive again?:
The room's designed took away a lot of the PCs offensive option... scout rogue couldn't charge, human ranger couldn't effectively put arrows down range, wizard had to get close to see targets, and paladin had to slog to go anywhere. The wizard at the table went for the haymaker (phantasmal killer), which the BBEG saved on by the skin of his teeth. Wizard paid for it when BBEG did what you would expect the BBEG would do -- go thermonuclear on the caster -- and the BBEG's weapon did what you would expect it to do -- crit on the caster. The fight wore on until the BBEG abandoned cairn and the last mob covered the escape, not before 3 people were dropped (two stabilized 1 point shy of negative CON) and an animal companion bled out. A template is applied to some of the the high-tier baddies, but the resultant hitpoints are miscalculated in the scenario (to the PCs favor). Also, this fight could have used a four-player adjustment. The factions missions were both completed at the table, though we did not have a Cheliax or Andoran present...
Faction Missions:
It would be pretty difficult to fail the Andoran mission, in spite of the fact there's really no guidance as to what it could possibly be (not what you're expecting), and the Cheliaxian mission would most likely be performed by Andorans without prompting, though Zarta keeps her tender flesh-morsels in line. The secondary success condition hinged greatly on the primary success condition... Most tables will get all or nothing, though there are likely some hedge cases in which a table may only accomplish the primary. Long story short, my table left the Cairn of Shadows with one experience, no prestige, about a third of the possible gold, and their lives. Final Impressions
Had the opportunity to run this for our local game store, our first Season 5 scenario, and I feel like things went relatively smoothly. There's a considerable amount of push-back concerning how faction missions are handled now; personally, faction missions have ranged from "enriching additions" to "pointless and tacked-on". This scenario felt a bit meatier than previous outings, and if that's the trade-off for ditching 8 faction missions and corresponding notes, I'm okay with that. My Table:
We had a table of four: L2 Wizard, L3 Gunslinger, L3 Paladin, and L5 Paladin, all of which are experienced players. APL was right at 3, so they chose to go the more challenging route. Progression:
I'm kind of a fan of the illusion of choice in this scenario... it did a lot to plant seeds of doubt in not only the NPCs but other players (nothing better than a little dissension to create drama and good RP opportunities). First encounter was handled expertly (accidentally ran the encounter without scale-down... didn't realize it until several pages later when the blurb appeared for scaling). The next combat gave them a little more of a challenge, but the scale-down made a big difference. Nailed the social encounter at the Inn. It took the table a bit longer than anticipated to find the secret entrance to the basement and the optional was skipped due to time. Final encounter was very much nerfed due to scale-down and the previous social encounter... BBEG seemed a bit weak, but a particular item on her person helped lengthen the encounter... to about 2 and a half rounds. Full clear, no deaths, job well done. What the...:
So, during the dead of night, the party decides to explore. Lawful-stupid Paladin (LSP) splits the party in order to keep watch on the sisters. LSP knocks on their door and aces the perception to hear them whispering to one another. LSP assumes this means they're in trouble and kicks the door in. Queue three old women in nightgowns scared half to death of the 7-foot tall Aasimar in full-plate standing there. LSP uses the cover story that he's hungry (while eating an apple, mind you). They know he's lying. One sister makes an attempt to leave so she can warm him up some stew. LSP closes the door, locks it, and says "I want us to be alone." Two sisters do fine on their Sense Motive... one is entirely convinced that something terrible is going to befall her, so she grabs a knife off the mantle. Roll initiative. LSP holds action until someone threatens him. Sister comes at him Wendy-from-The-Shining-style with a knife, misses. Sister two throws a cup at him, misses. Sister three grabs a fire-stoker and takes a swing, misses. LSP cuts the knife-wielder down. Sister two cowers in the corner, pleading in her native language (that LSP does not know). Sister three attempts to do the same, but provokes AoO, which LSP takes (she *did* threaten him). LSP doesn't have the Spellcraft, Linguistics, Language, or Sense Motive necessary and legitimately believes she's casting a full-round spell. LSP kills her. ALL THE WHILE, the other three members of the party are in the stables, listening to the cacophony of screams getting louder, more panicked, crescendo, and fade to silence... and they did nothing, because, you know, LSP can't be reasoned with. Overall, I enjoyed running it. Quite a bit of substance, some of which will be completely ignored unless an Osirion player is at the table. RP elements were solid, though the combats seemed a little too diluted when scaled down to 4 players. Our local Pathfinder Society group has a large number of Shadow Lodge devotees, so the clamor to run Rivalry’s End as many times as possible prior to the August cut-off has been great. We are pitched another classic battle between the Society and one of their most hated enemies, the Aspis Consortium, being headed up by none other than Grandmaster Torch. My GM Experience:
