Pathfinder Adventure Path #46: Wake of the Watcher (Carrion Crown 4 of 6) (PFRPG)

Already looking forward to this AP.

Note to self: Required reading (rereading in my case) before running this adventure. A Shadow over Innsmouth.

Lovecraftian awesomeness!

I love Lovecraft, I´ve read a lot of the Mythos books and played some "Call of Cthulhu" adventures, which I really enjoyed. But I´m not the biggest fan of the Mythos for Pathfinder. Nevertheless I´m sure this will be a great module. I liked all of Gregs adventures so far.

Is that the beast of Leipstadt on the mock-up cover?

Is that the beast of Leipstadt on the mock-up cover?

Yeah, it's funny that they picked him to be on this mock up and not the one for number 2.

Every other module in this line mentions two support articles, and then "five new monsters in the bestiary." However, this module only seems to mention one support article (Old Ones), and then "an expanded bestiary." Is this preview incomplete, or is the bestiary in this case going to be long enough to count as the support article?

I mean, I could use a refresh on the stat block for Cthulhu. The one I have from CoC d20 is 3.0 - it's time to Pathfinderize!

I mean, I could use a refresh on the stat block for Cthulhu. The one I have from CoC d20 is 3.0 - it's time to Pathfinderize!

Ye Gods!

Ia! Cthulhu!

Since James Jacobs already mentioned elsewhere that Paizo wouldn't be statting up anything Epic until they finally do some epic rules (at least a year or so, he said), I don't think we'll see any Old Ones themselves...however cool that might be. Perhaps one day...when the stars are right.

Does the structure of the APs more or less require that the books be played in sequence? That is, playing this one without the previous ones in the series won't make sense? The Haunting of Harrowstone and this one look good - #2 and #3 don't. Do I need to play #2 and #3 to have #4 make sense? To what extent could I scrub out the continuing plot arc against the Whispering Way and make these work as independent modules?

Every other module in this line mentions two support articles, and then "five new monsters in the bestiary." However, this module only seems to mention one support article (Old Ones), and then "an expanded bestiary." Is this preview incomplete, or is the bestiary in this case going to be long enough to count as the support article?

I mean, I could use a refresh on the stat block for Cthulhu. The one I have from CoC d20 is 3.0 - it's time to Pathfinderize!

The bestiary for this one (which I am writing) will be twice as big as a typical bestiary; it'll take up the normal bestiary slot and one of the support article slots. Which equates to about ten monsters, all but one of which are going to be drawn from Lovecraft's writing. (The tenth will fit right in with the rest, though—it's gonna be a new one designed specifically for the adventure.)

It will likely NOT have stats for Cthulhu, though—we don't have our epic rules worked out yet, and we'd need them to stat up something like a Great Old One. The creatures in the bestiary will be monsters—akin to the shoggoth, the gug, and the denizen of Leng (all of which we've already statted up in various books).

Does the structure of the APs more or less require that the books be played in sequence? That is, playing this one without the previous ones in the series won't make sense? The Haunting of Harrowstone and this one look good - #2 and #3 don't. Do I need to play #2 and #3 to have #4 make sense? To what extent could I scrub out the continuing plot arc against the Whispering Way and make these work as independent modules?

The APs are designed to be played in sequence, yes, but that doesn't mean you can't reorganize adventures to your whim. It'll just take a bit of work.

That said... if you're really intrigued by some of the adventures,you really SHOULD check out the ones that don't look as good to you, because it's really REALLY hard to do justice to the adventures in this preview text—especially since the preview text is written before the actual adventure is written.

Hello, James:

I should not have said they don't look good - they look just fine but the main subject as described doesn't look like my cup of tea. My take on the blurbs is this:
#1 ghosts
#2 frankenstein's monster
#3 werewolves
#4 shadow over innsmouth
#5 vampires
#6 fight against big bad and his cultists

Of these #1 (especially) and #4 look most like my cup of tea. The others might be great, though. I was just wondering if they only work if you play them in sequence.

