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I advanced Vhalanthru by 4 HD and Thifirane Rhiavadi was with him in the final confrontation (she buffed Vhalanthru with mage armor).

I did this because the player characters cleared nearly all of Oblivion then they rested (in the temple of St.Cuthbert) before the final confrotation. The party was too strong fully rested and buffed up and would have killed Vhalanthru if he was alone relatively easily. Personally I think Vhalanthru is a little weak without some support. His saves are all very low his challenge rating and I think it is good to give him some boost.

Here ist my version of Vhalanthru:

Lord Orbius Vhalanthru, Shator Tarterian Beholder
Str:16(+3), Dex:14(+2), Con:18(+4), Int:17(+3), Wis:15(+2), Cha:21(+5)
Size:L, Type:Abberation, AL:LE, HD:15d8+60, HP:144, Init:+6, Spd:5ft. (1square) Fly:20ft. (4 squares/good), AC:26/30 with Mage Armor T:11 FF:28, Att:Bite+14(BAB+11), Grapple:+19, Eye Rays+13, Dmg:2d4+3
Face/Reach:10/5, Saves:F+11, R+7, W+13
Special Qualities: All-around vision (Ex, can’t be flanked, +4 Spot/Search), Flight (Ex), Darkvision 120ft., Freedom of Movement (Su, CL:10 as spell), Immunity to acid, mind-influencing attacks and poison, Cold and Fire Resistance:20, See Invisibility (Su, as spell), Scent
Special Attacks: Antimagic Cone (Su, 150ft. Cone as Antimagic Field/CL:13, must choose once each round in which direction and if active), 9 Eye Rays (Su, R:150ft., DC:22/CL:13, Charm Monster/Charm Person/Disintegrate/Fear/Finger of Death/Flesh to Stone/Sleep/Slow/Telekinesis), Paralyzing Slime (Ex, with bite F:19 or 3d6 rounds paralyzed, can spit in 30ft. with same effect as ranged touch attack)
Spell-Like Abilities(CL:15/DC:15+): At will – detect magic, clairaudience/clairvoyance, fear, invisibility, spider climb, tongues; 3/Day – cloudkill, fog cloud, ray of enfeeblement, stinking cloud; 2/Day – dispel magic; 1/Day – mass charm monster
Languages: Common, Elven, Undercommon, Infernal
Skills: Hide+16, Knowledge “Arcana”+21, Listen+22, Search+25, Spot+26, Survival+2/+4 following tracks
Feats: Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus “Eye Ray”, Improved Initiative
Bonus Feats: Alertness
Challenge Rating: 17

Zechi

Nobody can give any help?
I'm especially interested which classes can use the scrying devices in Secret of the Soul Pillars.

I'm also curious if the player characters used these devices in your campaigns and how you handled this. I imagine creative players could make good benefit of them. Same goes for the Soul Pillars and their contact other plane ability.

Was it intended by the author, that the player characters use thes e methods to derive information about their enemies?

Zechi

The best defense against blasphemy is the silence spell.

Zechi

I have a question concerning the scrying devices which can be found in the ruins of Karran-Kurral.
Who can use them and how can you activate them. Can they be used by any class or just by a spellcaster. Are these devices intended to be used by the player characters regulary. They could use them to spy on Lord Vhalanthru or any of the other villains and get valuable information without confronting these NPCs.

Thank you for any answer.

Zechi

Hello,

before you translate all the boxed texts into german, you can send me an e-mail: Zechi@D-Zechmeister.de , I have already done that (up to Secret of the Soul Pillars) for my campaign.

Zechi

Thank you for your answers. I understand that especially the Aura-Information in high-level adventures is very long and perhaps not as useful. But I really appreciated the Light/Sound/Reaction information.

I'm aware of the MM2 CR:11 for the Bone Naga, but a 14th Level Sorcerer is CR:14 and the Bone Naga has much more natural powers than an ordinary human sorcerer. The Bone Naga has 15HD compared to 14HD for the normal human sorcerer. But I've found a solution in the new Forgotten Realms supplement Serpent Kingdoms there is a new Bone Naga template. With this one a Bone Naga who casts spells as a 14th level sorcerer would be CR:16 which should be right. So I will take you advice an lower its power a little bit.

I'm also aware of the revised edition boolet for the fiend folio but that was not my point. With most monsters the revision booklet does a good job, but not with evil outsiders. If you compare these monsters with the 3.5 Version of the demons and devils they are all not as powerful.

Compare the Farastu with the Hezrou 3.5. The Farastu has Hp:71 the Hezrou Hp:138. Formerly the 3.0E Hezrou had Con:17 (same Con as the Farastu) now ist has Con:29.

I'm interested if other DMs have buffed up the Demodands because of their low Hp/Con.

Zechi

First of all I want to thank Paizo's staff for the great Adventure Path. My group really like's the campaign and as a DM I'm really amazed of the adventures and the very helpful layout, but I was a little bit disappointed that in 13 Cages the layout was changed, no more any quick info about light conditions, reaction, and auras. I think this quick overview was a superb innovation an I hoped all adventures in the Dungeon Magazin would feature this some time in the future. Why did you changed this?

My group finished Test of the Smomking Eye last session and after a short side trek for more XP we are beginning with Secret of the Soul Pillars.

I read the adventure and the following adventures and I'm not quite sure about the CRs of some of the monsters.

First of all the Bone Naga in Secret of the Soul Pillars casts Spells as a 14th level sorcerer and is CR:11? This cannot be correct or I'm missing something?

Second, I'm not really sure with the CRs and Power of all the Demodands. My problem is that all evil Outsiders (Demons and Devils) get buffed in the 3.5 Monster Manual. Most of them got higher Str and Con which gives all of them more hit points. The problem is that the Outsider in the Monster Manual 2 and Fiend Folio did not get this buff in their 3.5 writeup. So I think the Demodands have not enough hit points/con and perhaps even not enought Str.

I canged the Con of all Demodands so it matches their Str (which was done also with most Demons and Devils) but I'm not sure if this was a good move.

What did all the DMs out there with these critters? Did you change CRs and Power of some of the monsters?

I'm running the Adventure Path in the Forgotten Realms and placed Cauldron in the Nether Mountains near Silverymoon. I use the High Forest as the big jungle bit with a northern flair (I changed the baboons to wolves).

The Striders are in my campaign the Heralds who are little bit more neutral than the Harpers (which fits better in my opinion).

For the church of Wee Jas, I use like uzagi the god Azuth. This was a good choice I think because the PCs never suspected them to be the evil guys from the beginning. But Kelemvor is a good choice too. Secretly the Church of Azuth is in my campaign undermined by Clerics of Cyric (Embril and Ike).

For St. Cuthbert I use the god Tyr. Pelor I changed with Torm and Kord with Tempus.

For the Triad I used Malar, Bane and Velsharoon as gods.