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I was wondering if anyone else's party thought of dealing with the roc and egg hunt like this.

When my party reached the roc's nest, they simply waited for the roc to fly down to attack them and used Charm Animal on the roc. This made sense as many wandering monsters are animals, and I had no problem rewarding my players for resolving the encounters with Charm Animal.

My players wanted the roc to take them up to the nest. I countered by saying that although the roc was friendly towards them, it was still just an animal, and they couldn't communicate with her. They countered that they could use Handle Animal or Wild Empathy as it was a simple instruction, and I agreed.

They then wanted to take one of the roc's eggs, but again I denied them. I told them the roc was protective of her eggs, and any action against them or even to touch them she would likely interpret as hostile, breaking the charm effect. As these were her strong instincts as a mother, Wild Empathy could only tell them that such, but not subvert said instincts.

Then my players used Speak with Animals to talk directly with the roc, and as she was friendly towards the PCs, the roc allowed them to touch her eggs as they promised not to harm them.

Amusing sidenote: The charmed roc became a little infatuated with the character that charmed her, nuzzling him and cooing about how happy she was to meet him as she was lonely after her mate was killed.

Examining the eggs with Heal and Survival, the PCs determined they were all unfertalized. They wanted to explain this to the roc, hoping that she would let them take one. This was pushing the limit of the Speak with Animals spell, which was only supposed to be used to ask questions, but my players managed to make the roc understand by using rhetorical questions. Once the roc understood that the eggs would never hatch, she was willing to let the PCs take them.

I told my players they would have to figure out how to get the roc egg down next. Instead, they asked if the roc would fly them and her eggs back to their capital. This was an easy request for the roc to do, so she agreed. I told them even flying it would take 24 hours to get back to the capital.

My players realized that Charm Animal would wear out before then and wanted to recast it as necessary. I told them that the roc resisted regardless of her friendliness to the players, but they again just used Speak with Animal and argued that choosing to fail a saving throw was a simple request.

Once they had her back to the capital, they decided that they could Awaken the roc. They figured out how to keep the roc charmed for the twenty-four-hour casting time by having another player cast Charm Animal and Speak with Animal while the other cast Awaken. By this point, I knew there was little I could do to stop them, so I just said the roc was infatuated enough with the caster to let him cast the spell on her.

The first attempt failed, but they managed, eventually, to awaken the roc. After being Awakened, she was happy to transport the party around; due to her earlier infatuation with the charmer, she gained the name of Bird-Wife. This amused everyone except the charmer.

Anyway, afterward, I thought about what my players did and if there was something reasonable I could have done to keep them from doing what they did. There are certainly plenty of things I could have done to break the charm effect, like have the town guards fire arrows at the roc as she came to land in the capital, but my goal isn't to stop my players, just reasonably challenge them as much as I can which I hope I've illustrated. However, not only could I not think of anything I could do to stop them, but I realized doing this, Awakening the roc, seems very easy to do. My party didn't even have a Druid in it, which I imagine would be able to do the whole thing even more easily.

So I figured I'd ask and see if, and maybe even how many, other parties did the same. Awakened the Roc or even just charmed her into helping the party with the Egg Hunt.

In this campaign, I decided to run my players through the published 3.5E adventures for Eberron campaign setting using the Pathfinder 1E rules for my players' characters. I did some conversion of the adventures from D&D 3.5 to Pathfinder 1E, but for the most part, I left things as written. I thought I'd give posting our campaign journal here a try, see if people found our adventures interesting or at least amusing.

The Players

Session 1
Adventure 1 (The Forgotten Forge)

The session begins with the characters being caught in one of Sharn's notorious sudden downpours. Caldan nearly runs smack into Ezra, the pair apologizes to one another, before noticing the body of a murdered man in the middle of a sky bridge ahead of them. Ezra picks up the dead man satchel looking through it to find some identification, while Caldan examines the body to discover that he was killed by an axe. Suddenly they are attacked by a warforged wielding an axe. Luckily for Ezra and Caldan, the warforged is more interested in attacking Train as a "flesh-loving traitor!" The warforged is nowhere near the warrior Train is, and Train quickly crushes its head with his bare fists as, from windows above the street, citizens cry out for the guard. When the warforged is destroyed something peels off its stomach and flies away.

