We finished last Night! It took us a smidgen over 2 years to finish but we crossed the finish line last night when my players managed to outlast the bad guys. It was a lot of fun from start to finish, a 4 month break for quarantine and a few other messes. Yhe final party makeup.
I cool question. It's so hard since demon lords are both my favorite protagonists as a player and DM, they're all my favorites lol, and why STAP was my favorite AP of the first three.
1. Demogorgon - He was a protagonist in my first ADD campaign from my childhood then again in STAP.
2. Graz'zt - Of all the great Grayhawk legends; the Graz'zt & Iggwilv legend is my favorite. Having Iggwilv actually appear and interact with the PC's in STAP was the highlight of the campaign for me.
3. Lamashtu - Of the new PF demon lords Lamashtu really stands out to me.
There are a lot of things I miss from the Paizo Grayhawk and Dragon Magazine days. Grayhawk and Dragon Magazine were never better! If I could see one series return to print it would be James Jacobs' Demonomicon of Iggwilv.
I think that however much you want her to be able to fill in for the PCs as appropriate. She seems to be there to help shift the focus of the campaign from exploration of the lost city to more hazardous exploration of the darklands below.
Your PCs may need more or less motivation to make the transition. If they are eager to explore and like to figure things out on their own, then you can have her provide little known details other than "the serpent folk are up to something". If you don't think your PCs are going to jump at the chance to go down into the darklands, then you can arm her with much more knowledge.
I recall from the GM forum that more than a few people pulled Eando out of this altogether and just gave Juliver the level of info the PCs needed.
I agree with justaworm. When I gm'd I came up with a pretty detailed escape since my party had lots of questions, though I allowed her fugue state keep all the plot spoilers enticingly close but still so far away.
Juliver became a more important NPC for the party than I initially thought when I was scripting the adventure helping drive the plot with sudden memories of her time in Ilmurea, though by 1000 fangs she was a behind-the-scenes player.
I guess if you're players are any faction other than PFS then removing/replacing E Kane seems appropriate.
In Serpent Skull I used the AP provided Succubus/Rogue/SpyMaster to great effect. PC's never suspected her or her network were constantly aware of most of there moves. She had charmed minions all over the place.
That's a good idea with the suffocation effect. Everyone in the group was underwhelmed by the gallows tree, even though I made it tougher than the book.
Grugonoth update looks good! I'll probably use that - regular Huge Grugonoth just won't have the same impression as something that's basically a kaiju.
I wanted to maintain the sense of isolation and privation I imagined an expedition of this type would feel throughout the AP so I invented this mini game for my players. It melds together rules and ideas from the Shiv mini, and other Paizo products. It worked very well for us. I put it all in a spoiler tag so players don't ruin your fun and peek. Please feel free to comment.
Base Camp Mini
:
Once the PC’s arrive at Saventh’Yhi they need to locate and establish a base camp from which their expedition can explore the city.
A DC 25 survival or knowledge (geography) check reveals the following information.
1. The valley in which the city lies has only one logical entrance though which an expedition can enter, and that is along the north side of the unknown river, and even this will be difficult.
2. Along the northern border there are 5 best locations for an expedition base camp. This takes a day of exploration.
3. The three most important factors to consider when establishing a base camp are:
a. Defense – At a minimum each the base camp must be clear of any hostiles with in one hex (600ft) of its base hex.
b. Exploration – Base camp must be convenient to the ruins to allow faction archeologists to explore and return conveniently
c. Supply – The base camp must allow access to the valley entrance for re-supply to enter as well as access to water (within 600ft).
Once PC’s have chosen a site they can prepare the site for the arrival of their expedition. This requires an additional survival check and a full day (16 hours) of work. Once the 16 hours is completed PC’s are fatigued, and must make a DC 25 survival check. For every 5 points by which the PC’s fail the survival check they require an additional 4 hours of labor and gains +2 on the subsequent roll. (Note: If the PC’s choose a water hex (any hex which is > 1/3 water) the DC is 30.
Daily Sequence of Play
A. Determine Morale Level. Max Morale level is 10. Starting morale level is 5.
a. Out of supply reduces the morale level by 2 per week out of supply.
b. Camp HP < 15; -1 morale level
c. Camp HP < 10; -1 morale level (cumulative with b)
d. Camp HP < 5; -1 morale level (cumulative with b)
e. Camp Destroyed; -5 morale level
f. Faction leader dead or incapacitated -10 morale level
g. Named NPC dead or incapacitated -2 morale level
h. PC dead or incapacitated -4 morale level
i. Morale < 7: -2 all defense and discovery rolls.
ii. Morale < 5: -4 all defense and discovery rolls, trading post reduced 1 level, unnamed NPC begin abandoning encampment.
iii. Morale < 0: No trading post, discovery or defense impossible, named NPC begin defecting to other factions.
B. Determine Supply bonuses
a. Make weekly Supply roll d20+bounses; DC 20
b. If the total is less than 10 the expedition is Out of Supply.
c. If the total is greater than 10 it is In Supply.
d. For every 1 over 10 reduce the delivery time of special items by one day to a minimum of 7 days.
C. Determine Defense bonuses for the day
a. If a random encounter occurs and PC’s are absent from the base camp make defensive check d20+bonuses vs encounter DC (15 + CR).
b. Defensive check equal to the DC stalemate camp takes ½ CR in damage points, creature driven off.
c. Defensive check less than DC camp takes damage equal to CR.
d. Defensive check greater than DC camp take no damage.
e. If the party is present they deal with the encounter.
f. Every camp has 20HP
D. Determine daily Discovery bonuses
a. Roll discovery check d20+bonus, DC 20.
b. Check less than 20 no discovery point earned.
c. Greater than 20 earn one discovery point.
E. Start/Continue/Complete improvement
Once the PC’s expedition arrives, they have 5 base camp points with which to establish their base camp. As long as the base camp stays In Supply they receive 1 base camp point a week to improve their camp.
Points are spent to purchase base camp improvements from the following list. An improvement takes 1 week/point to build and represents the expedition working, along with their other duties, on improving their living conditions. PC’s must make a DC 20 diplomacy check to convince the Expedition leader to start/continue work on an improvement.
Base Camp Improvements
1. Aid Station (cost 2): Once established an aide station reduces the possibility of disease by 10%.
2. Alchemical lab (cost 1): Provides the necessary materials and instruments for the crafting of alchemical items by PC’s without the improvised tool penalties. Unlocks alchemical items at the Trading Post.
