Waiwode's page

...Brigand is really the weakest trait in explaining why anyone would give you a charter...

In our table-top game our Ranger was a Brigand. Saved from the gallows, and branded on the shoulder, she was given the opportunity to serve the group (kind of an indentured servitude).

That brand (originally the player's idea, not mine (as GM)) became a campaign thing -- sort of a "second offence" marker that let the PCs know whether they should offer mercy to captured bandits (and a sentence of two years as road-crew -- they built a lot of roads) or whether they should just find the closest tall tree and string them up.

Titan -- my PbP plate is groaning from the load right now (on another forum) but I just want to say "Excellent choice" and I hope this comes together.

For others, DW is an incredible game, it blends a lot of the "old school" (things like player agency, not compulsive die-result tables that link to other sub-tables that link to other sub-sub-tables) with the attitudes and mechanics of the new Story Game crowd.

Thanks for the opportunity, Kyle!

Crustypeanut has certainly done the work for the slot, and I imagine at this point (s)he will be committed to the game, but I'll keep my ear to the ground just in case.

For those who have finished the series (or, if you include Esslemont's books and the Korbalain & Broach novellas, the series of series), the first of a very-prequel-indeed Kharkanas Trilogy is out now.

The Forge of Darkness is a tale of Anomander Rake and his brother Andarist and Silchas Ruin, back when the Tiste Andii lived in Kurald Galain and Mother Darkness was all in charge and stuff.

It is in my queue, haven't had a lot of reading time recently, so I probably won't get to it for a month yet.

I refer you to It's a Wonderful Life.

There are two banking institutions in Bedford Falls.

Henry Potter (LE) uses the lawful-neutral laws to better himself, spread his power, and increase his own influence.

George Bailey (LG) uses the same laws to help people. He lives in a broken down old house because he refuses to profit unjustly at the expense of others. He has a moment of grave doubt, and he fails himself and others -- no one is perfect.

Zando is 20 points -- 16 (10pts), 14 (5pts), 13 (3pts), 12 (2pts) but the +2 Stat bonus in INT for being human might make it look like 27 points were spent.

Hmmm. I see while I was laboriously crafting Zando, someone else offered to play an Alchemist. Damn. Hmmm -- well, if Zando is unsuitable, perhaps a druid....

With a Fighter/Cleric and a Fighter, a Wizard and a collection of rogues and/or ninjas, I'll throw a Varisian Alchemist into the mix:

"I, Zando Parzull, am destined to be the greatest scholar of this generation. So-called masters of Arcane lore will see that their time is at an end! For, from dusty scraps of lore found -- borrowed -- from forgotten tomes I have pieced together the greatest of ancient secrets, the very alchemical sciences! Why, with some of this mixture, and a bit of that, there is no reason that -- nevermind that. The fire? It will burn itself out. But let's step outside, just in case."

"I, Zandull Parzull, am on the run. Oh, just a little misunderstanding, there's no reason that hair tonic should have had that effect. But people get so excited. I probably shouldn't go back to Riddleport for a few days. Or -- maybe weeks. In the mean-time, the secrets of your tiny village. Town? Really? Well, it is quaint, certainly, you can understand my confusion. There's no need for that kind of language! Have I mentioned that I, Zandull Parzull, speak seven languages? Well good day to you sir! I said good day!"

Not smooth-tongued enough to be a charlatan, the young genius really is opening new fields of magical research. Too bad no one else seems to be that impressed.

