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Pathfinder is suffering from 3.5 problems. Every new class is more powerful than what came before. Every new monster is cracked out to deal with the new classes. A core character has serious problems with the new mods. A new character class steamrolls through the old mods.

That's Why the question is directed toward the writer. Because this is a mechanic the writer should clarify. What other GMs did really doesn't matter. Consistency in running the adventure matters.

The question on damage should be the writer's call. Some GMs Will softball and piecemeal the damage. Other more ruthless GMs Will wallop a party with everything.

Even with the wand of restoration, if the party is diseased, the person casting the spell and the person receiving the spell would still gain 1d2 negative levels. As per the disease.

And the question of massive damage or piecemeal damage before the final fight seems to be an issue.

I just want to see fair and balanced reviews posted. Too Many 5 star reviews from GMs that TPK.

Talk to the store owner and venture officer. See If you can arrange with everyone to play the adventure in 2 sessions. It does run long.

As for a recommendation, not everyone who goes to Disney World gets food poisoning, pick pocketed, mugged, and mistreated by the staff.

So all of us SUFFERING from between 2 and 5 negative levels would have been better off doing nothing during the ritual? What happens if no one participates?

If you can't see how common speech can be misleading, you've never listened to a politician speak or had to vote on a new law or amemdment.

I know that Starfinder is a beta test platform for 2e Pathfinder. 5e DnD has been out playing PFS at NEAR every convention I've Been too. Adventures like this may be the reason.

How Many GMs ran this adventure just to claim max benefits for their Scarab Sage characters?

Did You have good aligned arcane casters at your tables? Are they roll players or role Players? Did those chaotic neutral arcane casters dump charisma down to 7 and leave strength and wisdom at 10?

And the reporting question wasn't answered. The bad guy has all the gems and she wouldn't leave the Sages alive. It's not in her nature to leave a helpless opponent alive.

The sage could tell us to "retune" instead of "disable".

Do I need to spell out the first paragraph verbatim?

Statement of fact. That first paragraph is misleading and deceitful as Hell. It needs to be rewritten.

Statement of fact. The danger disclaimer is sorely needed.

Is there a written requirement to spread out the damage? Obviously not.

Yes, some of us are angry and upset by the outcome of our adventure.

Arguing amongst ourselves and insulting each other isn't going to fix this adventure.

This adventure still needs a "Bone Keep" style disclaimer about how dangerous and deadly it is. Players 9th level and below will die.

The paragraph of box text just before the first encounter is misleading and should be rewritten.

Start with those minor issues first.

This disease was deliberately and maliciously designed to kill arcane casters.
An evil spellcaster with spells prepared to thwart his enemies from a good aligned organization is tactical, not punishing.

Reading through the gm section, several tables were hit with huge amounts of unsaveable untyped damage all at once. Our gm ran the adventure as written. Quit drinking the Paizo punch.

You did not leave an option to report total failure. Total failure being TPK, gems all taken by the ghost, and helpless Sages killed by ghost, divs, anti Paladin minion, and etc.
A fine end to the Scarab Sages indeed.

I've Played "King of the Storval Stairs" and had no problem. Same with "Waking Rune" on hard mode. Neither of those mods punished a player for being good aligned or arcane.

Andrew, the writer was most certainly malicious in his intent. -2 for being good aligned. -2 for being an elemental. -2 for being a caster. How was that not malicious? And time is a factor. A Save that targets an arcane pc's weakest SAVE. Skill checks to make with 4 or 5 negative levels. Show me the not malicious intent toward mage/sorcerer/bards.

The writer clearly does not understand the concept of scaling. As currently written, the adventure is mathematically impossible for a table of 7th level characters. Especially in an adventure as deceitfully written as this one.

The writer clearly dislikes any spell casting class, as the adventure is designed to cripple, humiliate, and kill spellcasters. The adventure should be pulled, edited, and retooled for high level play only.

In The paragraph of box text just before the first encounter, the players are told to "disable the device" and that one of the Sages would help them. This seems deliberately misleading, as "disable the device " means send in the rogue, not make a dc 30ish knowledge arcana or religion.
So of course, the trap goes off.
Is this bait and switch tactic going to become the new norm? I 1 starred this adventure just on that deceptive tactic alone.

Just look at some of the reviews certain adventures have received. "If I could have given this adventure zero stars, I would have".

Some adventures deserve a zero star rating. You can give an Uber or Lyft driver zero stars for a bad experience, But no matter how awful a PFS mod is, we the player are still forced to give a module at least one star.

While we are ranting, how come we Pathfinder's are never the first to get to the "lost" temple? Someone ALWAYS manages to beat us to sid "lost" temple, loot the place, and set interesting traps. We could get there first and give all those archaeologist bards something to do.

1) No more Grand Master Torch.
Yes, the man is supposed to be a recurring villain/antagonist, but I am personally tired of mods with Torch. Every time the Society has to deal with Torch, Torch always finds a way to screw us and come out ahead. Not to mention that he ordered the death of Pathfinder agents. I don't know how many were killed, but I have a character that will do her best to remove Torch's head from his body. She needs a protable chamber pot.

2) Wards.
I never want to see demons or devils summoned by anyone all willy-nilly in the middle of someone else's temple. As an example, a cleric of Abadar should be able to summon an archon in a temple of Abadar. A cleric of Asmodeus should not be able to summon a devil in a temple of Abadar.