3. Arcane Workshop (cost 2): unlocks the ability to craft magic items other than potions and scrolls.
4. Armory (cost 2): Allows the Retrain down-time activity, adds +1 to the camps defense.
5. Canteen (cost 2): Add +3 to the camps morale.
6. Garrison (cost 2): Improves the organization and deployment of camp defenses. Adds +1 to defense and lowers random encounters by 5%.
7. Granary (cost 3): Stores food and water supply; reduces the possibility of disease by 5%, increases supply by +2
8. Headquarters (cost 2): Commands, controls and coordinates expedition activities. Without a headquarters and the expedition leader, who is always located at the HQ, the cost of all new improvements is doubled, and the Defense, Discovery, Supply and Morale of the base camp suffer a -4 penalty.
9. Library (cost 2): Actually an organized research center more than a library, this improvement focuses the expeditions research activities. Adds +2 to discovery rolls.
10. Palisade (cost 2): This wooden palisade aids in the defense of your base camp. Adds +2 to defense rolls.
11. Redoubt (cost 5): Prerequisite (palisade). The stoutest defenses available to the expedition incorporates the natural terrain. Adds +5 to defense
12. Shrine (cost 1): Increases expedition morale by +1
13. Smithy (cost 3): Allows the crafting of metal items and magical arms and armor made primarily of metal.
14. Stable (cost 3): Unlocks the train animal/companion downtime activity, Adds +1 to supply.
15. Trading Post (cost 2): Allows PC’s to submit requests for specialty items from civilization, PC’s can sell treasure here. The trading post has a base value of 2500gp for buying and selling of items as long as the base camp is “In Supply’. For anything more expensive you must order items. There is a 30-day delay between placing an order and receiving the item(s). This is reduced by a number of days equal to the result of the Supply check over 15 to a minimum of 1 week.
16. Watch Tower (cost 1): A watch tower increases defense by +1.
17. Wood Shop (cost 2): Allows the crafting of wooden items and magical items made primarily of wood.
In addition to base improvements, PC’s may, with a successful diplomacy check and use TPA/CPA to aassign/hire experts to aid the expedition as they see fit. TPA/CPA costs are monthly. Using diplomacy is a DC 20 Diplomacy check to convince the Expedition Leader to task/hire the NPC in this manner.
Each NPC and his/her specialty is listed in the chart below. PC’s may also request 1 NPC accompany them on expeditions into the ruins. This requires the expenditure of TPA/CPA. DM Approval since there are now six players.
NPC Name Specialty Cost Benefit
Athya Defense Adds +1 to defense
Patrol Reduces random encounter by 5%
Join Partu 3 CPA
Gelick Discovery Adds +1 to discovery
Morale Adds +1 to morale
Join Party 3 CPA
Pezock Defense Adds +1 to defense
Spy Adds +1 to discovery or +1 defense PC’s choice
Join PC 3 CPA
Cheiton Supply Adds +2 to supply or +1 to repair roll
Morale Adds +1 to morale
Nkechi Morale Adds +1 morale
Health Reduces chance of disease by 5% or +2 to repair roll
Join PC 3 CPA
Abbot Morale 10TPA and 4CPA or 40gp/mth Adds +1 to morale
Repair Adds +1 to repair
Wrangler Supply 10TPA and 3 CPA or 30gp/mth Adds +1 to supply can train animals
Guard Captain Defense 10TPA and 5CPA or 50gp/mth Adds +1 to defense, reduces random encounter by 5%
Doctor Repair 10TPA and 5CPA or 50gp/mth Adds +1 to morale and repair, reduces chance of disease by 5%
Sage Discovery 10TPA and 3CPA or 30gp/mth Adds +1 to discovery
Steward Supply 10TPA and 3CPA or 30gp/month Adds +2 to supply roll and +1 to repair roll.
Master Metal or Wood Smith Repair 10TPA and 5CPA or 50gp/month Adds +1 to defense, +1 to repair, Craft 1 masterwork item per week.
Master Engineer Defense 10TPA and 6CPA or 60gp/month Adds +1 to defense, +1 to repair, reduces cost of palisade and watchtower by 1, must be present to purchase redoubt. Together with master smith can craft siege engine. Must be present for siege engine use or -4 on siege engine Attack rolls.
Downtime Activities
Anytime PC’s are in the base camp players must choose one of the downtime activities. Each activity takes 8hrs or longer to complete. A minimum of 8hrs must be expended to gain any benefit from the activity unless otherwise noted in the activities entry.
Available Activities
Add Spell to Spellbook – copy from another source up to 8 spells (1/hr) into your spell book. (wizard, alchemist or witch)
Craft Magic item – providing the PC meets all the requirements he may spend 8hrs working on crafting a magic item. Requires appropriate base camp improvement (exc potions/scrolls)
Craft Mundane Item – providing the PC meets all the requirements he may spend 8 hrs working on crafting a mundane item. Requires appropriate base camp improvement
Heal Others – Per the heal skill. Additionally, spending 8hrs a day and making a DC 15 heal check at the end of the week adds +1 to the repair or morale roll.
Replace Companion/Familiar – Requires 24hrs of uninterrupted time and the correct environment.
Research Spell/Lore – Cost for spell research is 100gp x lvl of spell; time is spell level x 7 days, Spell Craft DC is 10 x (2xspell level); Spend 8hrs assisting in research of Saventh at the end of each period make a DC 20 intelligence or knowledge(history) check. If successful add +1 to the daily discovery check.
Full Days Rest – Rest for 24 hours. See heal skill.
Retrain – Ask GM - Requires appropriate base camp improvement
Train Animal – See handle animal skill - Requires appropriate base camp improvement
Base Camp Economics
One of the first offices established in any exploration base camp is the trading post. Here you can buy and sell items just as if you were in any other town or city throughout Golarion. The gold piece value of your faction trading post is directly related to your prestige level. The higher your total prestige award (TPA), the more funds your faction is willing to budget into your expedition.
Any magic item which has a market value less than the Base Value is available 70% of the time. This is 5% less than normal and reflects the austere conditions. Additionally, the item will not be available until your faction’s next weekly supply run arrives.
The purchase limit is the weekly market value of goods your Trading Post can accept. Once this limit is reached no additional goods will be accepted for purchase. This value resets Oathday each week.
The incidental limit is for expendable magic items potions, scrolls, wands, alchemical items, etc. This is once per week personal limit (no combining) for each PC.
The spell casting limit identifies the level of divine/arcane spell casting available for purchase from NPC’s in the base camp. Requires appropriate base camp improvement.
Additionally, certain minor/medium/major items will come available from merchants the DM will provide a list these items.
* Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <3rd lvl, scrolls of <4th lvl, magic items <1001gp
** Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <4th lvl, scrolls of <5th lvl, magic items <2001gp
*** Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <4th lvl, scrolls of <5th lvl, magic items <4001gp
**** Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <4th lvl, scrolls of <6th lvl, magic items <8001gp
***** Limited to alchemical, special materials, potions, wands of <4th lvl, scrolls of <7th lvl, magic items <10001gp
Expedition Mini Goal
What is the goal of all this? Simply stated it is to increase the epic feel of this campaign. The story is one of epic journey and discovery fraught with all manner of hazards, disease, hardship and deadly creatures. This also puts more at stake than your PC’s life. The lives, reputation and success of your expedition are in your hands as well.
I converted the Racing to Ruin encounter which occurs just prior to arriving in Kalabuto to a haunt.
Gallows’ Tree (CR 6)
XP 2,400; NE haunt (30ft radius of leafless boab tree); Caster Level 5th; Notice Perception DC 16 (to notice frayed ropes begin to sway in the breeze); hp 10; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 hour
EFFECT
The Gallows’ Tree manifests as a spectral noose that unerringly drops from the tree, entangling the neck of a random living being under the branches of the tree and then slowly pulling the victim up. The victim feels strangled by the rope, convulsing like a hanging victim. This experience inflicts no actual damage but begins to suffocate the victim as per the Suffocate spell (DC 17).
DESTRUCTION
Burying the victims of the hanging in consecrated ground and burning all the dangling ropes from the tree.
Name: Kells
Race: Half-Elven
Classes/levels: Hunter
Adventure: Sanctum of the Serpent God
Location: The Inner Sanctum
The Gory Details: (not-optional)
Using his fast strike ability Ydersius charged and crit on both bite attacks for upwards of 100pts. The hunter attempted to acrobatics out of the threatened area but failed and is awesome blowed with a tail into a nearby brazier taking some fire damage and knocked prone. On Ydersius next turn the hunter fails a save vs the ongoing poison and gets hit with fast strike again, one a crit and dies. Ydersius swallows him whole! An epic death at the epic conclusion of this awesome AP
My players succeeded in completing the this AP last night in an epic conclusion which ended with only a single PC death and a confirmed critical god slaying blow from Eroeme. The final confrontations created a feeling of impending doom and death for my PC's and great fun was had by all. This is an outstanding entry in the AP series and I highly recommend it. Here are some stats from our Serpent's Skull odyssey.
9ea party deaths (2 permanent)
10ea party members swallowed Whole
3ea poisonings to 0 of the effected ability score
280ea total in-game days of the AP
561ea total real days (60 sessions)
My players should finish the AP tomorrow. Once they're done I will post a lot of the custom stuff I did. It's been a labor of love for me and I really enjoy sharing my stuff and hearing the stories of other's adventures, so stay tuned.
Investment in Korvosa is paramount. Within what ever background the PC's come up with THEY must be able to find the motivation to want help the city and its citizens, if they cannot then they should a) role play their change of heart by participating in the events as they unfold or b) leave the city altogether and create a new PC with the proper motivation.
This was a very memorable campaign for me as the GM, and my players (all 7 of them) had a blast. Extra players always require special care. In combat the action economy is so much in their favor that you almost always have to make adjustments to keep things challenging. Two things I've learned over the three AP's of GM'd (all with 5 to 7 players) are
a) Economics can help a lot in balancing the situation. I did a post on the board way back demonstrating how the events of CoCT impacted the economics in Korvosa making the parties ability to procure magic items, services, etc more difficult and expensive. Also change the rewards from monetary to services or boons.
b) I often re-built the bad guys by giving them max hp, building them on a 20 or 25 point build, extra level etc. But I never increased their treasure, xp award, etc.
As far as build points go - I've always done 20 point. However, I would really love to make all my future games 15 points (I usually have 6 players and they are all very experienced). The only reason I don't is I truthfully feel it would restrict from play those classes which require half-way decent scores in more than one ability.
Beginning in my campaigns earliest planning stages I wanted to create an atmosphere of isolation and privation that I imagined an exploration of this magnitude would impose upon its participants. Especially, the ability of the exploration to sustain themselves so far from civilization.
To accomplish this, I modified the Kingdom Building and Downtime rule sets into a Base Camp rule set. It is not a highly detailed system, it is intentionally simple, so it emotes what I want the players to feel without becoming a game unto itself.
First, I developed a list of Camp Improvements along with the cost and construction time for each. When the party first established their base camp they were given 5 build points to begin construction of their base camp. The only mandatory improvement was a faction HQ. Each week the faction resupply arrives and the players receive an additional build point to further enhance their base camp. Improvements bring specialists, and open resources the PC’s can use, spending either gold or earned PA. All of the improvements are tied to downtime activities, as well as the exploration, supply and defense abilities given in the AP. So far this has worked really well and has been well received by the players.
After the HQ and a palisade, the first improvement my players built was a trading post. Not surprising this is the outlet through which the PC’s can buy/sell their treasure. I gave the trading post the exact same statistics you would a settlement (base limit, purchase limit, spellcasting). As the players gain prestige these improve, reflecting their faction’s willingness to fund success.
I also wanted to keep as many of the NPC’s the party met along the Race to Ruin in the story as possible, so all NPC's who still live are available using PA to support the PC’s exploration. Cheiton was one of my favorite NPC's, so I gave him ties to the Kalabuto area as a merchant/black Marcketeer and had the PFS hire him as their trading post manager.
The trading post has Available Magic Items for PC’s to buy and Cheiton uses his contacts to procure other items. If the PC’s want something that isn’t available then they have to let Chiton know, roll to see if it’s available (I reduced the roll to 70%), and if successful they pay in full and a week later the item arrives.
I also wanted to make the Treasures of Saventh-yhi more meaningful, so once the PC’s recover half the Treasures the Availability Roll goes up to 75% and when they find them all it increases the value even further.
This system, in conjunction with my decisions to use the slow advancement track and nerf the mass transit spells has worked great both in meeting my intention to emote the feelings of isolation and privation and increasing the challenge(s) for my more experienced players.
City of Seven Spears is an awesome adventure, and my party has been having a lot of fund exploring the ruins. However, it has proven quite difficult with a PC death in three out of our last four sessions; and a PC being swallowed whole in 4 out of the last 4 sessions. Here is the consolidated casualty report.
Name: Obasi
Race: Human (Mwangi)
Class: Shaman 8
Adventure: The Seven Spears of Saventh-Yhi
Location: Spear of Wealth
Catalyst: Being the first to Fly
The Gory Details:
Flight is a very important milestone in an adventuring parties development and gives the party significant advantages over terrestrial foes. However, as Obasi learned, being the first to fly can also be very deadly.