Zando Parzull
Human (Varisian) Alchemist (Mindchemist, Psychonaut) 1
N Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +4
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Defense
--------------------
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +0
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Special Attacks bomb 1d4+4 (5/day) (dc 14)
Alchemist (Mindchemist, Psychonaut) Spells Prepared (CL 1):
1 (2/day) Shield, Cure Light Wounds
--------------------
Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Brew Potion, Magical Aptitude, Splash Weapon Mastery, Throw Anything
Traits Azlant Fanatic (Knowledge [history]), Scholar of the Ancients
Skills Appraise +8, Craft (alchemy) +8 (+9 to create alchemical items), Craft (glass) +2, Heal +4, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (history) +9, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +4, Spellcraft +10, Survival +4, Use Magic Device +6 Modifiers alchemy +1
Languages Azlanti, Common, Osiriani, Shoanti, Skald, Thassilonian, Varisian
SQ cognatogen (dc 14)
Other Gear 175 GP
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Special Abilities
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Alchemy +1 (Su) +1 to Craft (Alchemy) to create alchemical items, can Id potions by touch.
Azlant Fanatic (Knowledge [history]) You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks. One of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.
Bomb 1d4+4 (5/day) (DC 14) (Su) Thrown Splash Weapon deals 1d4+4 fire damage.
Cognatogen (DC 14) (Su) At 1st level, a mindchemist learns how to create a cognatogen, as per the cognatogen discovery.

This ability replaces the mutagen class ability (a mindchemist cannot create mutagens unless he selects mutagen* as a discovery).
Throw Anything Proficient with improvised ranged weapons. +1 to hit with thrown splash weapons.

I would love to take part in this -- although I'm not new to RPGs or Pathfinder, so I certainly understand if you'd like to put me onto a "backburner" until more people show up.

As the first "on the ground" so to speak, I don't want to discourage anyone from grabbing a favourite class, I can certainly create a character to fill in the gap.

Pathfinder doesn't deal with "medieval realities" like the justice system very often, but having the *legal right* to string up bandits? It turns the party from a band of Murder Hobos into "Sheriffs" *and* "Judges".

It remains my favourite charter.

I would hate to guess the percentage of Good campaigns that allied with the Kobolds. Because via anecdotal evidence here on the forums, it's high.

One of my PCs, a gnome gunslinger with a background in engineering, took the time to examine the old bridge, then promptly rolled a nat 20 on his knowledge (engineering) check to determine its faults and how to repair it. So, the party took the time to make it stable, with plans for a future full rebuild, and continued on with their exploration.

I love PCs who have noncombat skills, makes for some entertaining stories!

Although suiting the purposes for our risk-loving Adventureres, I probably still would have made it cost between 1000 - 2000gp in parts and labour to make it fully functional -- and about 1/4 to 1/2 the BP cost of a Bridge normally, iirc. It still allows the Player to win a victory, but doesn't end up in re-working all the bridge rules.

In the Austro-Hungarian Empire the Emperor of the A-H E was King of Hungary as well, Kaiser und König, or k.u.k. One ruler, with two titles.

As part of my changes, when Issia surrenders to Choral the Conqueror without a fight (unlike Rostland) they do so on the political fiction that Choral is not their King, but their Regent. Their lords owed him fealty, but didn't have to call him King.

With the disappearance of the bloodline the Issians have begun to question why they should have to recognize the Surtovas as Regents.

The Regent has given two of the four southern expansions to Issian nobles (one of which is our Issian Cavalier) to placate the more warlike Northern families (and with Gorum being popular up there, they have always been a touch warlike).

Heh-heh. Check user-name, a different version of Voivode.

Yes. For me the Northern Lords (Issia) use Germanic titles. Freiherr instead of Baron, Markgrafs, & Grafs. Prinz. Lots of Gorumite Nobles.

The southern lords use the titles we're more familiar with. Mind you, I have Brevoy as a strange Russian version of Austro-Hungary, where Noleski Surtova is King of Rostland but only the Regent of Issia. Rostland nobles favour Abadar.

Like Redcelt, I'm a pain about rivers.

In the Narlmarches, though, I state that the rivers are narrower, and numerous fords exist. A forest/river hex takes an extra day to explore.

We cleared the tower today. Cleric player was unavailable. She was sorely missed.

The gate caught the Ranger solidly. Ow. It took a bit to get her free.

Rigg was a notable annoyance. He evaded a Fireball of Player Frustration and made the Alchemist use a Targeted Bomb Admixture (which also missed), but when they tagged him they tagged him good. He escaped with 1 or 2 hit points.

