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Here's the situation, I'm asking here since the the Shackled City board is mostly dead, and it's a rule question anyway.

I'm running this adventure path, and in a high level adventure, the adventurers must stop cultists to open a portal to a fiendish realm. They found a way to cast a wish spell and since they were too late and the portal was opened, they decided to wish for the portal to be closed definitively.

I thought that it's really above the guidelines of the spell, so I send the wisher into the future (and just him), when the portal has been finally closed by some epic adventurers. The player understood quickly he was sent in time, and want to try to come back. I told him it is going to be very difficult. He plans on tracking an NPC to have access to a wish spell, which is possible in the campaign.

But again, such a wish would be above the limits described in the spell. So it could be again dangerous.

What do you think ? Should it be possible ? Does a wish should be enough of more ? Another thing to do ? Another way for him to go back in time ? Ideas ?
Thanks in advance.

My players found the secret room with the altar to Adimarchus, and so the character with the smoking eye template understood he can use a wish in this room.
They have been thinking of different uses for the wish.

Cancelling the ritual: I think it can't work, it's far beyond the power of a wish to chance to much things affecting different people.

Wishing to be in the ritual room (because they know they're short on time): I think it could work, travel anywhere is part of a wish and wish can bypass some spells like mind blank, so it could bypass the capacity of the Tree of Shackled Souls to block divination.

What do you think ? For those who have played this adventure, what your characters have done with this wish ?

The text is very confusing about the number of flamewarders in some places. The descriptive text mentions 4 while the stat block says 2 or vice versa. And it's becoming more complicated since some flamewarders can move from room to room.
Any clarifications official or not ? How many are they ?

Also it is said that Shebeleth can use a scroll of gate to summon a glabrezu, but I can't find it anywhere. Could be just a typo though.

I was wondering about the thin walls destined to block the most direct route. As I have always played this spell since 1st edition, you can't use it to go where the Tree of Shackled Souls is (it's an object not a locale). So I'm wondering how it could even be useful, to the point of these thin walls to "counter" it.

I see two potential big problems with this BBEG.
First his caster level is huge (30th, better than Demogorgon by the way). A group of 19th lvl, even 20th, has no chance to dispel his spell-like abilities, d20+20 with greater dispel magic against a DC 41 (and I think about his summon ability too...).

Also this makes his blasphemy spell-like ability mortal to the point of immediate TPK. I'm playing in 3.5, so baring spell resistance (32 with a spell resistance's spell at caster level 20, so 1 on 20 chance for him to not penetrate it, and automatic against 19th lvl characters for which the adventure is written for), 20th characters or less will be dead, no save in a 40-foot radius. 21-25th lvl characters will be "just" paralyzed for a few minutes, so certainly dead too.
Same problem with his word of chaos.

Also his implosive strike is huge. The DC is wrong. It should be, as a supernatural ability, 10+half 30 HD+Con mod (according to what is written in his stat block)=10+15+13=38 ! Which is almost an automatic kill, baring a really good roll on save.
I was thinking of using his strength for this ability (seems to make sense to me), which would reduce the DC to 33, which is still very high (and still higher than what is written). It looks like he will easily kill 3 characters with this. And since it's not a death effect, death ward is useless.

For those who have run this fight, how did it go ? Did you change anything ?

If I understand correctly, the PCs need to destroy/stop the Tree in one foray, since it is said that they shouldn't stop to sleep/recover. Even as written with some fairly weak adversaries, that is a lot of taxing encounters. I'm not sure my group can handle the big fights after so many battles.
Did you have run it by the book ? Were your groups succesful ? Or did you allow more time for the PCs to rest before completing the adventure ?

I have a few questions about the weakened prince.

Even with 10 negative levels, he doesn't lose his epic damage reduction ? That seems very tough with DR 20, far more than losing his mage armor ability.

It is said in text that he loses 2 points of natural armor for every negative level, but according to the table, he loses only 3 points for every two negative levels. Which one is correct ?
(also his touch and flat-footed AC seems wrong, should be touch 23, and flat-footed 11 less than normal AC).

Also, I think losing 2 points of DCs for special ability per negative level is a little harsh. With 10 negative levels (so -20 to the DCs), most characters will fail only on a natural 1. If someone has run the encounter, what are you thoughts about this ?

In the critical and fumble decks, it is said that bleeding occurs at the end of victim's turn. In PRPG, it's at the beginning of the turn. Which one should I used ?

I would like to know if there are some clarifications for noticing traps and secret doors without actively searcing for them, and if the time required is a move action if activeley searching (a change from 3.5).
Thanks.

Is the printed issue still available ? I can add it to cart, but there is no price.
Thanks.

Does the pdf include the bonus subscriber section adventure ?
Or if there is still some printed issues left with this bonus section ?
Thanks.

It is listed at $4.99 but in the shopping cart, it says 9.99. Is it normal ?
Also when I want to select the payment method, it asks me for another credit card information, and not proposes the same card for my adventure path subscription. Is there any problem ?

