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On the rules-side: In Strike on Shatterhorn, the yuan-ti halfblood does not treat his wizard levels as non-associated, resulting in his CR being about 3-4 too high for his actual power level.
I know the aboleth mage and mind flayer sorceror were also treated in this fashion in the MM, but a reading of the MM appendix and the recent publication of Lords of Madness (mind flayer sorcerors have much higher caster levels for their CR) suggests that if the creature has caster levels (ex. Naga and rakshasa) then future levels would be treated as a 1 level= +1 CR basis. Otherwise, the first 7 levels for the yuan-ti should only count as 3.5 CR, and thus he needs a few more.. this should give him a bit more of a punch, as he'll be throwing around 7th or 8th level spells at that point (to my recollection).
I can't recall if any other monstrous casters in the series had this issue, but this one certainly stuck out when I read SoS.
Test of the Smoking Eye: Vorkaire.
As I was running this encounter last night, I noticed a problem with his stat block. Vorkaire is listed as having the Snatch feat, and being a Large creature. However, the pre-requisite of Snatch is that the creature be a Huge creature. These don't quite mesh--I would recommend replacing Snatch with Wingover, but that's just my opinion.
Creative Director
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Test of the Smoking Eye: Vorkaire.
As I was running this encounter last night, I noticed a problem with his stat block. Vorkaire is listed as having the Snatch feat, and being a Large creature. However, the pre-requisite of Snatch is that the creature be a Huge creature. These don't quite mesh--I would recommend replacing Snatch with Wingover, but that's just my opinion.
Done.
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Creative Director
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Well... the files for the hardcover are turned over to art for layout. Any changes to the book from here on will be minor. I'd like to thank you all for your observations and advice; it was all quite useful. I wasn't able to fit in every change and/or enhancement I wanted, but I think I got at least 90% of them in.
Now that that's done, I can get back to all those other freelance projects that were languishing in the roadside gutter while I was driving that out-of-control Shackled City contraption back and forth down the road.
Well... the files for the hardcover are turned over to art for layout.
*Jumping up and down in childish anticipation*
Looking forward to the product with much anticipation.
Thanks James (and anyone else) for letting us help you make a superior product. This goes a long ways to making a dungeon community...
Now...if only I can get a reply to my submission I sent in for a dungeon adventure.... ;)
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James,
Knowing little about publishing and book binding etc, how long until the hardcover hits the shelves? Is it still June (presumably tail end)? I am just very curious as my party just killed Kazmojen.
They still have the Malachite Fortress to finish off (although two are on negatives and bleeding out, the Wiz/Cloistered Cleric is on his own facing Pyllrak, Prickles, and Zarkad is about to arrive with 5 hobgoblins), so assuming they survive that, plus book keeping, plus meeting the mayor I can probably fill another three to four sessions (plus I have to miss two due to business appointments). That'll take me to June.
Incidentally I live in the UK so will the Place for Games have it when it goes on release in the US? Thanks for any guidance on what to expect, it will help me plan :)
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Craig!
I live in germany. Normaly it takes between 2 and 4 weeks until I get my copy of the latest Dungeon issue (no subscribtion).
WotC products are available almost at the same time here in germany, as they are in the US.
I think you will be holding the "Shackled Hardcover" in your hands latest by mid-july, if paizo sticks to the release, which I am sure they will!
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Cool. Looks like we might be putting the campaign on hiatus for June then. It's just who to order from might be the problem, how big a print run are we looking at in comparison, asy, to Lords of Madness? Just wondering how readily available it will be in comparison to WotC books. For example, it's release is Junie'ish, it's currently May, and I haven't seen an ISBN yet and cannot find it on Amazon.co.uk.
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Can't wait... can't wait...
I have two campaigns running through Life's Bazaar now (with their back stories intermingling)... one will enter the Malachite Fortress in two weeks ( and since we play every fortnight, there end of the adventure will be nigh, when the hardcover has arrived - hopefully), and the other will probably take two more sessions to go through Jzadirune, and we are playing nearly weekly (once or twice now we have skipped a beat)... with those guys it will be a close call, if the hardcover will arrive before they have finished "Life's Bazaar"....
Thanks James, for your herculean effort trying to scram all our ideas and thoughts into this hardcover. I will preorder it with the store of my faith right away...
I just noticed my credit card got billed for the hardcover - release imminent?
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Chief Technical Officer
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I just noticed my credit card got billed for the hardcover - release imminent?
I just had a look at your account, and you might want to double-check with your bank. - we haven't done anything with your card since the initial authorization when you placed the order. We won't do anything with it until we're ready to ship, either....
-Vic.
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Thanks vic. Thats interesting. I was charged exactly 69.95 by Paizo on the 25th (or so) of May. Thats the exact amount that the hardcover is. Looking in my order history its the only thing that has that amount.
I will ask the bank. Thanks.
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I've run the entire campaign, and for the most part, the party loved it. As a DM, I had two major concerns for the game.
1. In Flood Season, the Kopru caused all sorts of havoc for my party. He charmed two of the players, and when they tried to stop the rest of the party, the ranger did a called shot to the elevator rope, and severed it (natural 20). The other charmed character got cut in half, and I later had to play him off as a doppleganger trying to infiltrate the party. In any case, when I run this again (and I've been requested to do so many times), I'm going to remove the Kopru from the adventure, as I felt that it served no descernible purpose. I'd request that the creature either be replaced or removed.
2. The "Escape from Cauldron" adventure was beyond a physical pain to run. While the party enjoyed it, they thought it was painful to play, and it held the record as the only adventure to completed in a single session. And Hookface showing up in the end just confused them (although I see that this is being fixed in the HC). Is there anyway to clean this up? I'm doubting it, but if it could be made less painful for a DM to run, it'd be greatly appreciated.
There were other issues; room sizes, tactics, missing items/information, and such, but I think they've all been covered. Seriously excellent work. We cannot wait for the HC to come out!
William Sinclair
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1. In Flood Season, the Kopru caused all sorts of havoc for my party. He charmed two of the players, and when they tried to stop the rest of the party, the ranger did a called shot to the elevator rope, and severed it (natural 20). The other charmed character got cut in half, and I later had to play him off as a doppleganger trying to infiltrate the party. In any case, when I run this again (and I've been requested to do so many times), I'm going to remove the Kopru from the adventure, as I felt that it served no descernible purpose. I'd request that the creature either be replaced or removed.
It had the same concern about the Kopru and decided to give my players a spot check from above, out of the elevator, and the managed a DC25! So they've seen it crawling into the lake and swimming around. This got them on their heels before entering the ruins and at least the kopru served to add a dark and cool atmosphere to the ruins. The pcs never actually got to know what kind of creature they'd seen. No one of the players knew the Kopru and when they found some old, almost unrecognizeable frescos on the walls of the ruins (Koprus) they got the feeling that this thing the've seen outside in the lake might be one of those ancient beings... That gave a special feeling for the ruins and definiately hightened the atmosphere!
But I agree with you, William, the kopru can easily be the end of a low level party here. However, with the new adventure added between Life's Bazaar and Flood Season this might get fixed.