The Grimstalker and his pal went down fast, despite totally getting the drop on the group. A lucky Lightning Bolt and a second Targeted Bomb Admixture took him out, his leafy companion going even faster.

After the trap on the first floor "de-buffed" Will Saves The Dancer trapped all four (Cavalier, Ranger (and Cat), Wizard , and Alchemist) with her dance. The female Ranger shook it off when the Dancer attacked (not being Surprised *and* making her save when the Dancer began to dance again) but fell for the suggestion that she collect flowers on the (Illusionary) balcony. By the time she made it back up to the tower the dancer and the Cavalier were almost done their dance -- he was down to 2 Con.

The fight ended up with the Ranger and the Cavalier out (the Cavalier stabilized at -1 hp -- he would be dead-dead at -2!) the Alchemist with 2 hp left and low Con, and the Wizard chasing the Baobhan Sith around with a flaming sphere (move action) while casting Magic Missile.

Good times. As close to a TPK as I've gotten in a long time.

Drawing inspiration from a certain piece of artwork inside Stolen Land, I played up the Stag Lord as a more psychological adversary to the party, replacing his drunkenness with a mystical, spiritual madness and working towards something of a Jack Torrance/Roy Batty vibe.

See -- now if I had read this a couple months ago? This I would have stolen!

I'm not unhappy how ours turned out, but I do love this angle on the Stag Lord.

This however occured during the battle with the Stag Lord in his keep, effectively knocking the cleric out of the fight while watching the past.

...

Heh, that would have turned our assault on the SL's Fort into a TPK. Every single Channel Energy got used, and normally it was as someone went below 0 hits. Even stacked with potions and buffs, it was a really hard fight.

Doug.

- I changed the guards at the trading post to five level 3 warriors

Mine are all third lvl PC classes -- a Ranger, some fighters, and a fighter with a lvl of Cleric (Gorum). Some, like the cleric Ritter, are very well known to the party, while some are still just names.

- There are about a dozen hunters or trappers...

I don't have that many. Although my group did meet Breeg just hours after the bandits were defeated. Suspicious timing. Made a certain Hex more poignant.

- I read through "Tales of the Margreve," and added in some of the elements.

I replaced the Gronzi with the Margreve, lock stock and barrel, name and all. The party has travelled through it twice now, and it's never the same. (I'm toning the Hearts down a bit, but still trying to keep all the Russian Fairy-tale sense of it).

I'll take a look at the rules, and thanks!

As a GM of Kingmaker, where have you "gone out of the box" and made significant changes to the AP? And if you have, or haven't, why?

0. I did "Russian-ify" and "German-ify" a lot of names, to go with a narrower cultural theme for Rostland and Issia.

1. Jhod Kavkin, Priest of Abadar.
One of my PCs was a priestess of Erastil, and she had prophetic dreams of the Temple of the Elk as one of her reasons for heading into the Stolen Lands. Making "Father Kavkin" an Abadaran let me add one more of Brevoy's main religions to the area.

2. Kesta Garess, female.
With two of my five PCs being females, first, I wanted a strong military female character in the setting, as there will be lots of strong male characters. Secondly, it tied into Sir Falgrim Sneeg in a different way, that made him seem more redeemable. (See below). And since Gorum is still popular in Northern Brevoy, I made her and her war band Gorumites (including a character with one level of Cleric).

3. Akiros Ismort is Sir Falgrim Sneeg
Changing the Garess/Sneeg story to a love story gone wrong, and an arranged marriage escaped, even though it meant Sneeg was expelled from his position, and excommunicated. Not that Sneeg was without fault -- well, for simplicity's sake, let's just say his motives may not have been Paladin-pure, mixed with a bit of "Lancelot goes mad for a couple years and wanders the Wilderness" vibe.
Unfortunately, any attempt to "resolve" this story-line ended badly when an Alchemical bomb rendered him unconscious and on fire in the battle in the Stag Lord's fort. By the time the battle was over, there really wasn't much left of Sir Falgrim Sneeg. They still have his enchanted sword, Akiros, though. (And another "normal" bandit took over the spot Falgrim had in the rank and file).