No great story here, the Mwangi Night Bat simply crit him and swallowed him whole. The party did eventually slay the bat and raise their comrade however, this encounter marked the beginning of the swallow hole streak.
Name: Kells
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Hunter 8
Adventure: The Seven Spears of Saventh-Yhi
Location: Lake of the Green God
Catalyst: Wrong place at the Wrong time
The Gory Details: Kells recovered and repaired the spyglass from the Stormbird encounter in Racing to Ruin. Standing a top the Ziggurat of Abundance he spied the lake and some remains of boggard sacrifices. The party cleric cast water walk on the non-flying members and they spread out to investigate the area. In a Jaws like moment the Froghemoth attacked from below the allege covered lake swallowed Kells whole and killed him.
He nearly took a second victim when the flying sorcerer got to close and was snatched up the lunging Green Gods tentacles but before he could die, the cavalier Ralimba, on a water walking mount struck with a spirited charge against his challenged opponent. The party would raise Kells as well.
Name: Ralimba
Race: Human (Mwangi Kuta tribe)
Class: Cavalier (beast rider) 8
Adventure: The Seven Spears of Saventh-Yhi
Location: Throne of Pharasma
Catalyst: Sallying out of a good defensive position
The Gory Details: Ralimba's lion mount balked at entering the creepy temple and he failed his handle animal check to push. This should have been a subtle clue to the party that what ever was going on with the area "strangely devoid of vegetation" which was so similar to the Isle of Shadows, that something bad lurked inside this once holy ground. Of course they were clueless.
The Isle of Shadows and a random encounter with a specter led to the party shaman always having Anti-Incorporeal Shell (sounds like a 60's batman gadget lol) available in some manner. As soon as the first ghost appeared the shell went up. Now, it didn't protect them from the sonic attack, but it did pretty much give them an unassailable redoubt against any physical attacks. He followed that up by casting Spirt-Bound Blade on the cavaliers weapon. As the ghosts swirled in and out of the walls/floors/ceilings the party would pepper them with magic missile or occasionally getting a spiritual weapon attack. The cavalier, a man of action, grew impatient and decided to challenge one of the ghosts and successfully sallied out and killed it. Before he could return to the protection of the shell the remaining ghosts swarmed over them. Fate is a fickle mistress especially in Pharasma's throne a corrupting touch crit and two failed fort saves led to Ralimba's demise.
Later, the shaman spoke with the deceased Kuta Lion-rider's spirit and he declined to return. In Kuta tradition the party cremated his remains upon a pyre.
- While not deaths the other two Swallowed hole victims were
Kells - In a foretaste of his death at the stomach of the froghemoth, Kells was also swallowed whole by the Sarcosuchus.
- The player of the recently deceased Ralimba returned as the fighter Voltus, an adopted nephew of Chieton and was promptly swallowed by a T-Rex in a random encounter while the party was traveling through the Merchant District
Overall, I find the players guides very helpful from a crunch perspective; helpful hints and traits to help players generate usable and thus more enjoyable PC's.
My expectation for SA as a Horror themed AP is slightly different than my expectations for a more traditional AP. Player specific tips and techniques for playing in a horror themed game will be covered in the Horror hardcover and Player's Companion I'm certain.
I believe having SA specific tips by class would be great. Especially for classes which may not lend themselves to the Horror genre.
It does not, nor is there really time to do so in the story as written. This is a great choice however, an you can easily hang a lot of coolness on the skeleton of this AP to support that PRC.
My unnamed party of explorers stood in the shelter of a ruined building and stared up at the seemingly unassailable walls of the ancient grey-stone Azlant fortress. The hunter Kells removed the beaten copper spyglass from its protective case, extended it and scanned the wall.
“Six charau-ka and some dire apes!” he stated matter-of-factly to his assembled companions.
“Piece of cake!” quothed the Sarenrite Xnion, the rest of the party looked at him dubiously.
Kells eyes took on an opaque appearance as he tilted his head back and sent his mind’s eye searching for his animal companion quetzalcoatlus; “Perhaps quetzalcoatlus can reveal what lies beyond the walls to me.” A moment later he was peering down into the fortress through the eyes of quetzalcoatlus.
“Gozreth’s balls!"
“There's a large, white, four-armed ape. Like an albino Girallon, but not, he’s escorted by four more of the dire apes!” His eyes fluttered and returned to their normal color.
Having a better idea of your enemy’s strength, a council of war ensued and plans were made. The party would assault the fortress.
Approaching to within 100ft of the fortress proved less difficult than originally suspected. With all preparations complete, the Sarenrite Xnion blessed the party, and the shaman Obasi commenced summoning a giant bat to transport himself and Kells to the fortress wall.
Xnion and the dragon blooded Illamain moved up the cliff-side trail using their magic to engage the wall defenders while the great bat ferried Obasi and Kells to the wall. The Kura-lion rider Ralimba mounted upon the golden Kura-lion assaulted the fortress gate and began bashing it down.
The charau-ka defenders rained volleys of stone-death down upon you while the dire apes sallied out to reap horrible wounds upon you with their bone-crushing fangs and razor sharp claws.
The white Girallon roared intimidating orders and vile insults; while raining hand-axes with deadly and painful accuracy at Obasi and Kells on the wall.
Flame, steel, spell and claw quickly dealt fearful death across the walls and rooftops of the ancient fortress leaving its cold gray stones dark with the blood of defender and attacker alike.
A great din of splintering wood announced the breaching of the fortress gate by Ralimba, and access to the fortress for himself, Xnion and Illamian.
Illiman identified the great white ape as an Angazhani. A horrifying magical beast spawned in the image of the Demon Lord Angazhani. Named Olujimi, the high girallon leap from rooftop to rooftop to frustrate his attackers, and dealt death with impunity while his troops constant sniping further eroded your resources.
With the knowledge that the High Girallon was resistant to normal steel; Kells quickly switched to cold iron and death hummed in those arrows.
The hyper-aggressive chieftain immediately focused his rage on the now dangerous Kells. Charging across the roof tops he overran Kells and Obasi’s position on a guard turret. Terrified Obasi leaped from the turret in fear for his life. Kells never had the chance Obasi roared in victory as his axed sliced Kells from shoulder to sternum falling him like sapling.
Obasi managed to stave off Kell's impending death with a simple enchantment, but overwrought with the righteous anger of a Chieftain whose castle had been invaded, wishing to intimidate his enemies and secure the confidence of his tribe; he tossed the unconscious body of Kells like a chamber pot from the fortress walls and into the rocky chasm 50ft below.