3) A Wanted Poster.
I can't remember the npcs name, but someone had a good time setting Wail of the Banshee traps in a certain interactive. This someone needs to be brought in for justice.

4) No more technology.
If I wanted robots & rayguns in my fantasy game, I'd be playing Star Wars. The gunslinger class is pushing the limits of my fantasy tech levels.

There seem to be a few season 5 mods where the writers are trying to TPK the players in the first round. "Elven Entanglement" certainly rises to the top of the septic tank.

I played PORT GODLESS at MegaCon, and I had a great time. Our group was well balanced, and our judge allowed for some planning and improvisation. It was the fun I had at this table that encouraged me to continue playing Pathfinder, especially after the utter crapfest that was the first part of EYES OF THE TEN.

Tequla Sunrise--V for Vandetta. Irish-Welsh accent.

"I don't love her. She KICKED me in the FACE."

"This could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

"Rosebud".

Thanks for the information.

According to the legend/lore spell, a character of 11th level would be considered legendary. How much would the average person know about a legendary PC? Would the main boss know who the 11th level paladin was that just announced himself and demanded that the big boss surrender?

Golarion is a fantasy world in which there are nations where slavery is legal. It would be assumed that these nations have slave markets. If a PFS character, say a native of Cheliax, would want to buy a slave, and bring said slave with them on adventures, how would I mark said expenditure on said player's chronicle?

On the reverse side, if an Andoran character with the caravan vanity wishes to purchase slaves in Cheliax with the purpose of repatriation to a hopefully better existence, the same problem arises.

This is strictly for role-playing flavor.

During the "Rise of the Runelord" series for PFS, there are several brands and an ioun stone that the PCs can acquire that give in game benefits, all for the cost of performing an evil act and taking on a taint of evil. Several PCs have taken these items, paid a paltry 2 prestige points for an atonement for performing a "blatantly EVIL act", and are enjoying extra feats or benefits to their saves with no other in game penalty.

I feel that the PCs shoulf suffer from willfully performing their evil acts. PCs should just feel "off" and suffer a -5 penalty to Charisma based checks, or be denied temple services until the big 8 prestige atonement is paid. PCs should take damage from positive energy.

There are no role-playing penalties for performing these evil acts. PCs deserve more than just an "evil aura".

Thanks for the clarification. Just doesn't seem right. Hopefully, our newly "evil" pcs suffer all kinds of horrible things in season 5.

I have both run and played this adventure, and I have a question about 1 of the items in the chronicle.

The Ocher Rhomboid Ioun Stone. It is an evil cursed item that gives you a free feat. Activating this item is an evil act that shifts your alignment 1 step toward evil, unless you receive an atonement spell. The item is cursed and cannot be removed without a remove curse spell.

Some players are interpreting this as free feat, atonement,spell for 2 Prestige, and all is forgiven. Stick the thing in your wayfinder and forget about it.

I feel that the use of this item is evil. Your character suffers from doing a blatantly evil act. Free feat, alignment shift. Atonement should remove the feat.

This item need a little clarification.

Could a character have multiples of the same vanities? Specifically, could a character have several caravans running at the same time, just raking in piles of money on their day job roll?

583. The Zombies are in town, and you are OUT of ammunition.

584. The adventure is NEVER in your hometown!!

Ivy Underfoot, 12th level Halfling Bard. Taldor. Wow! 3 Taldan Bards all in a row!

Fortress of the Nail.

My halfling rogue FINALLY put his skills in the fine art of forgery to good use. After all was said and done, we simply walked out with everyone we needed.

While the Diplomancer is talking, have the enemy leader bring up troops ot surround or flank the rest of the party. Use that minute to your full advantage.

The party may know in which closets certain officials have their skeletons. Skeletons that certain people would rather not see come out a court of law.

What about poor Zeppo? He barely gets mentioned in a Marx Brother's discussion.

How about making those boons PERMANENT instead of 1-shot? The boon for "Blood of the City" would be much more useful as a permanent character enhancement to a bard or rogue.

And yes, I have pointes out several times what the sipping jacket says in the Ultimate Equipment Guide. Only instantaneous or round per level potions.

It is a long & drawn out combo. Weapon focus (sap), dazzling display, shatter defenses, enforcer, bludgeoner, sap master, and sap adept. With a cruel weapon. The player hits the victim, intimidates the victim for free, and sickens the victim with the cruel weapon. The victim is now sufferring from -4 to most everything.

The player also has a sipping jacket into which he likes to feed potions of invisibility.

The player also believes that being sickened negates uncanny dodge.

If ANYONE can link in an OFFICIAL RULING on these subjects, it would be greatly appreciated.

Getting back to the original post, in 1e and 2e, the sapper had to hit their victim on their unprotected head. If the victim was wearing a helmet, or had a real tough skull, horns, and etc., then the victim couldn't be sapped.

In 3.5, if a creature had a +1 natural armor bonus, the creature would not take non-lethal damage from certain weapons-see whip.

There is a particularly nasty sap mastery combo, especially when used in conjunction with a cruel weapon. If the damage is all non-leathal, how much natural armor would a creature need to avoid taking any kind of damage? Also, would wearing a helmet negate sap damage? That useful helmet would negate sap damage in previous incarnations of this game.