4. In RRR I've used most of DM aka Dudemeister's Changes to Hargulka's Kingdom. with great results.

Thoughts, comments, criticisms all welcome.

The problem with multi-classing casters? Lots and lots of 1st lvl spells (which can be really cool, don't get me wrong) but your "punch" is going to begin to fall behind.

A 4th lvl Witch has their third Hex.

A 3rd lvl Witch/1st level Wizard ... let's say Enchanting specialist ... has a whole host of new low level abilities and Scribe Scroll.

But you'll be an 8th lvl character before you get your first bonus feat.

Now, that will be Witch 3, and Wizard 5, and Wizard 5 has access to third lvl spells.

On the other hand, a Witch 8 has five hexes and fourth level spells.

A Witch 3 Wizard 5 has BAB 3 F 2 R 2 W 7 and Scribe Scroll and one other Feat, while a Witch 8 has BAB 4 F 2 R 2 W 6.

I don't know if the "pause" in effect is worth gain.

On the other hand, if you love pumping out low level "utility" spell? Then yes, it will pay off.

Heheheh. No, you're right, a cash bar would be more appropriate, I think. :)

Tipping discouraged, as The AbaBar's prices and wages are all divinely just.

With an important RP scene looming tomorrow, the burial of a young cavalier who served Abadar, I'm looking for a couple key (ha) phrases for the Abadaran priest. I don't need the entire ceremony, I'm just looking for some flavour.

Burial seems like an appropriate funeral for servants of the Master of the First Vault. A mausoleum would be more appropriate, but out on the borderlands of Brevoy there don't seem to be a lot of those about.

Some ideas so far...

"We lock him away in the earth, Great Lord, so that you may open the doors of the Great vault to your follower, that he may continue to aid your work in the afterlife as he did while among us."

"Master of the Vault, we pray that you weigh your servant's deeds, and find him worth to include in your treasures."

Sort of running into a wall at this point.

Thoughts?

Since my party doesn't have any ranger druid types, and they are low level, I think I will have them roll once per hex.

That makes perfect sense, at least until someone in the party can get a sufficient Survival bonus.

And man-oh-man, if there was ever an AP that paid-off for Druids and Rangers, this one is it. (Cavaliers too! Lots of opportunity to charge, unlike, say , Council of Thieves!)

Every hour? Wow. Considering how long it takes to explore a hex, even on horse-back, that's a lot of rolling! And if you're exploring a region, are you really lost? :)

If my group didn't have any Survival Specialists (Rangers, Druids, or out-door build Rogues) I'd worry about it a lot more. As it is, in the second book now, if they tried to ride West from the Kamelands and find Pitax? I'd make them make some rolls to avoid getting lost and finding it based on hearsay and verbal directions. But when they're just riding back and forth in one region (hex) it seems like a waste of time.

That's a mighty fortress, Patrick, great job, and thanks for posing this!

Although the army rules are odd, the spells and feats highly suspect, but the expansion to kingdom Building are pure gold.

And the look on their faces when I mentioned how happy I was they were giving me a powerful Witch NPC when they built their Witch's Hut? Priceless.

From the New School:

Glen Cook, for The Black Company, and for unknowingly starting it off.

Brust, mentioned often above, and for being part of it, even if he was unaware.

Steven Erikson, for The Malazan Book of the Fallen

Joe Abercrombie, for The First Law Trilogy and every new book in that world. My favourite author.

Scott Lynch, for the Gentlemen Bastards.

R Scott Bakker for the Prince of Nothing.

From the rest:

Lois McMaster Bujold for The Curse of Chalion and The Paladin of Souls.

David Gemmel for Legend.

Patrick Rothfuss, for Kvothe and The Name of the Wind.

Well, it's been a decade since the Rogarvia disappeared in 4699 -- but "decade" is one of those mushy terms.

Stolen Lands was released in March 2010, and the charter mentions Calistril ... Golaria's February. Technically it should start in 4710. but 4711 or '12, or any other date you like should work just fine. Especially since the AP isn't on a rigid time line path -- many groups cover multiple years during the AP.