As a testament to the quality of the Sharn guards, they arrive on the scene immediately. Despite Caldan's clumsy wording, he explains that the warforged killed the man and attacked them, so the guards let them go. The trio slips into a tavern and examines the contents of the satchel. Within they find a blank journal that can't be written in; they deduce that the journal's writing must be magically concealed and it must have been what the warforged was after, but they don't know why. Luckily as they leave the tavern, a cloaked figure wearing a House Cannith signet ring tells them to go to the Broken Anvil tavern in the morning if they want answers.

At the Broken Anvil, they meet Lady Elaydren of House Cannith. She explains that the murdered man was a professor researching the location of a lost Schema, a device used in a Creation Pattern that allows House Cannith to make unusual items. She uses her signet ring to reveal the writing in the journal. The writing reveals the way down to an ancient Cannith Foundry from a particular valve cluster in the Sharn sewers. Elaydren asks the PCs to find the valve cluster and recover the schema for her, explaining that due to inter-house conflict, she needs people who aren't members of the house to act as her agents. They agree in exchange for a payment of one thousand gold pieces. Elaydren leaves with a warning that more warforged zealots of the mysterious Lord of Blades may try and kill them to get the Schema.

Inquiring about how they can find the valve cluster in the Sharn sewers, the trio discover that the sewers are so old and complex that such information has been virtually lost to time. The only possible source of information may be found in the lowest levels of Sharn, in a place known as the Rat's Market. Much to Ezra's disgust, they travel to the low levels where the Rat's market is being held, discovering that the Rat's Market is the mobile shop of a goblin junk dealer named Skakan. Caldan approaches and asks about the valve cluster, and the goblin subtly offers to show them for one hundred silver pieces. Caldan agrees, dropping a platinum piece to pay Skakan, who quickly conceals the valuable coinage and packs up his shop.

Meanwhile, Ezra notices a shifter paying Caldan too much attention, but the shifter detects that he has been caught and disappears into the crowd. Once the PCs are away from the crowd with Skakan, he scolds Caldan for flashing platinum around down in the lower levels; warning him that the next time he does something so careless he'll probably end up with a cut throat. Caldan acknowledges his mistake and apologizes.

Following Skakan's directions, the PCs find the valve cluster, the trek through the sewers further disgusting Ezra. It is here that they are jumped by another warforged and his shifter allies. This warforged is more effective than the last one, catching Train off-guard with a sneak attack while the shifters brutalize Caldan and Ezra. Ezra tricks one shifter in front of one of the valves as it opens, spraying a torrent of water that knocks the shifter to the ground allowing Ezra to kill him. With effort, they defeat the warforged and remaining shifter, another creature peeling off the warforged's stomach and flying off. They are forced to wade through the water, Ezra accepting this only because his clothes were already soiled in the battle, and find a sealed door. Using the magic seal on the journal, they open the door, which drops away into darkness. Securing a rope, they climb down and find themselves in some long-abandoned ruins.

The light of their spells draws the attention of a swarm of beetles, which swarm Ezra, badly injuring him. He runs deeper into the ruins while Caldan desperately tries to burn away the swarm with his Burning Hands spell, sadly with little effect. Ezra ends up running into a dire rat's nest, causing the mated pair to attack him. As the beetles swarm Caldan, Train rushes to Ezra's aid beating the rats to death as Ezra succumbs to his injuries and falls unconscious. Caldan manages to disperse the swarm with a second blast of Burning Hands, and the trio take refuge in a ruined temple to rest for the night.

