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I figured I might run this campaign and I got an idea, that perhaps I could link it with (soon to end) Kingmaker campaign where the expedition is sponsored by PC's kingdom to look into expanding to Iaboria. Mainly a trade route across Nomen hills and towards the "three big" cities on the south.

Of course it would require massive changes in some area but basic premise would be that someone (Cyclops, mad druids?) would want to resurrect a spawn residing under Ioborian mountains. I would use the spawn which was featured in Kingmakers PC's version, specifically the thing which looks like a crossbreed of lobster & Shoggoth in "Beneath the Stolen lands".

But what could be the Kakishon, whats imprisoned there and how it might feature with the spawn?

Any ideas? Can it be adapted or am I better of just going with homebrew version sort of removes parts 4-5 with some re-imagined plot developments?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the comments.

I've started the campaign now with few changes.

1) Set in Greyhawks "Sea Princes" in post-occupation time. I used some GH content created for the area from Anna's Greyhawk map & elsewhere so that Cauldron is isolated area by the sea and a tributary to warlord ruling in an area beyond the mountains.

2) I placed Jzarirune outside Cauldron, by the hills near of the small hamlets littering the area (Since most people of the area reside outside Cauldron I figured most people must live as farmers for nobles, earning mainly room & board for their efforts).

3) Cauldron corruption is foreshadowed by conspiracy by the place near Jzadirune where local constable has enabled regular kidnappings without reporting them forward except for few cases that are chalked under "Went away to become a brigand. There will be a purge in city watch after part 1 and then half-orc mercenaries come to play. Kazmojen moved to Cauldron, on his own accord and some bribed help, later which brings PCs to the picture.

4) There is essentially a "bandit town" few days from Cauldron where assortment of escaped slaves, brigands, etc. have formed up. This cuts both land routes of Cauldron, leaving just a perilous sea route left...

5) Which leaves "Duxchan Trading Consortium" (Front for Scarlet Brotherhood) to handle all "trade" which goes out, enabling them to maintain presence in the region. Of course, since campaign takes place after Living Greyhawk I have enabled some changes due to fact that at the end of it, Keoland & Ahlissa allied to contest SB presence in Azure sea so occasional ship from those lands might try their luck and come to Kingfisher Hollow (which is their coastal settlement)

6) There is no Sasserine, at least in this region.

So, I have had the hardcover book of this AP for ages and was thinking of finally running it. Last messages about it in forums go back years so I figured to make a new thread.

Few things come to mind.

- Essentially the whole volcano is swiss cheese with a new megadungeon accessible from every basement. I am looking on possibility of moving locations outside Cauldron itself and was wondering if anyone had some inspiration on the subject. Can some of these turned into outdoor ruins in your mind so that the AP is not 12 dungeon crawls back to back?

- There are glaring plotholes and "Overtly complicated" stuff that bad guys are doing (the whole kidnap thing springs to a mind). Which ones you noticed and what did you do to fix it?

- I want to feature Olmans & Amedia jungle somehow

- I use "Scarlet Brotherhood" book and history of the area suggests it was inhabited by Suel refugees. Therefore all deities should be Suel too. Wee Jas is easy but Kord was swapped with Llerg and Pelor & St. Cuthbert get replaced by Phyton & Jascar respectively.

- Not sure about Alleybashers on what to do with them. I figured I could keep them about as background element (and something that LL can finish off if City Guard needs to "show results"), perhaps having them be under a new unscrupulous master who keeps the Slippery Eel as "place of vice" for less wealthy.

I echo existing sentiments but here goes:

- Foreshadow Nyrissa more. Perhaps even enable the "save her" option (with then Lantern King, Choral released being the last boss).

- More interactions with Sootscale for sure. In my campaign they are actually a vassal kingdom, much to shock and annoyance of surrounding nation. Players gave chieftain some historical books and now he models himself after a Keleshite satrap :D

- Tartuccio.

- More small encounters to map or at least a large selection of "use these on map where ever you want" encounters with either interesting monster or small, mysterious locations (= Candlemere without will'o'wisps).