Thanks for all the hard work.

The creatures in the bestiary will be monsters—akin to the shoggoth, the gug, and the denizen of Leng (all of which we've already statted up in various books).

The men of Leng are in a Pathfinder product? Yes, please! What is this product, so that I can throw money at it?

Also, are there any plans for Moonbeasts?

James Jacobs wrote:

The creatures in the bestiary will be monsters—akin to the shoggoth, the gug, and the denizen of Leng (all of which we've already statted up in various books).

The men of Leng are in a Pathfinder product? Yes, please! What is this product, so that I can throw money at it?

Also, are there any plans for Moonbeasts?

Don't know about moon beasts, but the Denizens of Leng were first statted up (that I remember seeing) in Rise of the Runelords #6, "Spires of Xin Shalast".

James Jacobs wrote:

The creatures in the bestiary will be monsters—akin to the shoggoth, the gug, and the denizen of Leng (all of which we've already statted up in various books).

The men of Leng are in a Pathfinder product? Yes, please! What is this product, so that I can throw money at it?

Also, are there any plans for Moonbeasts?

PF#6 has Leng stuff in it, as well as one of the Legacy of Fire AP, I think Jackal's Price, don't have it in front of me now though.

Best.

I mean, I could use a refresh on the stat block for Cthulhu. The one I have from CoC d20 is 3.0 - it's time to Pathfinderize!

There's only one stat you need to know:

Cthulhu kills you. But not before you go insane from being in his vicinity.

For those interested Paizo have published the following Chtonic monsters that I can remember:

PF #4 - Hounds of Tindalos
PF #6 - Denizens of Leng
PF #11 - Gugs
Bestiary - Shoggoths, possibly others

PF #10 also has a horrific beastie from beyond human ken, but I'm not sure if it's specifically something Lovecraft wrote.

For those interested Paizo have published the following Chtonic monsters that I can remember:

PF #4 - Hounds of Tindalos
PF #6 - Denizens of Leng
PF #11 - Gugs
Bestiary - Shoggoths, possibly others

PF #10 also has a horrific beastie from beyond human ken, but I'm not sure if it's specifically something Lovecraft wrote.

Thanks everyone for compiling this list. Too bad all of these are fairly low on my to-buy list (other than the Bestiary, which I already own), but I'll certainly pick them up at some point in the future.

The creatures in the bestiary will be monsters—akin to the shoggoth, the gug, and the denizen of Leng (all of which we've already statted up in various books).

Alrighty then, where is the gug? I've got the Shoggie, Tindaloo and denizen of Leng.....but a GUG would be a nice addition to tmy Libris Horiblis

James Jacobs wrote:

The creatures in the bestiary will be monsters—akin to the shoggoth, the gug, and the denizen of Leng (all of which we've already statted up in various books).

Alrighty then, where is the gug? I've got the Shoggie, Tindaloo and denizen of Leng.....but a GUG would be a nice addition to tmy Libris Horiblis

Bestiary 2, page 151.

Ooooo!

Yes, but it's a mock-up. The picture appears in

Enlight_Bystand wrote:

For those interested Paizo have published the following Chtonic monsters that I can remember:

PF #4 - Hounds of Tindalos
PF #6 - Denizens of Leng
PF #11 - Gugs
Bestiary - Shoggoths, possibly others

PF #10 also has a horrific beastie from beyond human ken, but I'm not sure if it's specifically something Lovecraft wrote.

Thanks everyone for compiling this list. Too bad all of these are fairly low on my to-buy list (other than the Bestiary, which I already own), but I'll certainly pick them up at some point in the future.