The next day they venture back into the ruins and find the Cannith foundry, though it is sealed shut behind adamantine doors. Discovering a hole in the roof, the trio secure a rope and climb down into the building. Inside they are attacked by a pair of mechanical dogs whose foreheads pop open, revealing oddly shaped rods when they are destroyed. Finding the vault, Ezra sets off the trap by carelessly stepping onto the metal tiles that are electrified. Examining the trap, he realizes that the trap is too advanced for him to disarm, but he can deactivate the trap with the rods from the dogs. They recover the third rod from the head of the third dog, which was crushed when the section of the ceiling collapsed. After one failed attempt to put the rods in the correct order, Ezra gets the pattern right and unlocks the foundry's vault. Finding the Schema and looting everything of value from the foundry, the trio tries to escape but realize that without a wall to brace against, none of them have the skill to climb up the rope. However, they also learn that the exterior doors are only plated in a thin layer of adamantine, and Train is easily able to bash his way out through the doors. Once out of the foundry, they are attacked by yet another warforged. This one speaks to them, introducing himself as Saber, and offers to let them go if they hand over the Schema. Refusing, the trio fight and together manage to force Saber to retreat.

They make their way back to the Broken Anvil and hand over the Schema for their payment. Pleased, Elaydren tells them she will message them through the Sivis message station if she has another job for them. Returning home, Ezra's mother fusses over her son, who is filthy and covered in bruises. She questions why her husband bothered to purchased Train to protect Ezra if he is just going to end up in this kind of condition anyway. She dotes over Ezra and sends their maid to clean Train. This requires a lot of steel wool to scrub the filth off the warforged, which seems to be one of the few things he enjoys. Caldan returns to the House Orien compound, where the maids all fuss over him; any dragonmarked heir is important, no matter how distantly related to the main family.

Hay guys, gals and others, I case you're wondering about the title my friend Seabass and I are stuck up here in tiny town up in northern Alberta without another player for miles and miles. We finally got sick of not getting to play a campaign so I suggested we playing Wraith of the Righteous as it has an abundance of NPC's to fill out the rest of the needed roles and Seabass was cool with running the extra characters so we got started.

So for a potentially embarrassing reason I will get into later Seabass wanted to introduce his own character at a later point, and wanted me to give him the three NPC without their injuries. I wouldn't do this but relented and Let him have Anevia without the broken leg.

So the beginning cut scene plays and Anevia wakes up and uses her Light spell-like ability to illuminate the area and checked the others. With some reassuring words to Aravashnial and some firm but respectful words to Horgus she manages to calm them and make Aravashnial helpful and Horgus friendly. She checks out the spider corpse and makes short work of the giant maggots.

Returning she finds the scales in the rubble and a Rapier giving it to Horgus so he can help fight, but he refuses to risk his life in a fight. Anevia relents and gets him to act as a guard and guide for Aravashnial. Anevia gets Aravashnial to drink his two stronger Cure potions to recover while she drinks the weaker onto recover from a bit of damage she took from the maggots. Horgus complained about it being a waste but didn't try and stop them.

They headed into the abandoned campsite next and Anevia detects one of the cockroaches and actually manages to hit it with an arrow, through the cover of the trash, killing it. The other runs up and bits her but she kills it with a critical using her short sword. Anevia sift through the garbage and collects the Bat Brooch.

In the next chamber 'eagle eye' Anevia detects the Viper and kills it with an arrow. Finding the tunnel that doubles back Anevia checks if for survivors and collects the backpack by using the levitation scale.

Making their way through the tunnel they reached the abandoned temple. Anevia spotted and slew the giant fly with an arrow, as is swiftly becoming her MO. They manage to enter the temple with a lot of work to get the door open. Getting to the antechamber Anevia is overwhelmed by the place suggesting they rest here, to which Aravshnial agrees.

