ShijinModan's page

My biggest issue with the three temples is that the architecture of them seems really forced. I can force myself to suspend disbelief for the area that was once Vecna's former lab/library, but how did the rest of it get there? Is the idea that cult just decided to build all that over two years? That seems pretty ridiculous.

I'm really liking your setup here. My group is approaching TFOE within probably 2 sessions so I'm trying to decide on some of these fixes. I'm probably going to take your idea here though if I don't complete the Mad God's Key fusion. I'll post it up here when/if I do it.

I never ran the Mad God's Key but many DM's rave about it as a great tie in for AoW. The idea sounds pretty solid to me. I actually did not run the Hextor Temple battle having handled the entire matter much differently in my game though based on the most recent AoW Obituaries thread it has been a PC graveyard!

The last few times I ran TFOE it was EASILY the place where a majority of the PC's, died. ESPECIALLY by the Boar.

The more I contemplate this the more I'm in love with it.

I'm going to remove the opening of the Mad God's Key and revamp the Vecna Temple and see where I get with it. Definitely going to add the Temple of Hextor in there, but I'll have to weigh out the CR's for that. Probably swap out the end baddie (haven't actually read through the whole Mad God's Key yet.) for the FO and work in the new plot elements.

This means, while they'll still encounter Filge and speak to Smenk, that Smenk won't tell them about some secret temple hidden beneath the mine. I'm going to still have to figure out how they'll find out about the Cairn where the FO resides, i.e. the Tomb of Overflowing Blood.

Here's to reviving this WONDERFUL thread!!!

So I just started 'The Whispering Cairn' adventure last night and have been contemplating the TFOE for sometime as I've run the opening to the AOW's several times. Via this thread I've already changed so much to better tie it in.

Thus far:

1) Alluston has charged his apprentice Rekhyt (the Half-Orc Wizard PC) to put together a team of explorers he could trust and explore the Whispering Cairn. WHY? Because several weeks ago a friend of Alluston's had sent a letter (promptly arriving afterwards), a former member of the Seekers who apprenticed for Alluston before becoming employed by Manzorian. Oraal is a half-elf wizard Level 6 who showed Allustan some notes and a map leading to a location very near to the abandoned Fant mine. Oraal met with a Seeker in town, Kellek and another mystery man who Oraal disclosed was a wonderfully bright wizard with pale skin (The Faceless One). Oraal was to meet with this mystery wizard the next night after meeting with Alluston. Oraal told Alluston that the Seekers were at one time interested in the Cairn and have somehow forgotten about it. He thinks this Kellek is here to find the Cairns again. He gives the map and note to Alluston and disappears the next day (leaving his belongings and his spellbook with Alluston).

So, the Faceless One is attempting to not unify the Three Gods but create his own bestial aspect with some Mo-Gi science. He's not too concerned with Vecna, Hextor or Erthynull at all, being as the Vecna visage is a cover for his real intentions. This of course is to herald the coming Age of Worms. I love the idea of the FO being a simulacrum so I've added that he will show up later with some Green Wormage after being betrayed by Lashonna. (This isn't hardened in stone yet, but is focusing into something.)

My real concern is that i've played TFOE before and I agree with all the problems stated, so what about swapping the Ebon Triad, whole underground mine element with the 'Tomb of Blood Overflowing' from the 'Mad God's Key' in Dungeon #114. I REALLY like the Hextor temple battle so I wanted to include that somehow, but everything else in that place is just okay and I've always felt went sort of slow for my players. What does anyone think? I'm looking for some bounce to make this AOW adventure amazing for my players (they're former 4E players, playing this PF AOW Campaign.)

Also, I wanted to involve the Seekers more in the story. Maybe playing trouble to the party later on? Discovering their plots? Worshippers and Heralds of the coming Age of Worms?

"You may choose to act as if you were disabled, rather than dying. You must make this decision as soon as you are reduced to negative hit points (even if it isn't your turn). If you do not choose to act as if you were disabled, you immediately fall unconscious."

So you could decide whether or not to fall in that situation.

grasshopper_ea wrote:

I was reading the DPR olympics and the downfall of the monk in a straight DPR setting of either having lower defense or lower offense than other characters.

Bear in mind, I think monks are so weak as to disrupt the game. That said, things monks can do which are not damage or not get hit by physical attacks:

Stun enemies

Sneak around

Be perceptive, both in the spotting things and noticing bluffs sense

Do the best subdual damage in the game among damage-dealing classes

Move in rough terrain, particularly if the terrain can be cleared with a jump

Grapple

Fight in circumstances where arms and/or armor are inappropriate or unavailable

It's very hard to make these abilities matter at times and the monk is not necessarily the best at some of them, but it's not like the monk doesn't have things it can do.

Quote:

With some of the new feats in Pathfinder though, the monk can become quite formidable in my experience. Scorpion Style, Die Hard...these are some pretty neat feats that can turn a Monk who seems not so powerful to taking out a group or so of enemies quickly.

Expectation failure. The monk is not the guy who takes out a group of enemies quickly. (And Diehard is a terrible feat which gets you killed.) The monk is the guy who knocks enemies for a loop before the rest of the party knocks them down. If you're expecting to take guys out, you're going to be disappointed. If you're expecting to always be able to set up a flank, to be able to stun enemies or stagger or fatigue enemies, or to be able to sit on someone who isn't very good at grappling, then you're probably going to be much happier.

Your right, I worded that incorrectly. Die Hard is bad?

With some of the new feats in Pathfinder though, the monk can become quite formidable in my experience. Scorpion Style, Die Hard...these are some pretty neat feats that can turn a Monk who seems not so powerful to taking out a group or so of enemies quickly.