Venequin's page

poilbrun wrote:

Also regarding the map, is there a way to retrieve the map graphics from the pdf? I'd especially love to have a version of the map without icons and site names.

SomePDFExtractor

Use it all the time to get maps, pictures, etc..

-- david
Papa.DRB

I downloaded the program and extracted from the PDF following the Support on their websites instructions, although when I did this only 1 or 2 pictures came out of any use. Most of them are just the blank background images which I can use for unique stationary is quite useless since I wanted A detailed exploration hex map for the players without the POI's.

I explored their website, but could not find anything relating to this issue, so I'm hoping someone here can help despite how long ago you posted upon this isssue.

Thanks anyone who can assist!~

So would the Athame still be the objective, as well as the witch tree/ witch doll golem?

I like this idea, great work :)

Page 71. Demodand, Tarry. Mwk short sword stat block reads +26, but with the 18Bab, +9 str, 1 wep focus, 1 mwk, and -2 for two weapon fighting, it should be +27.

The bite is even only 4 points lower than then primary attack at 22, reflecting on how it should be a +27.

I"m actually writing my post Reign of Winter campaign right now, except my game took a very interesting turn near the end.

In my campaign one of the players is playing a deaf kitsune oracle that was previously a warden of Artrosa. The huge difference is after they defeated the Crone Queens and returned to Vigliv in the Grandmothers Cauldron they conspired with the Norn pleading her to assist them in the Destruction of Baba Yaga or at least to leave her trapped within the Doll. As a result Vigliv attacked the party (they luckily had deathward and many buffs left from the previous fight on, or would have died for sure).

As a result Vigliv placed Baba Yaga in her care in the near inaccessible Grandmothers Cauldron. Once this was complete the Oracle had to use dismissal to escape the Hut itself which was still pacing about the psuedo-jungle it had created for itself on the surface of Earth. The Hut initially attacked the players as they were dismissed in front of the Hut one by one since they lacked the Witch Queen's favor. Once they were done making the hut submit, they found that Earth's time had moved faster than they had while inside the Hut. The World Engine was their target within a now-a-day Museum showing what the People of Russia believed to have actually occurred at this Church/Military Camp. The presence of the now Mythic PC's caused the now sentient World Engine to crave their Mythic energies like it once fed upon Baba's.

The players used the world engine and reconstructed it using Baba Yaga's artifacts as the "tuning" forks for planar travel into the Grandmothers Cauldron to make a back door. Once they was completed they infiltrated the Kurgan killed Elvanna and rewired her Gate, and used it to return to Irrisen as the rulers.

I added another Item to the final room with Elvanna: A jeweled regal Magnifying glass with adornments of chicken shaped pearls. I had been toying with a players curiosity appeal by giving him a "scroll of unknown language". He was convinced I did it just to mess with him, because tongues did not work. He finally viewed the scroll with the magnifying glass and realized it was actually an extremely small collection of pictures arranged into what seemed to be an unknown language. The pictures were that of a Baba Yaga's hut. Although, It was doing a very specific dance (I previously had dances that were able to be taught to the hut for various reasons).

My curious player couldn't resist and immediately began teaching the Hut the dance. As the players watched the Hut complete its dance routine, faster and faster, and faster yet, eventually its footwork blaring quick enough to light the ground with archaic arcane runes. Runes that spelled out the True Name of a very particular creature.

Just then a Gate spell ripped open before the PC's. Although, unlike any size they had ever seen before. Suddenly an Astral Leviathan of enormous stature slowly emerged from the planar gate-way, very upset to be teleported millions of miles across the void while dining upon radioactive plankton outside of a dying sun.

The PC's quickly befriended this colossal cumbersome chum once they had learned this was Baba Yaga's method of exploring the Void of space before she had created her Dancing Hut. She traveled inside of the large creature in a demesne she created among its planar organs, using divination magic to find large amounts of food, in return for transportation.