- Something to show that the barriers between the world are faint over here. I had it happen in Candlemere where it became possible to enter first world on a limited scale.

- Small settlements in map, if nothing but few dozen people hunkering down by Lake Silverstep or refugees living between border of Mivon & Pitax.

- Borders. PC's likely an an interest to keep going across the map so expand it slightly to show Mivon and then have there be some border fort/settlement clearly indicating "This far and no farther".

- Some side event between parts 1 & 2 where groups go back to Restov and get congratulations of their achievements. Enables PC's to meet Maegar and Drelev properly.

Hello.

Just a couple of question about these things:

1) Does the vine they animate merely attack as assassin vine (+7 slam, 1d6+5 damage, improved grab & constrict) or does it get any other of their abilities of assassin vine, namely blindsight, entangle and energy resistances? I suspect the first but never hurts to clarifiy.

2) Does the malleable form affect movement in difficult terrain, say if some spells turns the "ground" beneath them into something else?

Thanks.

S.

PC Name: Shane
Class / Race: 2 Rogue / Human
Adventure: Whispering Cairn
Location of Death: the True Tomb
Catalyst: In fight with Wind Warriors, tried to tumble away after attacking. Hit one and did some damage. Tumble roll comes as one, AoO from Wind Warrior is a critical for 21pts of damage (maximum being 22). Rogue goes from 8 hitpoints straight to -13.

And in Whispering Cairn as well, 'almost death'

PC Name: Alfray
Class / Race: 2 Fighter / Human
Adventure: Whispering Cairn
Location of Death: the True Tomb
Catalyst: Fights against Wind Warriors and is knocked down. When bleeding, a wind blast kills him.

Two rounds later strange substance that Filge had prepared from dead Kuyss worm and had injected to Alfray (as means to take him out of batte), kicks in. Alfray starts to 'live again' but is a bit changed. Nonetheless he pummels the Wind Warrior and must learn to live as undead version of his old self.

Talking about Filge. I recently started AoW campaign and in the fight against him, most of the party was paralysed by his ghoul touch. Without really thinking it much as situation seemed to warrant it, I had Filge take out one of his syringes and essentially do a non-lethal coup-de-grace to one of the players by pumping him full of some strange toxin (naturally knocking said PC out straight away).

Now I am thinking. What this might do for that player in the future, that his system has been tainted by some sort of questionable material. Perhaps it was somehow connected to the worm he had and has some aspects of the "slow worm" as detailed in "Encounter at Blackwell Keep" or something like that.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

S.

Sure, you could say that the use of real names isn't very creative, i'd second that, but from my point of view in no case offensive. I can imagine distasteful uses of real names (here in germany we'd be angry if NPC's would be named after "famous" nazis), but to lend out the name of a sportsman doesn't fall into this category in my opinion. Sometimes soccer games on TV inspire me for NPC names. I once had a villain named Crespo, after a famous european soccer player. I don't think he'd mind me...

It is the fact that:

A) they take the name of someone who could very much be called a national icon and give it to some crazed assassin.

B) They use it in an actual official publication.

Now, I don't know where Lassiviren originated. probably in someones home campaign, but Paizo did publish him later as 'critical threat' and for that they should be ashamed. Yes, I known finnish names get abused a lot, such as 'Eloranta' in Dungeon adventure 'Practical Magic'. How about giving it a rest?

Hello.

Has anyone ever done a sort of "this is what you know of Diamond lake" for PCs, in other words the description of the town from same Dungeon magazine as "whispering cairn" but without all the hidden information such as Dourstone knowing about Ebon Triad, etc?

I would love to have one if anyone has it (shaarlaa at hotmail dot com)

Thanks.

S.

3)Lassiveran the Dark

I find it extremely tacky and even offensive that NPCs get named after real and living persons. Paizo should be ashamed they ever ran that NPC article in Dungeon, no matter if said character had been played by whoever years earlier.

Simpi (an offended Finn).