The release slipped under a lot of people’s radar, so I ran the low-tier version for a table of four individuals: an alchemist, a sorcerer, and two fighters (hardly optimized, but experienced players none-the-less). A lot of thought was put into infiltration, but the table managed. I had some random encounters with the staff and other gamblers to give the beginning a bit of flavor and RP opportunities, including putting my Sorcerer in an awkward situation with a very intoxicated like-specied Tengu. Forcing a table of skull-crackers into actually cavorting with individuals as socially inept as they were was entertaining for all involved. Their first “fight” required pulling the NPC Codex. Keep it on stand-by. A table-full of terrible perceptions almost stalled them out in the cellar, but one person was able to hit the DC by taking 20: the dangers of not bringing a skill-monkey. The party got unlucky with which hallway the picked, and encountered the patrol very early. One party member dropped, but the alchemist had his time to shine. The alchemist and sorcerer made quick work of the tripped trap/encounter, so no major issues there. The encounter in the lowest floor went pear-shaped in a hurry. One of the fighters tripped the trap prior to the fight which nearly did max effect. Their adversary had plenty of time to prepare, and luckily for her, no one had a will save. I feel like the tactics assume she’ll be overmatched, but she had between 75-100% of the party predisposed during the entire fight. Once she had four disabled in some form or another, I had her flee. One PC pursued to the best of their ability, but couldn’t catch her before she vanished into Riddleport. If you’ve read or played the scenario, you realize just how bad this “breaks” things. I had to redact about 75% of the chronicle sheet with black marker since the whole thing is steeped with spoilers which, for all intents and purposes, the PCs never encountered. Probably one of the most mind-boggling things I’ve experienced as a PFS GM.
Personal Impressions:
From what I’ve read of other party’s experiences with this scenario, it’s relatively tough. In retrospect, my table could have stalled out because of a perception check AND, if the tactics were written differently, been subject to a TPK. I had a party of Level 3 and 4 characters who lost out on a lot of loot and some prestige but will live to fight another day – some tables weren’t so lucky. Season 4 definitely “brought it” as far as challenge goes.
I’m a bit ambivalent about the story of Rivalry’s End. My table was regretfully unable to appreciate the full gravity of the story, but the conclusion just doesn’t sit well. There’s going to be a huge dichotomy for former Lantern Lodge characters (post-Way of the Kirin) versus Shadow Lodge. I can understand, from a story-writing perspective, why Rivalry’s End may go the route it did, but it still makes me feel dirty and unwell. Rivalry’s End is tough, the RP elements have to be teased out with a heavy hand, and the conclusion is memorable, for better or worse. It’s mechanically worth it to take your Shadow Lodge character through this one, but I imagine it might be emotionally taxing if you have a lot of investment in them. Way of the Kirin is essentially the going-away part for the Lantern Lodge. For those with any investment in either the Lantern Lodge or their Venture Captain Amara Li, you’ll certainly want to give this scenario a play-through. PCs are tasked with escorting Amara Li as her bodyguards to help facilitate a very pivotal negotiation for the Lantern Lodge. The scenario plays out like an intense Eastern drama, complete with tea ceremony, samurai duel, and the opportunity to enact your very own “Home Alone” fantasies. Having read and run the scenario, it has a lot of Tian flavor, which is a nice change of pace from the usual Inner Sea daring-do. For GMs:
Spoiler:
The first act can drag quite a bit, so keeping the player’s interest, as well as tracking progress is going to be crucial for the GM, especially since the PCs’ actions can make or break the rest of the scenario. I made a time-tracker and let my PCs roll initiative to see who would get to act first (or last, if they wanted to wait for everyone else to decide beforehand). Be sure to pay close attention to weather conditions (I feel like some of the combats went by way too quickly because I may have forgot to apply some effects). I ran low-tier, and it seemed like my table of 5 blew through the scenario, even without the scaled-down combats. We had to skip the optional due to a time constraint at the table, so I can’t say much about the cave until the boss, which again has handily taken care of in about four rounds. If your BBEG gets a high enough initiative and you have a table like mine that’s rocking out, might I suggest readying that Wall of Fire for the first soul brave enough to charge in? The Chronicle Sheet:
Spoiler:
I don’t want to give away too much, but there are three boons available for completion. The first boon is for Lantern Lodge members only, and is an extremely nice reward for those who will be losing their faction come August. The second boon is for members of all other factions; due to the circumstances and cost of its use, it certainly pales in comparison to the Lantern Lodge boon. Last, for those who have earned the Debt of the Kirin boon from First Steps,Part 2: To Delve the Dungeon Deep, you’ll find that the Way of the Kirin rewards those who they are indebted to very nicely. As far as detractors, there are only a few. Several faction missions feel tacked-on and don’t necessarily contribute to the feel of the scenario. Low-tier combats didn’t really instill a sense of panic like I had hoped, though perhaps the high-tier offering may strike the fear of Asmodeus into players. Overall, this is certainly a worthwhile play, and many players may want to spend the next few months getting a character into a position to maximize their chances of getting all of the rewards Way of the Kirin can offer. The Night March of Kalkamedes is an absolute gem of a scenario; probably one of the most fun I’ve ever run, and I certainly look forward to being on the player-side of the screen once it’s offered at our game store again. The bulk of the scenario requires a fair amount of problem-solving and skill-sets that don’t see nearly enough light of day in PFS play (at least in my limited experience) -- intimidation and cracking heads isn’t going to deliver you to the finish line with a full-clear. For those more inclined to fight, there are several combat encounters that are made more challenging by your wandering ward risking life and limb to push forward. The story was rather good, but there is a long delay before players will get any of it -- your Venture Captain gives you some basic introductions during the setup, a half-dozen encounters will go by, until finally in the last act players are hit with a very compelling story-arc. The curious route of the “Night March” makes up for the lack of exposition one would normally get when escorting a VIP. The chronicle sheet is impressive, considering the party is able to achieve a full clear. Spoiler:
If you are able to solve the mystery, all tiers get access to an intelligent weapon. For those who are able to save a particular NPC, you will also receive a one-use boon which, depending on your level and the situation, could prevent a TPK (Total Party Kill) in later scenarios. The periphery items on the chronicle sheet are solid, especially if you’re a low-level character with more gold than fame will allow you to purchase. Some notes for GM’s:
Spoiler:
Considering I had a low-tier group with varying levels of experience, I wanted to make it clear to them that they would be participating in a night mission. My way around this was having one of the PCs, the night before, grab a midnight snack at Heidmarch Manor and overhear Sheila discussing the situation with a messenger; the PC had the opportunity to relay to his compatriots that tomorrow, they would be embarking on a night mission. The next morning, Canayven Heidmarch gives them a quick briefing, and that they would have about an hour to make purchases before they would need to leave to make it to Kalkamedes’ home by nightfall (this was also my opportunity to deliver faction missions).
Read up on grapple rules. Kalkamedes has a decent CMB/CMD, and was able to free himself from grapples and bust out of hog-ties regularly when not regularly attended. The Dais is a good opportunity to mess with PCs. Keep the bonus/penalties a secret for as long as possible. Watching the Nagaji Cavalier collapse onto the Dais under the weight of his gear as the Gnome Bard singlehandedly pushes the heavy steel doors open was entertaining, at the very least. The final encounter is a TPK waiting to happen at low-tier. In my first run, he dropped two party members in as many rounds, though quick-thinking PCs were able to tactically outmaneuver him and put him down in about 8 rounds. Read the tactics carefully and take them to heart, and your PCs should be able to make it out alive. This one took us about 5.5 hours to run through, which is a bit longer than my average. Plenty of opportunities for puzzle-solving RP, though you’re looking at 4-5 puzzles and 3-4 combats, depending on how things are played. A very fun scenario which deviates from the norm; your RP’ers will thank you, and your combat-nuts will love the challenge late in the scenario. |