With a fair number of wilderness encounters, our Cavalier has certainly had his moments to shine.

Our Alchemist has managed to miss with a stunningly high number of Ranged Touch attacks -- most of the other players wince visibly when the player mentions that his character will throw a bomb -- as discoveries that should keep them safe don't work on a miss.

But neither of them have been "problems" as such.

Carnival of Tears works best to darken a PC festival!! :D

I have to agree.

We just finished the Carnival of Tears, set as the Winter Carnival on the solstice.

As my group were only 4th lvl I did have to tone it down a bunch, but honestly I was surprised how well it meshed up thematically. The group will never assume that most Fey are like Pervilash and Tyg Titter Tut ever again.

Well, she's really charming once you get to know her (high CHA, Charm Person), and she's got a great sense of humour (Laughing Touch, Hideous Laughter).

Taxation as an "All or None" proposition always seemed a bit weird to me.

Without trying to make it too easy on the players, would it seem logical that a roll failed by less than 5 or 10 would generate partial taxes?

Thus, a first turn Kingdom with a Size of 21 -- a roll of 18 would normally generate no taxation.

I propose allowing 1/10 (rounded down) of the taxes still be collected, so a roll of 18 would add 1 to the treasury in the above example.

Extrapolating out to Size 45 ... any successful roll will generate at least 9 BP, but by then Farms should handle most of the consumption (hopefully). If the group rolled a total of 42 they would still generate 4BP.

To counter-act the more forgiving nature of this system, a roll failed by an excessive amount should generate Unrest (and Citizens dumping Tea into the Tuskwater as a symbol of their discontent).

1. Do you think the Stag Lord encounter is too easy as written? If so, have him appear earlier in the combat, while more of the bandits are still up and around.

He's already potentially +10 & +5 to attack Humans, with d8+7 and a possible 3d6 Sneak Attack bonus! Do you really want him to be +13 & +8 and d8+7+2d6?! With a sneak attack he'll rock an average of 28 points of damage, with a follow-up attack of 18 more points!

2. Well, they should have stopped them. Sure. Except my players wouldn't have been to interested in a bunch of pilgrims. Did they look like bandits? If not, not really their concern, in Stolen land.

3. Even when catching them, these cultists are a punishing encounter for a group who are probably 2nd level, or 3rd, but trailing behind WBL until they knock over the Stag Lord.

4. But it's your game, fill your boots.

Depending on what you are using -- as written items costing less than 4000gp don't generate BP. Roll to sell them just to clear the slot, and hope for a more expensive item next month.

Some people keep track of minor sales, but I don't recommend that.

I had my ruler meet Maegar when he was granted his titles and the right to rule (and 50BP). However having the King of Brevoy show up in Restov and request the PCs presence -- or even do a tour of their starting land, and you can have an easy opportunity to meet Maegar, or Drelev.

Of course we've seen DM_aka_Dudemeister include mass Combat in Book 2 in this thread!

Golarian does have models to base a kingless government on, so it's not like the players are guilty of wildly anachronistic thinking.

If they fail to elevate anyone to "Chairman" or "President" -- or have a rapidly evolving executive officer for the week, but propose a set of laws and so forth -- that is to say spend some time discussing "proper governance" then I'd waive the bonus, but I'd waive the vacancy penalty as well.

However if they do elevate a party member or NPC to "Chairman" or "President" -- even for a year at a time -- and even if that character is more the "face" than the ruler, then I'd just slot them into the kingship-under-the-new-name and move on.

The system is highly abstract, really knocking yourself out over minutiae takes the fun out of things, in my opinion.

Solution:

Quest: Aaaaaaah! Giant Scorpion!

Source: Wanted Poster

Task: There is a ferocious Giant Scorpion in the Giant Scorpion Pit in the centre of town! His name is Giant Scorpion and he's been stinging and eating rebels, malcontents, and ne'er-do-wells for over a month! With new citizens flowing into the Greenbelt the Giant Scorpion needs to be slain before it acquires a taste for citizens proposing constructive reforms!