This brings us back to why I am using the "Witch War" supplemental. The players found Tashannas journal after defeating Elvanna, they also noticed the empty 9th throne and had begun investigating this planning their coup all along. The players are hoping to venture into the Veil of Frozen Tears to find Tashanna's whereabouts herself, and while they are at, secure the Torc and use it as a bargaining chip one day if need be.

Sorry for the long post, just thought it would be easier to follow this way. Im about to be running the following sessions, except bumping up the challenge rating, and quite a few of Elvanna's influence.

@ Zhangar: Yes, he is more focused on killing Baba Yaga, due to his character being a previous Warden of Artrosa. He was punished and held prisoner within Artrosa until the player's holding the mantle removed his curse. He secretly yearns for her mythic power.

He basically intends to convince the party to refrain from finishing the process presented in the pre-made, and find an different route to destroying Baba Yaga while in the doll by contacting some higher power.

My question is would that just destroying the doll by other means just free Baba anyway?

And @Zhangar again. Half the party seems to have no care toward Golarion so stopping Elvanna isn't to much of an issue. Which gives me the ability to pit the party against each other, which would be interesting at this point.

A player in my group has decided to try to convince the group to get out of the dancing hut to keep Baba Yaga trapped in her Matyroshka doll forever (and finding help else where) to try to destroy it in the end.

Anyone have any pointers on what to do about them trying to leave the hut? Other than just having Baba will the ladder going to the Domovoi gulag altered such or changed.

I want to tailor to this possibility and keep his interests within in the game, so recently (since his character is more non-combative) he's going to be introducing his long-last cohort from his leadership feat. Which is a twin Kitsune of herself, although rogue; whereas he is a blind oracle.

Not only that but recently a summoner in the group got pumped full of like 15ish Baykok arrows in Queen Bremagyrs keep, and is finally coming back as an Eldritch Knight.

The way I see it is I could tie these characters into the backstory of Baba Yaga easily since they are entering the game while inside the hut, therefore perhaps giving a reason why they could have a hint to the destruction of the doll/ritual.

Despite being able to leave the hut in the first place. I plan keeping it difficult to remain undetected carrying this artifact necromancy/abjuration containing Baba, since she likely has other enemies, or even possible friends to pry it away from the players.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Does anyone have any input on making the 6th part of the adventure path more of a free roam? I don't mean encounter difficulty wise, more-so player exploration/discovery methods for tying together the awesome scenario's.

Id like for it to be more of a problem they need to figure out rather than being some-what guided by Baba Yaga. I do want to keep the "layers" of speech still although.

I imagined her having the ability to create her hut due to her unique interaction with an otherworldly creature such as a Norn (particularly on a planet such as "ours"). On page 61 of book 6 during Vigliv' description it states that not only did Baba Yaga tear Viglivs' primordial sanctum as a foundation for the hut. Shortly thereafter, "Vigliv both loves and fears Baba Yaga, and serves her because her own thread of fate is inextricably entwined with that of Baba Yaga".

Oh yea, as far as the cohort goes, he wants to choose Nevra. He hopes to convince her to use guns lol, the holy gun of apsu may help :p

Currently my buddy has a rogue 2/oracle 10 taking full advantage of the suzerain scepter from Yrax's horde. He has be-friend Nevra (his current bond), Talsune, as well as Cesseer of Ning, Marislova, Dawnbark, Syvet, Viveka. We had a complicated story spin when he died in artrosa and came back as a previous warden ( but cursed for betrayal, broken by the rider mantles touch). This means after saving Ratibor he betrayed the oracle for introducing him to the witch 200 years ago (my buddy was original seer Ratibor consulted for help; in which Baba Yaga was mentioned). Ratibor now has successfully made audience with his previous ally Ygarrdt a frost giant of Koshtichie. These two now rule over artrosa awaiting the oracles return to take the ring, and further their plans.

Luckily, they dont know that Yaga's comin back; and her first line of duty after Irrisen's queen is commanding the young oracle to banish these creatures from her lair. Unlucky for the party the once "stable" Artrosa has been pulled into demi planes of the Abyss focusing on the raw energy of the standing stones previously encountered.