Horgus doesn't like delaying and suggests to Anevia that Aravashnial is slowing them down. Anevia explodes at him asking him what his problem is with them. Horgus relies that he's trapped with a conspiracy nut and a thief that broke into his warehouse. Aravashnial explains that Anevia broke in to investigate because of his mistaken accusations against Horgus, and Anevia adds that they were only dropped because of her investigation, adding quietly that she didn't tell anyone about his personal business. At this revelation Horgus actually starts to laugh realizing how they were connect before this disaster and things calm down (Horgus having become helpful).

They move on and explore the Nave discovering the huecuva, Anevia attacks but she cannot get past its DR without help so Aravashnial pushes Horgus into battle fighting in a full defense but still providing flanking. Anevia gets scratched by the creature but manages to slay it. Afterwards Horgus warns her about the huecuva's diseased claws, but as there's nothing they can do about it they decide to sleep and recover a little. Horgus remains awake however and cleans up the church gaining them Torag's blessing.

Traveling on through the tunnels they eventually reach the cave of the ancestors, but none of them notice the significance of the armor style. When the darkmantles drop their glob of darkness Anevia tells the others to hide in the cover the darkness provides. Aravashnail and she does this but Horgus fails and is grabbed by one of the darkmantles. Anevia slays one with an arrow, but despite the efforts of both Anevia and Horgus himself the darkmantle chokes out the noble before Anevia kills it. They revive Horgus with a pair of potions and after fuming about what happened for a while Horgus calms down and they push on.

Millorn surprises them with a color spray blinding and stunning Anevia and Horgus then blasts Aravashnial with a magic missile. Aravashnial begins summoning and Millorn spectacularly misses him with his crossbow. Aravashnial finishes summoning a celestial dire bat and attacks the dwarf, Anevia recovering from the color spray in time to finish him.

Arriving at the fallen guard post Anevia quickly moves to help dragooning Horgus and Aravashnial into helping as well putting a quickly end to the elf's unintentionally offensive remarks. With a lot of luck they manage to get Crel out and save his life. Thankful for the help Lann and the other mongrelfolk agree to guide them to Neathholm. Along the way they come across the Broken road but easily bypass it using the levitation scale.

Reaching the spore-cougher's home they find it and two crusaders dead, however after searching the they find the unholy symbol to Baphomet and realize that they are disguised cultists. Aravashnial is excite, but Anevia who is disgusted tells him they can't take the bodies back simply claiming their gear. Horgus puts on one of their chain shirts for defense and they continue to Neathholm.

On Lann's word they get into the town and are introduced to Chief Sull. Sull explains about his people origins and there desire to help asking Anevia to bring word of their commitment to defend the city to its defenders. However, he explains as well about the traitors and how they stand in the way of their path to the surface, and the help he can provide if they would eliminate the problem. Horgus doesn't want to get involved but Anevia and Aravashnial argue they have to defeat them to get to the surface anyway, and so they agree.

Anevia presents the chief with what they have found thus far hoping to buy more equipment. Sull recognizes the bat brooch as his son's and so Anevia returns it to him explaining where she found it. Sull gives her his +1 short sword (a change by me) for returning it. Anevia can get little in the way of supplies but does manage to get her disease treated, and after they rest they head out, much to Horgus' relief.

Making their way to the mongrel lair where Anevia's eagle eyes finally fail her and they are ambushed by the guards. Horgus finally being bold enough to join the fight and Aravashnial pretty uselessly flinging around acid darts they manage to defeat the guards and their backup. Anevia uses a potion to heal from a devastating blow she took.

Checking into the next room Anevia spots the monitor lizard and takes it out with a ranged critical sneak attack. They head south and are ambushed by Wanduag whom nearly beats both Anevia and Horgus to death before they defeat her and they are forced to consume several potions to recover.

Anevia checks the next room seeing nothing but she is weary because it contains a barricade like the entryway so she has Aravashnial summon up three dire rats and sends them in. The mongrel guard think they've gotten lucky to have pray just wander into their home and move out to attack them. As they try and beat the rats to death one is serious injured and they are taken out by surprise by Anevia. In the next room Anevia and Horgus manage to take out one of the other two guards while Aravashnial puts the other to sleep.