I find that Vanthus is fairly "weak" for a CR 20. His AC is pretty good, but Hp, SR and saves bonuses are so low that I can't imagine him to be up and fight for more than 2 rounds.
In Serpents of Scuttlecove, when the party heard about Vanthus kinadpping Lavinia, a player who has a druid character immediately looked at the sunbeam spell. We're still in Scuttlecove but by the start of Into the Maw, the party and the druid should be 16 or 17th level.
This give about 66% to pass SR, Vanthus will have about 50% to make his save against the 16-17 dice of damage each round (the druid should be able to launch 5 beams at this time). Even if he still has his unholy aura, it won't help him much, and his 97 hp won't last long. Same for the shadow demons... And add to that that Lavinia can "weaken" him, giving him some penalty to attacks, saves...

Do you have done something to Vanthus to make this combat more memorable ?
Has anyone run into the same problem ?

I still didn't receive it, although I have received order #1144057 which was shipped one week later.
Is it normal ? Do you have any infos ?

I have a problem with Tlaloc's Tear at the end of this adventure.
Why should the PCs destroy it if they have already killed the bilewretch of Holashner ?
That would cause the return of the aboleths, a really dangerous race of creatures who hate any non aboleths.
Without the bilewretch, it seems that the koprus can't keep the bilestone liquid to make more shadow pearls.
Also, the PCs can be a little scared by the idea of flooding the underdark while they're still in it.
Any opinions on this ?

Seems my previous post has been eaten by the forum.
I have made two different orders containing each 6 issues of Dragon Magazines.
Strangely, I don't have the same shipping cost for each order.
While I don't mind for a discount on the second one, I'm curious why this happen.

I have made two orders of 6 Dragon magazines each, and strangely, the shipping cost is less on the second order. It's a little bit higher (2$) but it gave me a discount on shipping/handling.
While I don't mind this discount, I find it strange that the shipping cost is different for two nearly identical orders.

Does someone have made some conversions for this AP to run it in the Greyhawk setting ?
What have you done or changed ?
Do you have some ideas or advices ?
Thanks in advance.

I know I will not be heard much with this but I would like to mention the problem I have encountered.
With the addition of base attack bonus to maneuvers, and the nerf on size bonus, we're going to see some situations I think are ridiculous like a fighter overrunning an elephant...(fighter lvl 20 CMB +20 before str vs elephant's CMB of +20).
Not that it will not happen each time but chances that it will be happen often. And overrun with a horse won't work. A heavy warhorse (cmb +8) will have a difficult time to overrun a 20th lvl medium wizard (CMB +10 with str 10). For me these actions are a pure contest of strength and not of combat ability.

I know that some changes were posted by Jason, but I can't find all of them, I only found the new barbarian rage and paladin.
Can someone point me to the other changes posts please ?

The DC for escape artist to escape bonds is ridiculous.
10+CMB.
If you're not tied by a high level fighter, you will escape bonds very very easily even at level 1...
Am I just the one to think that the DC is really too low ?

The CMB is not reduced as far as I've read when you try multiple special maneuvers.
So you could attempt to disarm 4 times (with a high level fighter) in a round, with no increase of difficulty.
But "normal" attacks bonuses decreased at each attack, and often third and fourth attack for high level fighters are a miss.
It could too much tempting to attack 2 times, and use the last two attacks for disarming, sundering, tripping.
Am I the only one that think it could be a problem ?

How does it work ?
A wizard can prepare spells from his forbidden schools by forfeiting his specialist bonus for the day.
But can he use wands containing a forbidden spell ? If yes, does it affect his specialist ability ?

I would like to know if it's necessary to preorder it now to get it signed by all three authors, or if there is some kind of limit date for that ?

I would like to know before I buy it at a local game store, as ordering it from Paizo will be more expensive for me, but if it is signed by James, Erik and Jason, it will be really worth it.

Thanks in advance.

I don't find any description of it. Am I missing something ?

I've noticed some errors in some stats (this kind of thing happens).

I've made some corrections for those crazy who, like me, want some accurate stats.

Here's the ones for "There is no honor"

Lavinia
Init +1 (dex)

Vark's thugs
lack 4 skill points (human bonus perhaps), I've added climb +6
Ref save should be +2 because of the lightning reflex feat

Soller Vark
lack 5 skill points, like thugs, I've added climb +6
Ref save should be +2 because of his Dex bonus.

Rhagodessa
she's medium size, so grapple modifier should be +7

Iron Cobra
same as the Fiend Folio who does have some errors
if he's really medium size, he shouldn't have a bonus to AC and attacks.
If he's small size (like the description should emply), his graplle bonus should be -2

Veldimar Krund
his diplomacy should be +6.
With the elite array and racial bonus, his CHA should be 14, which doesn't change anything.

Nemian Robloach
sickle damade is 1D6-1
concentration should be +6

Kersh Peftun
Disable device should be +4

Ixitxachitls
CHA should be 8 after racial ajustements on elite array.
grapple modifier should be -2

Gut Tugger
lack 4 skill points, but speak common, which would cost 2 skill points, which means he lack 2 more.
Cha should be 8 based on elite array plus racial adjustments (which does have some changes on charisma based skills).

Rowyn
Jump skill should be +10