The party was brash in their decision of "leaving it to ratibor" to be cleaned out. They left the necromancer pukwudgie, the debased nymph, as well as the bebilith, along with the alchemists I have simply to many options on how to twist those already awesome encounters :)

Sorry for that rant, was supposed to just answer OP...ooops.

Looking into it a little more I would like to add that that the construction requirements for a spectral searchlight calls for continual flame, so 20ft with 40ft increase according to the core. Would that treat every square in its direct line of effect to be treated as the targeted area of a continual flame? This would mean 20ft in each direct radiating from the initial "beams" center would be considered "Normal light". Directly after 20 ft, there would be a 40ft radius of a one step increase to the light level following the direct area effected.

any help?

i always confuse those two, thanks for the clarification Vurin.

Im trying to imagine how the spectral search lights function, if anyone could shine a little light on the subject. The book states(pg.61), that a singular light provides normal light up to a 360 foot line, and increases the light level by one step in the area beyond that up a 720 foot line.

So. My question is how to rule the randomness of a soldier scanning a battlefield at night with these lines. I mean a line is 5ft. wide by standard correct? So I'm having issues actually envisioning the proportions of this effect in relation to the expanse that makes up "no mans land". There are numerous active on each front of the camp so that helps the probability some. The last thing I would like to add is within the description of the Tank patrols (pg.25). at the end of the description (actually on pg. 26 now) it says, "At night, the tanks stay within the area illuminated by the towers spectral searchlights". does this mean some are occupied?

I just want to be able to simulate the search lights effectively for the two rogues in my party. :) any help would be appreciated!

was just taking a look at rasputins prepped spells, and noticed he had wish prepped, how many 25k diamonds have you guys had at his disposal? (-1 for the anastatia rez of course). theres just... so many fun games to mess with the pc's head with wish + astral pro.. despite the 30 min cast time.

im thinking of just toying with them with debuffs< and the ilusion of an undying antagonisic :P.

id appreciate criticism on any of these questions< thanks!

Also has anyone made any headway on how to take control of the hut via the controls?

I've decided the 30 UMD the book suggests and for simple commands like a pet would have. As well as opening/closing windows, and locking.

The next tier would be 35 40 each round to actively control the house.

I was thinking about having the party mix a concoction with the cauldron in the clay bowl with the cracked egg.. But then I realized baba yaga would never do something that makes sense... and again, im at a loss..

Anyone? lol

Im setting up alot of combat since we called the session while in the temple of Mestama, and really the party could go MANY ways from here :). My biggest issue atm is preparing for the crone dungeon, due to this writing, "The rooms and passages of this dungeon are dark and cold, with a motif of winter, darkness and tdeath throughout, Unless otherwise noted, all passages within the Crone are under the effect of a permanent Darkness spell and kept unaturally...etc". Its not very clear where this does and doesn't occur in the explanation. For example when walking into E5 with the bebilith, there is no mention of a alternate light source to cancel the darkness spell (obviously the party would have one by now and would be using it). But for the purposes of these creatures existing within here on a day to day basis im at a loss for a few parts of this dungeons ecology.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

My players are just a few encounters from finishing the second book. This means they will finally have the dancing hut in their possession. When reading under hut controls in its item description it states, "The hut is controlled by cracking a brown chicken egg into a cracked bowl! Which produces a chick that controls the huts actions with a DC 30 umd check".

This raises a question my fellow dm's here. When a character is finally able to make the dc 30 check. How do you explain or narrate what they do with the chick in the bowl?

I'm assuming the house spirit Zorka when eventually made friendly could advise them of the first step (cracking the egg in the bowl) but no further. This also raises the question how to role play her.

I've had a few ideas for each but I thought bouncing ideas off each other could help everyone!

Venequin wrote:

I have a few question's regarding the situation following the downing of Logrivich (and the rest of it's inhabitants).