Entering Hosilla's quarters they are shocked to find a human in command of the mongrels. The don't hesitate however, Aravashnial casting heroism on Anevia who slays Hosilla's bodyguard in a single attack. Hosilla does not fall as easily and Anevia once again comes close to death before they manage to defeat her.

Finding Hosilla's orders Anevia is eager to get them and Radiance back to Irabeth, while Horgus finally admits that Kando Nyserian borrowed a lot of money from him to buy Irabeth's father's sword from her so she could pay for Anevia gender transformation.

Heading Back to the trophy hall they get the drop on the cultists within, Anevia slaying with an arrow and seriously injuring the other allowing Horgus to easily finish her off. Checking the sluice Anevia notices the secret door and the gars. She slays one at range and then the other with her sword when she enters the water though she gets bitten once.

Entering the secret room she completely misses the trap and falls in forcing her to use some more potions to heal. She uses the levitation scale to get out and collects the treasure before returning to the others. They battle the sewer rats in the next chamber who badly injure Horgus in the fight, he drinks the last of the potions to recover. They come across the final barricade and without even bothering to try and spot Anevia has Arashnial summon another dire rat to draw out the guards and they ambush the mongrels slaying them.

(At this point I decided to give them a pass on the dretch maze and on the random street encounters, for now.)

The trio discover that their homes are along the same path, starting with Aravshnial and ending with Anevia, so they decide to go to each one as it comes an idea even Horgus doesn't grumble at anymore. They reach Blackwing Library to find it mostly destroyed, a fact that devastates Aravashnial, however they soon discover that all have not yet been lost but will be if they don't stop the mad crusader Chaleb and his cronies. Anevia cuts down his cronies with arrows before they can react, Chaleb charges her issuing a challenge saying that the demon will inevitably win Horgus slips into flanking with the man and both her and Anevia show disgust at his actions. Anevia is seriously hurt in the battle, but they manage to defeat Chaleb and free the librarians. Anevia uses Chaleb's potions to recover from her wounds while the librarians explain what happened, Aravashnial decides to stay and help the librarians asking Anevia to seek out Quednys Orlun the head librarian who was missing during the attack and get more help for the librarians.

Anevia and Horgus travel to the noble's house where he thanks her and gives her a 2000gp reward, saying that really she owed it to him to protect him after breaking into his warehouse. Anevia thanks him for fighting so well by her side, say she could not have gotten out alive without him, which he agrees with a smile.

Anevia is excited to finally reach her house, her disappointment at Irabeth's absents is alleviated when she finds the note and supplies she left for her. However her relief is short lived as she's attacked by the fire beetle, but having watched Aravashnial summon so many creatures in the underground she recognizes that is was summoned. She drinks a potion of invisibility and waits for it to disappear. Vagorg begins to taught her, but Anevia makes a lucky guess as to where he is and slams him with an alchemist fire. As the fire spreads they engage in combat, but Anevia proves to be the better warrior and slays the half-orc. As her home burns behind her she makes her way to Defender's Heart.

Thus ended the first session.
Most Valuable Player: Anevia, who knew being 2 levels higher then the players would be would turn this unassuming ranged rogue into such a badass.

Most Valuable Item: Cure Potions! Having a healer might have shifted this award to the Levitation Scale, but those potions are the only reason they survived, and I'd like to thank the game designers for putting so many in there.

Note on EXP: I didn't award the NPC any of the story EXP and only awarded them EXP for fights they actually effected so while Anevia climbed to LV 4 Horgus gained little EXP and Aravashnial almost none. Despite the suggestion in the front cover I will be dividing EXP counting the NPC's as part of the party so hopefully any fall behind won't be too devastating.

Next Session not only with Irabeth come in, but so will Seabass' own character, and we'll head back out into the streets to hunt down the cultists and see what random encounters we have.

Hope you enjoyed this and See you all next week.