Second Phobos |
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Hi folks,
I just wanted to chime in to share my own disappointment with the way the Iomedae interaction was depicted in "Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth." Like Robert Brooks mentioned above, it was definitely a great idea to give the PCs a chance to meet the goddess, but as written the encounter simply doesn't do the moment justice.
What struck me immediately on reading it was how weirdly preoccupied the text seemed with detailing all the ways that Iomedae could mess up the PCs if they displeased her, which seemed to be a more important focus than providing guidance on roleplaying scene to its fullest effect. The entire encounter is framed to the GM as combative rather than supportive. This in turn makes Iomedae come across as petty and mean, particularly given everything that the PCs have done up to this point and given what she is about to ask of them.
And I really dispute the notion that her sonic blasts are just a "slap on the wrist" for the party. If your brand of "tough love" deals lethal damage that requires the use of healing magic to repair, you've gone from encouragement to abuse, particularly when your targets are effectively helpless against you.
I can see Iomedae lecturing the party if they fail her tests and quietly withholding her artifacts from them, but battering the PCs with sonic damage and then clumsily trying to patch up her own handiwork with some healing spells (and potentially resurrections) after the fact is conduct unbecoming of a mortal paladin, much less a Lawful Good deity.
As Alleran and Lord Snow have said, Iomedae in this scene reads like a Miko rather than an O-chul or a Hinjo. Which, given that she's supposed to be the goddess of righteousness, justice and honor, is a major problem.
There's just a big gap in the way she has been presented in the lore and how she behaves in this scene, a discrepancy that leaves me scratching my head about which is the "real" Iomedae. Because the one depicted in this scene exhibits some of the worst stereotypes about paladins and it's one I'm not at all interested in seeing again.
I'm glad that these concerns are being heard, because right now this really feels like a wasted opportunity in the middle of an otherwise fantastic AP.