1. The party must shoot off a skyrocket (flare) to signal to the Iron guard they should begin their revolution. This leads me to wonder if any of the winter guard (or anyone else curious for that matter) would check out the source of the flare, developing into the opposite situation for the characters that they just faced; being they are the ones held up in the clock-tower repelling the forces of Whitethrone.
- If the above scenario were to occur what would the potential party checking out the tower be composed of? (I was thinking of straying from ice trolls/winter witches/winter wolves, mirror men.)

2. Furthermore, if the party leaves the tower after completing their mission there. What sort of a situation or environment should they find themselves in traveling through the city during the Iron Guards uprising on their return to the Shrine of the Everbloom? Also should they be running into more or less Winter Guard? or other sorts of creatures taking advantage of the state of chaos?

My game is this upcoming Monday or Tuesday! So if anyone can get back to me asap it would be much appreciated!

Thanks my fellow finders of paths.

1 Possibly, but if they leave quickly thereafter they should be fine and avoid problems.

- Witches and human soldiers? Witches with talking wolves. Witches with constructs. Witches with summoned fiends.
Witches and Jadwigga can call on lots of crazy servants. If you have an out there monster sourcebook lots can fit in here.

2 In my game they went straight back so I made it straightforward. You could have another mirror man encounter but with stuff happening in other districts of the city drawing guards and soldiers away to those hot spots I would not make it intense.

I'm thinking that the party may feel obligated to rest up following the Logrivich fight for obvious reasons. Depending on when they do this, either before or after they fire the flare off, is the big question. I'm assuming they will think of resting before they fire off the rocket, but if they don't rest before-hand. I'm debating the potential of a reaction to this clear aid to the Iron Guard from the Winter Guard during their rest period. This would lead to a pretty cool fight scene from the very tower they just pillaged.

I was also debating having Greta lead the investigation of the Clock Tower following the firing of the rocket. I would like to use Greta due to the fact a player that was using the rimepelt, had no problem promising to meet her for a date, and then blowing her off. Although, after a look at how the city functions by quarter's, and who has power within those quarters. I began to wonder if Greta would venture out of the howlings at all, in this example, to help the Winter Guard pursue whoever has apparently felled the great Logrivich?

Any thoughts?

Just reading C10 of the Maiden dungeon and trying to theory craft a fun way for the PC'S to use the "enter image" ritual between the stone menhirs.

I was debating somehow dropping a clue to the PC's (if they discover and find out how to use the device) that it would be valuable to watch over the entrance to Artrosa as a means of warning them to approaching dangers. The other effect of "enter image" states the object has limited movement, perhaps giving a cool cinematic way to scare off or bluff approaching forces that Artrosa is indeed under control of the Warden. Hopefully this may convince the PC's to use this chamber as a rest chamber giving it more of a dungeon crawl, vs a gauntlet of endless encounters. Although, this would not obviously help them against forces already within Artrosa.

If anyone has any cool ideas or anything lemme know! thanks!

I have a few question's regarding the situation following the downing of Logrivich (and the rest of it's inhabitants).

1. The party must shoot off a skyrocket (flare) to signal to the Iron guard they should begin their revolution. This leads me to wonder if any of the winter guard (or anyone else curious for that matter) would check out the source of the flare, developing into the opposite situation for the characters that they just faced; being they are the ones held up in the clock-tower repelling the forces of Whitethrone.
- If the above scenario were to occur what would the potential party checking out the tower be composed of? (I was thinking of straying from ice trolls/winter witches/winter wolves, mirror men.)

2. Furthermore, if the party leaves the tower after completing their mission there. What sort of a situation or environment should they find themselves in traveling through the city during the Iron Guards uprising on their return to the Shrine of the Everbloom? Also should they be running into more or less Winter Guard? or other sorts of creatures taking advantage of the state of chaos?

My game is this upcoming Monday or Tuesday! So if anyone can get back to me asap it would be much appreciated!

Thanks my fellow finders of paths.