Denizen of Leng - Bestiary 2 page #82

Gug - Bestiary 2 page #151

Hound of Tindalos - Bestiary 2 page #158

Leng Spider - Bestiary 2 page #176

Serpent People - Bestiary 2 page #242

Shantak - Bestiary 2 page #244

The Qlippoth look Lovecraft inspired as well. Bestiary 2 is quite the pleaser.

weirmonken wrote:

Enlight_Bystand wrote:

For those interested Paizo have published the following Chtonic monsters that I can remember:

PF #4 - Hounds of Tindalos
PF #6 - Denizens of Leng
PF #11 - Gugs
Bestiary - Shoggoths, possibly others

PF #10 also has a horrific beastie from beyond human ken, but I'm not sure if it's specifically something Lovecraft wrote.

Thanks everyone for compiling this list. Too bad all of these are fairly low on my to-buy list (other than the Bestiary, which I already own), but I'll certainly pick them up at some point in the future.

Denizen of Leng - Bestiary 2 page #82

Gug - Bestiary 2 page #151

Hound of Tindalos - Bestiary 2 page #158

Leng Spider - Bestiary 2 page #176

Serpent People - Bestiary 2 page #242

Shantak - Bestiary 2 page #244

The Qlippoth look Lovecraft inspired as well. Bestiary 2 is quite the pleaser.

It's a great list -- but no offense, weren't the Spiders of Leng basically just your everyday Colossal Monstrous Spiders?

It's a great list -- but no offense, weren't the Spiders of Leng basically just your everyday Colossal Monstrous Spiders?

In the original fiction? Yeah.

What's your point?

It's a great list -- but no offense, weren't the Spiders of Leng basically just your everyday Colossal Monstrous Spiders?

Actually, in the original fiction there's very little about them at all, other than that they're big, purple, live on the plateau of Leng, and are at war with Leng's other denizens. That last bit is the key—everyday Colossal monstrous spiders, being mindless, can't go to war. That implies that the spiders of Leng are more akin to how I statted them up in the Bestiary 2 (and incidentally similar to how Chaosium presents them in their Call of Cthulhu game). Which, considering the Dreamlands already has lots of intelligent animals/vermin (like the cats of Ulthar) fits perfectly with that world.

Eric Hinkle wrote:

It's a great list -- but no offense, weren't the Spiders of Leng basically just your everyday Colossal Monstrous Spiders?

Actually, in the original fiction there's very little about them at all, other than that they're big, purple, live on the plateau of Leng, and are at war with Leng's other denizens. That last bit is the key—everyday Colossal monstrous spiders, being mindless, can't go to war. That implies that the spiders of Leng are more akin to how I statted them up in the Bestiary 2 (and incidentally similar to how Chaosium presents them in their Call of Cthulhu game). Which, considering the Dreamlands already has lots of intelligent animals/vermin (like the cats of Ulthar) fits perfectly with that world.

Ah, you're right, I forgot that part. My deepest apologies.

Getting ready to pick up my second AP and was leaning towards Kingmaker. Now Carrion Crown has my attention. Really liking the Cthulu tie in stuff.

Hope there are Mi-Go! I loves me the Mi-Go!

Ah... Cthulhu Goodness... ok this pushed me over. I'm signing up for the sub this weekend...

Ah... Cthulhu Goodness... ok this pushed me over. I'm signing up for the sub this weekend...

If you want to start with Carrion Crown, you should wait until March. Otherwise your sub will start with #5 of Serpent's Skull.

I hope this will be some kind of remake of Greg A. Vaughan`s "Tammeraut´s Fate" (from Dungeon Magazine). That one was awesome!

Every other module in this line mentions two support articles, and then "five new monsters in the bestiary." However, this module only seems to mention one support article (Old Ones), and then "an expanded bestiary." Is this preview incomplete, or is the bestiary in this case going to be long enough to count as the support article?

I mean, I could use a refresh on the stat block for Cthulhu. The one I have from CoC d20 is 3.0 - it's time to Pathfinderize!

I might be mistaken, but IIRC I believe James, or someone else has said that Mythos creatures like Cthulhu will never be statted out in Pathfinder because they are on Earth, though we can look forward to the ones that are a bit more extra-dimensional or otherworldy.