It would be his last act as chieftain of the simians of Saventh-Yhi. The mad minute of bloody death ended when, enraged with anger by the death of his stalwart companion Ralimba spurred his mount across the parapet and impaled Chieftain Olujimi on his lance.
I've been eagerly awaiting and preparing and preparing some more to GM this AP since its release. To say I am a huge fan of the literature which inspired this AP is an understatement.
Last night I finally go my chance to kick off the AP. The best part of the message boards is trolling through looking for great ideas from other GM's and players. As mentioned by a poster in the Smuggler's Shiv sticky I went with a "lost" style beginning.
I used the GIMP 2 application to create Hex maps of all the important locations through out the campaign, so the hex-crawl of the shiv has begun. I really must say this is the one improvement I would make on the overall presentation. All the major exploration locations should have had maps available with hex overlays in the supporting map pack. To support the hex-crawl I have modified and expanded the exploration rules from kingmaker. Additionally, I am starting the campaign using the Slow advancement track to keep the power-level in check just a bit.
This is my players first experience with a sandbox style adventure and they seem to be enjoying it so far. Let's hope it continues. They've succeeded in learning the NPC quests in their first week on the island and have managed to explore across the peninsula and get a good look at the bay and general view of the island. They're intriqued by the "brown island and the wreck near it so they moved their base camp to the tip of the peninsula where the plan to construct a raft and explore that wreck and island.
My party:
Dwarven Ranger
Assimar Sorcerer (dragon blooded)
Mwangi Shaman
1/2 elven Hunter
elven cleric of Sarenrae.
So far awesome fun and meeting all of my expectations!
I think a hardback CotCT would be awesome for those who haven't enjoyed what is one of the best AP's ever. Converting/modifying this was a labor of love for me and that's probably why I wouldn't make the purchase. I took the awesomeness in the six volumes as written and turned it into something really special and memorable for my players and I. I don't think everything would have turned out near as well if I'd had it all done for me.
My group had an end of campaign party and I wrapped everything up with a power point presentation that gave the PC's and the NPC's closure. There was significant emotional investment in the story, PC and NPC.
PC'S
Amelizia, elderly Urban Druid - Married Vencarlo and was selected as the Kingdom's Ambassador to the People and tasked to oversee the reconstruction of the city.
Bhadi - Oracle of Desna - Last seen at the Temple of the Moon living the dream.
Dogkiller - 1/2 Orc Shoanti Barbarian - Married Krozan and had twins named Thunder and Fang. Works as an ambassador of peace between the tribes and Korvosa.
Markus wearbear (deck of many things) monk- Converted the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden into a dojo for the cities orphans and uses the area underneath for shadowy business.
Othello - Bard - Became the toast of the city when his opera masterpiece "Curse of the Crimson Throne" premiered. Rumored to be the secret lover of the new monarch.
Olorin - Wizard - Realizes his goal of raising his minor house to the status of Noble house is selected to the Council of Nobles.
Tobry and Serenthial - Charged to establish an order of knights to guard against other evils which may dwell in the catacombs beneath Castle Korvosa. He disappears shortly after the new monarch is crowned.
NPC's
Neolandus - Stays on as Seneschal until a new monarch is selected then retires to the country with this lover Salvator.
Field Marshal Kroft - Becomes the New Seneschal.
Vencarlo - Marries Amelizia and lives a life of comfortable philanthropy.
Grau Soldado - Promoted to Captain and eventually becomes the first Vistani Field Marshal
Sabrinna - Is tried and found guilty. However, both Vencarlo and the PC's vouch for her and her execution is commuted to banishment. She and a few loyal maidens ride out of town that night.
Verik Vancaskerkin - Is freed from Longacre in the final days of the rebellion and serves with great elan. Eventually re-earns his rank of sergeant in the new Korvosan Guard.
Majenko - The Pseudodragon leads the rest of his kind in a grand hunt through the skies of Korvosa slaying or driving most of the imps out of Korovosa except for a small gaggle near the Acadame. He becomes the Prince of Dragon’s in Korvosa and lives a long life of comfort with his harem.
Trinia - Trinia opens a successful art studio in South Point and is chartered to restore the artwork defaced and stolen from Castle Korvosa during Queen Ileosa’s reign. Additionally, Othollo colaborates with her to co-write the music to Curse of the Crimson Throne at which point she becomes romantically linked to him.
Arkona Family - Following the raising of their home, they are never seen again.
Rolth - In the final weeks of Queen Illeosa’s rule Rolth became an important pawn in the queen’s end game. He established a collection facility in North Dock where he was responsible for hundreds of deaths; syphoning the final quantities of blood necessary to complete the Queens transformation. With the fall of Castle Korvosa and open rebellion Rolth fled Korvosa and has not been seen since.
The council of nobles debates for several weeks. Rumors swirl, and the city holds its collective breath. Finally, after 13 days of deliberation the Council selects
Zenobia Zenderholm
I've since run one sequel - I completely rewrote Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth as bolt hole / cache of Sorshen. The PC paladin was entrapped in the Prison of Zagig and needed rescuing. Awesome Fun!!
I created an in game newsletter I named the Korvosa Chronicle. It gave a voice to Korvosa and allowed me to impart a lot of backstory information, drop red herrings etc. It also gave allowed the competing factions (pro-Illeosa vs. rebels) to give voice to their positions. In the end, I had the Chronicle go underground as Illeosa's reign became bloodier and more controlling.
I play with extremely experienced gamers so I run all my AP's. one-offs, etc at 15 point buy in. I limit max starting abiity scores, including racial bonus to 18, and minimum to 9. I like the 1st ed. feel 15 point buys have. I remember when a +1 bonus was great and anything better epic lol.
I probably fall in the middle. I generally customize and add to the AP to meet player expectations and work their backgrounds into the overall story. I also add a lot of my own ideas, NPC etc, steal from other GM on this site etc. I have omitted encounters and story elements that didn't fit for my group.
I think personalizing is the most important job any GM can do when preparing and running an AP. You also need to adjust as the campaign moves forward. If PC's become attached to a particular NPC that's not fleshed out in the source material then build on it. An escaped minor bad guy with a two line paragraph that escapes your PC's can become a memorable bad guy. That caved in tunnel on the AP Map can be yours to expand for some wicked cool idea that's been floating around in your head.
Personalization is what makes AP's more fun for everyone!! And allows DM's to let their personal creative juices flow!
I have GM'd Shackled City, and Curse of the Crimson Throne to completion and Rise of the Runelords and Age of Worms past the half-way point. I have played and completed Savage Tide, Second Darkness, and Jade Regent and currently play Carrion Crown. We have had character deaths and maybe one almost TPK. Jade Regent was the only AP my PC did not die in, and I was below zero multiple time in all of them.