Completion: Kill the Giant Scorpion and display the body for everyone to see.

Reward: The kingdom approves a reward of 1200gp to the heroes who slay the Giant Scorpion.

If their stability is 0, but the DC is 2 (from one hex and one city), then they still have a 90% chance to make it successfully. Even if the DC is 12 (I forget whether they're 10+ or not, and I'm too lazy to look it up), that's still a 40% chance to succeed.

The base DC is 20. So a 1 hex kingdom is DC 21! If they have a +0 Mod they have a 5% chance to succeed, as a 20 is always a success. A roll of 17+ is required to not gain unrest. Any roll 5 or more lower than the DC will increase Unrest.

Also, each City District adds to Consumption, but not to Size. So a 1 hex kingdom with or without a city has a Control DC of 21.

Size = # of Hexes.
Control DC = 20 + Size
Consumption = Size + # of City Districts + Edicts or other effects.

On that note, what is everyone 'paying' their npcs that fill these valuable slots?

Since each BP is about 4000gp, I assumed monthly wages were part of Consumption. The bigger and more prosperous the kingdom gets, the more money the appointee makes.

And all that grandeur they get? Hell, they should be paying the kingdom for that position! :)

On turn 1, their stability is 0. So they will fail, but they may not fail by more than 5.

I don't know why I missed this.

pg 61 of RRR: (parapharased) You start with 0 hexes, so you skip Stability Checks (and all of Phase I) on your first turn.

You appoint leaders in Phase II step 1 and claim your first hex in step 2.

Technically your Unrest can only go up on your first turn in Phase IV - Events.

-1 for edicts, 3 for leadership, 2 for resources, 2 for alignment and -6 for vacancies. They were unable to find NPCs to fill Grand Diplomat and High Priest.

Although there are a number of "ideal" NPCs -- have them go to Restov (or whatever city) and advertise in the halls of power.

Low level bureaucrat in a dead end job? Big cities will have them. Minor religious functionaries? Check! Fourth sons of minor nobles with no prospects? Yes, they'll be there too.

And a 1st lvl Priest of Abadar with a weakness for wine and Wis mod of +1 & Cha mod of -1 is way better High Priest than the alternative.

Once "Little Tony Surtova" -- the 3rd cousin twice removed of the King has been in place for a couple months they can fire him and put in someone far more capable that they've scouted.

I find, with the number of offices to be filled in Kingmaker, the GM really should meet the players half-way.

Let em go back to Restov and engage in a little political back-n-forth between the Sartovas and the Sword Lords of Restov in terms of who gets the credit for bringing the Stag Lord to heel.

Excellent idea, which is why a Knight Commander of the Imperial and Royal Gendarmes (my brevoy is more than a little Austro-Hungarian Empire in flavour) has summoned them to New Stetvin. Pol-i-tics! Pol-i-tics!

Sure Davik Nettle may be p.o.'ed...but every kingdom deserves a ghost haunting the rivers and roads :). And you can probably find another way to appease the ol' bugger later on.

They better solve it before Varnhold Vanishing -- because right now they can't cross the Shrike River! Mind you, they could always row across the Tuskwater!

It is kind of funny -- the two NPCs who are "supposed to die" get captured, and the one NPC who may well live through the combat never stood a chance.

Once the nightmares get bad enough, I imagine they will do *something* dangerous. It will be amusing. But for someone who is supposed to die on his feet, filled with rage at the world and so forth, it was kind of amusing to have him just crumple due to Non-Lethal damage.

The players had an OOC conversation about being able to keep the prisoners after we ended the session -- there were a lot of suggestions that ran the gamut of alignment choices, that would have been very interesting if it were the actual characters talking.

At the end of the session I was playing the person-in-question as being morose and despondent, defeated not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. Still, one night in a bumpy prison wagon and I don't imagine that he will remain a prisoner, unless they surround him night and day with spell-users armed with Wands of Admonishing Ray (and the group doesn't have any).

Yesterday my group assaulted the lair of the Stag Lord.