Erik Freund wrote:

Every other module in this line mentions two support articles, and then "five new monsters in the bestiary." However, this module only seems to mention one support article (Old Ones), and then "an expanded bestiary." Is this preview incomplete, or is the bestiary in this case going to be long enough to count as the support article?

I mean, I could use a refresh on the stat block for Cthulhu. The one I have from CoC d20 is 3.0 - it's time to Pathfinderize!

I might be mistaken, but IIRC I believe James, or someone else has said that Mythos creatures like Cthulhu will never be statted out in Pathfinder because they are on Earth, though we can look forward to the ones that are a bit more extra-dimensional or otherworldy.

@Erik: Not only that, it's a wimpy Cthulhu. CR 34, and just a demigod?

@SwnyNerdgasm: It's Cthulhu specifically that's he's stated is sleeping in the Pacific, but that's only at one specific point in time - and besides, many of the Great Old Ones are not as restricted by the flow of time as might be expected.

What's really got me excited was the comment by James that the support article in PF#46 will be about the Great Old Ones. And such marvelous timing for my home campaign ...

@Erik: Not only that, it's a wimpy Cthulhu. CR 34, and just a demigod?

Demi-god is a perfectly acceptable classification for Cthulhu. After all, he's merely one of the Great Old Ones. The true powers of the Mythos are the Outer Gods (Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, and Nyarlathotep).

gbonehead wrote:

@Erik: Not only that, it's a wimpy Cthulhu. CR 34, and just a demigod?

Demi-god is a perfectly acceptable classification for Cthulhu. After all, he's merely one of the Great Old Ones. The true powers of the Mythos are the Outer Gods (Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, and Nyarlathotep).

Is Nyarlathotep actually an outer god or just some sort of minion? I always wondered what his power level is compared to the rest of the outer gods and to the great old ones.

As an aside, I hate using the term "power level" in this case. It sounds like I'm talking about a Dragonball Z character or something. I can't think a better phrase though.

@SwnyNerdgasm: It's Cthulhu specifically that's he's stated is sleeping in the Pacific, but that's only at one specific point in time - and besides, many of the Great Old Ones are not as restricted by the flow of time as might be expected.

Also, who necessarily says that the "now" of Golarion is the same "now" as early 21st century Earth?

Kthulhu wrote:

gbonehead wrote:

@Erik: Not only that, it's a wimpy Cthulhu. CR 34, and just a demigod?

Demi-god is a perfectly acceptable classification for Cthulhu. After all, he's merely one of the Great Old Ones. The true powers of the Mythos are the Outer Gods (Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, and Nyarlathotep).

Is Nyarlathotep actually an outer god or just some sort of minion? I always wondered what his power level is compared to the rest of the outer gods and to the great old ones.

As an aside, I hate using the term "power level" in this case. It sounds like I'm talking about a Dragonball Z character or something. I can't think a better phrase though.

The last sentence of The Dream-quest of Unknown Kadath, "The crawling chaos Nyarlathotep strode brooding into the onyx castle atop unkown Kadath in the cold waste, and taunted insolently the mild gods of earth whom he had snatched abruptly from their scented revels in the marvelous sunset city."

He can summon gods...

There are two classifications of these guys, classically, and those are the two we use in Golarion as well:

Great Old Ones (powerful entities on par with demigods, aka demon lords and arch devils)
Outer Gods (actual deity-level powers)

Both categories can grant spells to clerics in Pathfinder.

Neither category will be supported by stat blocks. At least, at this time. If we ever develop rules for post-20th level play, stat blocks for demigods (and thus Great Old Ones) becomes possible. But actual deities (such as the outer gods) still won't have stat blocks.

Nyarlathotep, in any event, is an Outer God.

gbonehead wrote:

@Erik: Not only that, it's a wimpy Cthulhu. CR 34, and just a demigod?

