I recently rebooted the Skulls and Shackles game that had stagnated with my current group of players. As an introduction for the new players (only one player is returning from the older game) I created a holiday themed version of one of the "Continuing the Campaign" adventures. I sent them on a mission to find the treasure of Turpin Irons. I reskinned Turpin Irons, the First Hurricane King, as a jolly Ulfen man who was too charitable and kind to ever survive as the real regent of the Shackles.
First things first, party composition:
CE Human Anti-Paladin/9 of Dagon w/ Babau companion
CE Abyssal Bloodrager 7/Demoniac 2, also of Dagon
NE Wereshark Bones Shaman 9
CN Human Besmaran Cleric 7/Unchained Rogue 3
So, after making their way through the tunnels and caverns beneath Port Peril and dealing with some less interesting fights, though not completely worthless, they manage to find a teleportation circle that transports them to a demiplane, mostly resembling a snowglobe. I have them make perception checks to notice the sound of bells above them. Shortly thereafter a Giant-Templated Frost Giant wearing a Hat of Disguise to look like Irons dressed in his finest red cold-weather gear falls from the sky into the snow, laughing all the way, retrieves a huge snowball from his sack (mechanically rock throwing but with additional cold damage) and throws it at the Anti-Paladin shortly after admonishing these evil creatures from entering the realm of Irons.
They, mostly easily, slay the frost Giant and move inside. I skinned this place as a palace made entirely of ice and snow. As they arrive in the lobby, for all intents and purposes, they see a lavishly appointed area with several fur trees decorated with ornaments representing regions all over Golarion. Under the trees are packages wrapped in bright cloth and paper, all tied with fanciful bows. The dumb dumb bloodrager walks right over to the gifts and picks one up only to be hit with a disintegrate trap. He passes the fort save, and shortly thereafter are introduced to the ghost of solstice past, a lone feinting unchained rogue 10/ghost. He explains what brought him there, and what took him away (he took an archetype that gave up trapfinding, womp womp). As the evil characters lose interest and begin ignoring him to move forward, his jealousy that they might reach the treasure before him overwhelms him and he attacks.After panicking the babau and the bloodrager, he crits on the first attack vs the Anti-Paladin for a whopping 27d6 damage (the AP saved for half). The Bones Shaman, with basically negative energy affinity, breath of lifed the ghost and tanked the rest of the thing, since it couldn't actually hurt him.
After licking their wounds and resting for the night they were all visited by their own Jacob Marley's predicting their demise if they continue down this path. Undaunted, they move forward and end up fighting the Ghost of Christmas Present, an all undead version of their current adventuring party. Bloodrager almost gets it, again, but they get through mostly unfazed.
They continue further into the mansion and encounter a Haunt (of Christmas Future) in the form of a Chelish courtroom where they are sentenced to death for high treason against Cheliax and are effected with a freezing sphere (reflex for half). Those who failed (just the Bloodrager) were also effected by an Icy Prison spell. After chopping their poor helpless comrade out, the Babau greater teleports into the next room.
THIS IS MY PRIDE AND JOY.
The final boss I made for Turpin Irons' Avatar was an Advanced Awakened Flesh Golem Paladin/7 with extra weird stuff.
The main fun thing I added to him was what I'm calling "Aura of Merriment." It works as follow:
60 foot Aura, only effects N and E aligned creatures and evil creatures take a -2 on the save. Round 1, failed save means you are affected by Calm Emotions in the form of feeling too thankful that your friends are around to want to do anything else. Round 2, a second failed save means your alignment temporarily changes to NG and you are compelled to give a gift to the nearest creature. Round 3, on this last failed save the alignment change is permanent, you are compelled to fight the forces of evil, and you immediately gain a once per day use of Smite evil ala the celestial template.
So the Babau, while they are looking around the other room fails all of his saves and becomes a CELESTIAL NG BABAU. They move into the room and ace all of their saves, except the cleric, who for a little while has some trouble. But, the Paladin vs Anti-Paladin Smite vs Smite was pretty epic with the NG CELESTIAL BABAU smiting the Bones Shaman. After taking a long time to finish off the Paladin it explodes in a holy death throw that almost outright finishes the anti-paladin, who finished the fight with 6 hit points.
Everyone was laughing and sweating and having an otherwise awesome time. I'm pleased. Happy Desnamas from the Shackles.