I do not consider, in any way, any of the chapters of these AP's meat grinders. IMHO most PC deaths are directly related to bad luck (x3 crit with a lance) or a bad idea (moving into the open field with enemy cavalry within charging distance vs. taking cover like the rest of the party)
Our current Carrion Crown party is anything but "optimized" (that word and "build" always leave a bad taste in my mouth). We had a kick-butt 12 round battle at the end of book 3 in which my PC died. Why did he die? Two reason. Fate - Vampiric Touch crit and bad play on my part. Became impatient and made my move on the bad guy one round to early.
End result I died - but it was an awesome, fun kick-butt fight and now I get to role-play my PC's touch with death since I was raised.
I agree in principal with Greywolflord. As a DM or PC I don't like an over abundance of "helper" NPC's. I think AP's "As Written" in general are beginning to rely to heavily upon them, and the enemy-of-my-enemy is my ally concept. They're now predictable!
I currently play an inquisitor in our Carrion Crown campaign the only other caster is an oracle w/ the life mystery and we also have an alchemist. We're 8th level and beginning to feel the lack of an arcane caster. The oracle w/ the life mystery heals better than most clerics of equivalent level. IMHO the real challenge in groups lacking a full caster is access to certain benchmark spells at later levels than those of full casters. I feel that in published materials, where challenge ratings are balanced in part by the assumption of a standard four food group with full arcane/divine caster style party, access to benchmark spells increases the difficulty of many challenges; especially capstone encounters which tend to be CR +3 or better.
That said, it's fun to utilize our resources in different ways to overcome the challenges with a different utility belt. Encounters last longer, new spells, equipment and tactics are developed. Resources husbanded, terrain and stealth are used more prominently and wands and potions seem to have usefulness beyond the norm.
I still our parties lack of a full arcane caster will be an exceptionally difficult hurdle to overcome at the higher levels, but it will be fund finding out if I'm wrong.
If I do it again, I will also have her support the boggards, wraiths, and devils with her bardic skills. The critters at the sunken queen, with any Castle Korvosa survivors, and Ileosa supporting them will certainly challenge PC's. And like CaroRose mentioned she could easily do it all from inside the safety of the sunkenqueen.
I agree with many of the comments by those with far more expertise in RPG design than myself, but like them I have been gaming and Dming since the 70's so I know a little about playing, and frankly this monster WILL produce many memorable encounters. Employed by crafty designers and GM's the Argopelter will prove the metal of many adventuring parties. A ranged combatant with superior mobility against most parties in an environment that offers it a ready supply of ammunition and concealment will be a twist many parties of experienced players have never faced. Melee heavy PC's will be forced to pull out the bow, with the dry rotted string, they've been carrying around since PC creation; ranged PC's will be given a chance to go shot-for-shot against it. Spellcasters have a plethora of unique ways to deal with an Argopelter, be it direct damage, battlefield control spells, summoned creatures to chase him through the trees or what ever.
Encounters with an Agropelter are more than a stick-thowing-monkey. The Agropelter's mobility and accuracy are going to turn them into running firefights as PC's rush from cover to cover firing off bow shots and ranged spells as their tormentors maneuver through the trees constantly harrassing them with their own ranged blows. Everytime the party sees an opening of escape the agropelters cut them off and force them in a new direction, hearding them toward an unknown hazzard.
Charlie you get my vote. Ordonious looks forward to many memorable encouters with agropelters in the near future.
Since 2004, I have been blessed to play/dm with two different and very talented troupes of gamers. This tale concerns the first. I only played with them for about 3yrs in Miami, and I ran SCAP. One of the PC's was the bastard son of a concubine. When,at the end of Test of the Smoking Eye I revealed the PC's father was actually the main antagonist of the entire path (a true luke I am you father moment)a hush fell over the table for like 5 minutes, and the player actually had to excuse herself to collect her thoughts.
I love creating emotion like that at the table. To me the game is always about the story, and immersing yourself and your players in the fun of being hero's. When can get the players away from the mechanics and builds, etc that's awesome.
When I was a younger DM, deities had much more direct influence in my games. Now however, I generally disalow "god calls" or other such mechanics by any players. If I feel Deific intervention strengthens the story, then I do so through subtle manipulation or if direcet action is necessary by a proxy. The listing of deity agents and hearlds provided by Paizo is extreamly helpful in this.
When I play a particular PC, I also set aside a few sentances in his background to determine the level of his devotion, if any, to a religious creed. Hopefully this gives some insight into the PC for both the GM and me as I prepare for the roll. But even if I am playing a PC who is particularly zelous I look at it as just one of the facets to enjoy play around and not a defining one.
So I got bored the other night, and had a new copy of the Inner Sea World Guide. Using just the descriptions of locations within that book, some likely exports for each country:
...Awesome stuff....
This is obviously not a complete list, but it's a starting point utilizing one book to get a quick listing of some available commodities in different countries.
Thanks so much for putting this together! I was not looking forward to trying to dredge a list like this out of the books!
I made a list of my own, but it is possible trade goods. I am posting here in case anyone is interested:
...awesome list...
If anyone can think of anything else to add this list, that would be awesome as well.
Sugar. Sugar was incredibly important in history, because it's fairly limited in where it can grow, and it doesn't travel well unless processed (raw cane ferments incredibly rapidly). Honey is somewhat of a substitute, but there are things both sugar and honey can be used for that the other can't.
Medicinal herbs. Some will only grow in certain areas, others can be widely cultivated. Their importance will vary somewhat depending on how common magic is in a particular campaign (if every village has a cleric with the ability to cure disease, medicines are less important).
Flax/linen. More comfortable and cooler than wool, easier to make than cotton, and cheaper than silk.
Tobacco. Possibly falls under the category of "drugs," but worth mentioning. Along with sugar, this was the major cash crop of the early American colonies.
You will find seven people in any AP difficult. My group ran Savage Tide, Second Darkness, and CotCT with 7. I DM'd curse and in the end swore never to DM again for that many. There are lots of things you can do many of them suggested here, and many you've probably all ready thought of. Here are my top lessons learned for maintaing a balanced and fun game for when you exceed the prototypical 4 PC, balanced food group party. Remember break all these rules as necesary for you and your group to have fun!
1 - Work hard everynight to give every PC at the table a chance to shine. The biggest complaint amongest my players was the fact that there was such an overlap of roles that they ceased to feal unique.
2 - Combat encounters, especially at high levels will take A LONG TIME as seven PC's rotate through the initiative order. In the end of STAP our party had the capability of taking 30 melee attack actions every round! That takes a long time to play out, and the damage potential is extreme You may experience players awaiting their turn in the initiative order become bored or uninterested because it takes sooo long for the spotlight to get to them.