Demi-god is a perfectly acceptable classification for Cthulhu. After all, he's merely one of the Great Old Ones. The true powers of the Mythos are the Outer Gods (Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, and Nyarlathotep).

Teach me to write things based on memory. I was confusing quasi-deities (divine rank 0) with demigods (divine rank 1-5). Have to have at least divine rank 1 to lose the auto-fail on saves if you roll a 1.

So yes, you're absolutely right - demigod is perfect for Cthulhu.

Still doesn't change the fact that I'm waiting with great anticipation for June when I'll get PF#46. They've already run into the d20 version of Cthulhu (slightly altered, and CR35), and I have great plans ...

Teach me to write things based on memory. I was confusing quasi-deities (divine rank 0) with demigods (divine rank 1-5). Have to have at least divine rank 1 to lose the auto-fail on saves if you roll a 1.

So yes, you're absolutely right - demigod is perfect for Cthulhu.

Still doesn't change the fact that I'm waiting with great anticipation for June when I'll get PF#46. They've already run into the d20 version of Cthulhu (slightly altered, and CR35), and I have great plans ...

We don't and won't use the divine rank system in Golarion, of course... but yeah.

Nyarlathotep, in any event, is an Outer God.

I do hope that someday we can see stats for an aspect/avatar of Nyarlathotep though.

gbonehead wrote:

Teach me to write things based on memory. I was confusing quasi-deities (divine rank 0) with demigods (divine rank 1-5). Have to have at least divine rank 1 to lose the auto-fail on saves if you roll a 1.

So yes, you're absolutely right - demigod is perfect for Cthulhu.

Still doesn't change the fact that I'm waiting with great anticipation for June when I'll get PF#46. They've already run into the d20 version of Cthulhu (slightly altered, and CR35), and I have great plans ...

We don't and won't use the divine rank system in Golarion, of course... but yeah.

(I'm with deinol on seeing an aspect of Nyarlothep and some of the other Outer Gods - I imagine an above-20 rule set would include a system for creating things such as aspects.)

*nod*

I didn't expect that Paizo would use the rank system, it seems a bit too clinical to me. Until such time as there are Pathfinder rules for beyond level 20, that and the ELH/epic SRD are what I've got to work with (along with a smattering of other stuff such as Dicefreaks, Craig Cochrane's Epic Bestiary, and Mongoose's Epic Monsters). It's unappealing to me to run a Kill the Gods style campaign, but the players do run across avatars of greater beings, from time to time.

Thankfully for them, not too often.

Zon-Kuthon... is... Nyarlathotep!

(Maybe. It was implied at one point.)

Zon-Kuthon... is... Nyarlathotep!

(Maybe. It was implied at one point.)

Nah. He just has a member of the Great Race of Yith on-board. In a few aeons, Dou-Bral will wake up and wonder what the hell happened.

Can't wait for this one.

The product image and description have been updated to match the finished product.

The product image and description have been updated to match the finished product.

Omg omg omg... I cannot wait for this one. Looks absolutely amazing.

I wonder, will the details on Azatoth be the same as those presented in the 3.5 module "Crucible of Chaos"? One of the few times I was a player instead of a GM, my character was a cleric of Azatoth. Maybe I'll have to bring him back as an NPC for this adventure if I run it...

Freaky little thing on the cover.

Vic Wertz wrote:

The product image and description have been updated to match the finished product.

Omg omg omg... I cannot wait for this one. Looks absolutely amazing.

I wonder, will the details on Azatoth be the same as those presented in the 3.5 module "Crucible of Chaos"? One of the few times I was a player instead of a GM, my character was a cleric of Azatoth. Maybe I'll have to bring him back as an NPC for this adventure if I run it...

They'll be similar. Changes to the game (Crucible of Chaos was 3.5, not Pathfinder) and changes to how we've integrated the Mythos into Golarion (Crucible of Chaos was still in the "testing folks' appetite for it stage) have seen some changes, but it's still Azathoth!

This part of Carrion crown is the one I am looking foward to the most.