I used a different castle lay-out, more Skyrim castle-ruin like. It stretched the encounter out a bit --- from front to back it was a 24 round combat. By the end the Alchemist was out of bombs, the Cleric out of Channel Energy, and the Mage had exhausted a wand of Burning Hands and was beating on Giant ants with his staff. But Aid potions and Str Buffs carried the day.

I admit to being in a bit of a pickle. I mean it's not terrible, but the expectation is that they fight to their death. Thoughts?

It's just that I was a little disappointed with Tartuk as written.

Yes -- I added Fire Breath (2nd lvl spell, breathe a 4d6, a 3d6, and a 2d6 15' cone of flame) instead of Minor Image, and Burning Hands instead of Silent Image, and made him a Red Kobold (increasing fire spell DCs by +2).

I also got rid of the "reincarnated Gnome" story. It was a really neat aspect, but it wasn't anything that was ever going to effect the game. And a fire-breathing Kobold with fear spells? He can intimidate his way right to the top. There is no doubt in my mind that if another month had gone by the Sootscales would be the Tartuks.

No problem Ruyan -- we're all in this together!

I think I've finally "trained" my group of Kingmaker "murder hobos" to talk first and kill/loot later. Still, the kobolds have been so much fun for me to RP with, I'd hate to see them "turned into XPs".

I'm super-impressed by Dudemeister's initiative, and I can proudly say I'm stealing about 70-80% of it for my game. :)

Thanks to Drogon for the link, and thanks to DM_aka_Dudemeister for the work! That was a great read, and there's a ton of great stuff for me to use.

I'm really almost obligated to use parts of Revenge of the Kobold King focusing on poor old Tartuk -- despite strands of green hair and a bunch of Fey politics they've been part of, the dead Unicorn has my group convinced that a human necromancer (from Mivon) is at play in the region.

And -- since we have a powerful-but-not-human NPC capable of high level necromancy -- I may be expanding the Lonely Barrow a bit. Too far away to be part of Hargulka's demesne, but not too far away to be an ally.

That being said, the survival of the Sootscales was a hotly contested point for my group, and came down to a two-two split with the fifth character abstaining, then finally conceding to let them live -- for now. I love the "Troll Feast" -- that's going in for sure. But I think I'm going to make the downfall of the Narthropple Expedition kobold-free. Or make them green.

For the witch side story at the beginning of RRR I ran the Pathfinder Society adventure "The Pallid Plague." I changed the cultists in that module to be part of the cult of Gyronna instead of whatever it originally was (some undead loving god; don't remember who).

I'll take a look! I already have a couple plans for the Gyronna cultists -- I'm always willing to flesh them out.

Better yet, the Cold Rider at the end of the "Carnival of Tears" can easily be replaced by a reincarnated version of the Stag Lord that Nyrissa unleashes on the fledgling barony.

Depending on what the PC's do ... I don't know if Nettles and the Shrike River will be willing to give his body up!

Oh, and DM_aka_Dudemeister's expansions have been absolutely awesome, by the way.

Can anyone fire me a link? He's kind of prolific!

I dropped Fellnight Queen in between Chapters 2 & 3, with the following changes....

Hmmm. Certainly something to think about. I haven't read the module, but the description definitely struck me as something that was a relatively close parallel. We already have a green-haired fey character who -- if she survives to that point -- it will be hinted at that she is Nyrissa's daughter. True? probably not, but it's already something they've speculated about, having found some green hair in conspicuous places.

Are you looking to flesh out RRR or pad it out?

Pad it out I guess.

We've done a bunch of extra stuff in Stolen lands -- it is quite possible that between the Stag Lord's demise and the XP boost for kingdom formation the PCs will be fifth lvl before the end of the next session. So they'll have nice new levels to try on when I drag them all the way to New Stetvin to meet the Big Boss of Brevoy and accept their new charter (and title) at his hands.

I'm not really a fan of "random encounters" -- so even the "dangerous thing happens in the Stolen Lands" moments are basically pre-scripted by me. Some are tough, some are little more than a nuisance. And some might be detours into entire adventures.