2 - Use fixed advancement. You gain a level when the DM says. Keep the party one below the recommended lvl. They are 75% bigger than minimum requried party, they have the resources to deal with it.
3 - Do not add one extra GP to the mix. Keep the economy in check. Heck even eliminate some.
4 - Fudge behind the screen as necessary to create drama. True even in 4 PC games that sometimes the encounter doesn't live up to the hype. This effect is even truer in a 7 person party.
5 - Eliminate the bard class and other like classes. This sounds extreme, and it probably is but a bard's abilities exponentiate through the roof the more people they have within his circle of effect. A +2 to attack for 4 folks vs +2 for 7 folks is a big difference!
6 - Limit splat books, I suggest core and APG only. Some may recommend 15 vs 20 point buy as well.
If there is never a new feat, class, arch-type, race, option or what ever introduced from this point forward I would be forever greatful. Paizo markets the best FRPG stuff I've gamed with in my 30+ years of RPG gaming but enough is enough. Every new facet added to the over all gem that has been PFRPG to this point risks weakening the shine on the system. I would much rather see the focus shift from mechanic choices to additional Game world content via AP's, Modules, Companions etc. Golarion is a vast world and each new location the Paizo staff chooses to enlighten us about is a far bigger contribution to the overall PFRPG than an endless tide of bloat.
In my prep for CotCT I decided to delve into this topic. Here are my raw notes. None of this represents hard and fast house rules, and I am no economist 90% of this is just background noise for the players but I mention it everytime the party buys/sells. It helps give the setting a little more foundation, which some of my players really appreciate. I will share it here:
Korvosa Taxation
General - The tax laws in Korvosa take up a significant number of volumes in the cities codices. The following is a simplification of the tax laws for the layman (Knowledge (local) DC 15, Profession (lawyer) DC 10, or other appropriate profession or craft skill). The author suggests that when in doubt regarding any taxation issues, that you retain one of the numerous tax lawyers available throughout the city. The church of Adabar handles all tax collection and licensing, Korvosa’s court sets rates and policy and prosecutes those who fail to comply, while the Korvosa Guard and Sable Company enforce the laws.
Property Tax - The Korvosa government collects many types of taxes. The first is property taxes, details and excerpts of which are given in A Guide to Korvosa. Note that all property owners anywhere inside Korvosa holdings, not just the city proper, are liable for these taxes at the same rate.
Tariffs – All goods and raw materials arriving at Korvosa’s harbor or gates are taxed at a rate of 15% of the market value of manifested items. Until the taxes are paid ships and caravans may not pass or unload/enter Korvosa. A caravan or ship is defined as any conveyance being utilized to transport goods into the city with the intent to sell or trade. Thus a trapper walking into Korvosa with a dozen furs must pay a tariff on those furs. Adventurers selling loads of weapons and armor are also subject to this tax. The docks and Caravan fields outside Korvosa’s gates are a constant bustle of activity as brokers from merchant houses inside the city bid on goods. The brokers are licensed by the city, and have an understanding of the tax laws and the consequences involved in evading them. The sale of goods to or buy a non-licensed brokers in illegal. Note also, that the reigning monarch can decree a nation or individual company as a “favored partner” granting them a discounted tax rate of 10% for the duration of the decree. All goods and materials manufactured or grown within Korvosa’s holdings are automatically given “favored partner” status. If designated for export only from Korvosa’s holdings they are stored in “bonded warehouses” to await export.
Transfer Tax – All official contracts and agreements both commercial and social (marriages, divorces, births etc) must receive a Korvosa seal to be legally binding. Fees for commercial agreements are 15% of the value of the contract or agreement. Most social agreements are a onetime fee, but some like licensing or contracting agreements often require renewal annually at the same rate. Social agreements are priced as follows:
• Marriage – 5sp
• Divorce – 1gp
• Birth Certificate – 1sp
• Death Certificate – 2sp commoner, 10sp nobility
• Will Certification – 5gp
• Official licensing – 10gp
• Adventuring Company License – 15gp
• Adventuring Company Charter – 150gp
Toll – All non-private waterborne vehicles must pay a toll to dock in Korvosa harbor based on the size of the vehicle. Non-private conveyances other than a single mount (dog, pony, ass, or horse) entering through any of the city gates must pay a toll. These tolls are in addition to any tariffs paid on goods.
Inheritance Tax – This covers both the estate and the goods to be inherited on wills certified and on record with the Korvosan Government. An officially licensed Korvosan appraiser will appraise the estate in its entirety, and the beneficiaries must pay a tax valued at 60% the appraised worth. The estates of noble families are exempt from this tax. Failure to pay the appropriate tax will cause the estate, in its entirety to become the property of the City of Korvosa, where it will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Excise Taxes – The Korvosan vice taxes fall into this category. Korvosa taxes the following categories of goods as vices. They are drugs and prostitution. These are all taxed based on quantities. Certified importers and narcotics producers all pay a 25% tax /xxx. Bordello owners and independents must track “tricks” and pay a tax of 1gp/trick/provider. These taxes are heavily enforced and prosecuted.
Black Market – The black market is an illegal market where goods that are either illegal or have evaded taxation, usually through smuggling, are bought and sold. The price for black market goods is usually market price plus about a 3-5% mark up on legal goods, and the sky’s the limit for illegal goods.
Free Market – There are two free markets in Korvosa. The first xxxxx, the second is just outside the xxx gate. While it is true that consumer can find all manner of goods here at market value or less, these goods are generally substandard. When merchant house agents purchase goods, those goods not purchased or found to be substandard are sold to entrepreneurs or by the merchant houses in these markets where they are sold with no taxation.
Adventuring Company License – This license, which lists by name each member of the company (8 maximum) license the company and allows them to sell “booty” recovered in their adventuring up to a maximum of 2000gp quarterly tariff exempt. In order to be considered for employment by a Korvosa government agency you must, as a minimum have a valid license.
Adventuring Company Charter – This is an improvement on the standard license allowing an already licensed company (still 8 max) to sell “booty” recovered up to a maximum of 20000gp per quarter.
Royal Warrant – This is the highest level of adventuring license available and exempts those individuals specifically mentioned on the warrant from paying any tariff’s or taxes directly related to the sale of “booty” acquired while serving the crown for the time period specified within the warrant.
Booty – Korvosa law considers “booty” to be those valuables recovered from the bodies or property of enemies of the state, criminals, monsters, etc. Tariff’s are not charged on every item pawned or sold however, if PC’s were to attempt to sell a bulk of like items, say 2 shields, 5 suits of armor, and a half dozen swords, then the tariff’s would apply. Knowledge (local) or Profession (merchant) DC 20 check – Most adventurers’ sell of their non-descript “booty” in the free markets where there is no tariff, and save their license or charter limits for the occasional high dollar value haul.
One of the problems I have been wrestling with in my preparation for dungeonmastering this AP has been; How to make my party feel the decline Korvosa goes through during the AP? While the "boxed text" and my own descriptions of the events the party will witness, will set the mood and place the party in the story. I still want to evoke in the party the same frustrations that the citizens will feel. I found my answer last night in the Gamemastery Guide and thought I would share it here with the community.
The few short pages given to Urban adventures allow a dungeonmaster to establish a base line for Korvosa. Using the Guide to Korvosa I established what Korvosa looks like on the day of the king's death.
Korvosa
LN, Large City
Corruption - +4
Crime - -1
Economy - +4
Law - +6
Lore - +4
Society - +0
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Emerging from their victory over Gaedren the party steps into a changed city. The death of her King has thrown her into a state of anarchy. Accurately reflected by adding the Anarchy disadvantage. This change should persist until the begining of Part VI when "things begin to get back to normal".
Korvosa
LN, Large City
Corruption - -2
Crime - +5
Economy - +0
Law - -2
Lore - +4
Society - -2
By the begining of Seven Day's the average citizen begins to see normalcy returned, however disaster once again looms unsuspectingly upon the horizon. From Part III of Seven Day's to the end of the installment Korvosa gains the Plagued disadvantage.
Korvosa
LN, Large City
Corruption - +2
Crime - -3
Economy - +2
Law - +4
Lore - +2
Society - -2
Even though the party is instrumental in saving many lives, the plague still takes its toll on the citizenry of Korvosa. In addition the Queen has reached the zenith of her powers, the curse fully in effect, and divorces Old Korvosa from the city. Driving the city into its greatest state of decline. This has two major effects on the city's stat line. First, the population loss from the plague and the abatement of Old Korvosa lower's her base line from a large city to a small city. Secondly, she loses the prosperous quality. Finally, she gains the following disadvantages Cursed, Hunted, and Impovrished. Keeping these until the end of the AP
Korvosa
LN, Small City
Corruption - +4
Crime - -1
Economy - -7
Law - +1
Lore - +3
Society - -5
Once Old Korvosa is cut off she becomes an entity of her own so I developed her statistics as well, which she keeps from the end of 7 days to the end of the AP.
Old Korvosa
CE, Small Town
Corruption - +7
Crime - +8
Economy - -6
Law - -17
Lore - +0
Society - -8
Qualities (2): Notorious, Racial Intolerant
Disadvantages: Anarchy, Impoverished, Hunted
Government: Secret Syndicate
Population: 200 to 2000
Danger: 50
Base Value: 600gp
Purchase Limit: 5000gp
Spell Casting: 4th Level
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The real pay off for all of this to me is the fact that as a DM I now have a mechanic I can easily use to demonstrate directly to the players the change in their environment. The decline in the economic resources of Korvosa will most effectively demonstrate this as the buying and selling of treasure will be much more specific. Social skills inparticular benifit from these changes as citizens and officals become more difficult to manipulate.
I did the entire campaign the old fashioned way in preparation to run the campaign beginning this spring. It was a blast. I am finishing up a second go round, integrating APG concepts to give the base classes and archtypes there official entry into my campagin. I didn't really find the task that daunting.
I suggest using the PFSRD for all the critters from Bestiary I and just copy / paste. They werent available when I did my first conversion but I copy/pasted from the pdf, then touched up the format. If you are using MS word and go to the MS symbol in the upper left corner of your screen, go to word options, advanced, cut copy paste; you can set the formatting to change automaticly to that of the host document. This saves a lot of time adjusting format.
I actually go through and redo everything I DM like this even if it doesnt require converting. I create 1 large word doc with all the encounters which I keep on a clip-board for use when the situation becomes tactical. It really improves my handling of encounters as I become very familiar with the creatures abilities, strengths, and weaknesses as I retype them. It allows for a much smoother session as I make less rule reference and have better tactics and options in mind for the baddies.
I finally had a little free time, so here is my shot at a short look at Skaldwood.
Just across Northbridge, on the eastern shore of the Jeggare River upon a crescent shaped knoll stands a copse of trees. Each morning the suns first rays illuminate three score or so smoke plumes drifting lazily up into the purple sky from haphazardly scattered yurts on the slopes below. This is the Skaldwood, a reservation of sort, and home to the largest gathering of Shoanti south of the Stoval Plateau.
The exact population of the Skaldwood is unknown as the nomadic way of the Shoanti make for an ever changing population. However, at any given time a hundred or so adults occupy the wood. Most are Quah-less and of mix-heritage; half-orc being the most common. Unable to find social acceptance in neither Korvosa nor the Shoanti homelands these outcasts have managed to find some level of community and acceptance here in the Skaldwood.
The community itself is somewhat self-sufficient; however most of the adults try to find some form of labor within Korvosa, primarily in the Old Korvosa District. Common occupations are those requiring great strength such as dock workers, bouncers or armed guards, but many find their way into streetgangs or as hired thugs.
Life in Skaldwood is chaotic and self-policing. Only three rules are abided by those who live there. First, as per the treaty with Korvosa no one harbors fugitives. Second, the summit of the hill is off limits to everyone; and third, excavations of any depth greater that of a standard dagger are prohibited.
The reasons for the second and third rules are unknown; though there are many legends as to what may or may not be buried beneath Skaldwood. What is known is that each winter solstice a procession of Shoanti Shaman, escorted by several elite warriors descends from the Storval Plateau arriving two days before staying until two days following the solstice. They encamp upon the summit of the hill, and with sunrise on the day of the solstice much chanting, accompanied by the playing of traditional instruments, can be heard as far away as Old Korvosa; the ceremony continues until the sunrise the following day. The true purpose of the ceremony is unknown, however several prominent sages at the University of Korvosa believe the Shoanti are re-energizing ancient wards set centuries ago to protect whatever secret it is that lies below Skaldwood.
There is an earlier post in the "Edge of Anarchy DM guide" that notes a DM's idea to forshadow scarwall by having Lamm been a survivor of a past adventure party that visited there.
Lamm could be a reacurring foil for the party if he survives, like Jester mentions he is a survivalist. He could become an agent for Ileosa using his surviving contacts to monitor/harass the PC's movement. He could lay low until the end game and with Ileosa's demise become a crime boss / antagonist to the PC's if u continue the AP into a reconstruction era.
