Here's a small question: When in Habe's Sanitorum, it states that Habe's downstairs neighbor comes up to investigate if he hears the sounds of combat (say when a certain diseased thug breaks free to pound the snot out of the "chosen" PC). The thing is... while the Perception skill provides information on hearing noises through distance and closed doors... it doesn't mention "floors" (though there is a +10 per foot of walls between the noise and the person listening).
So how thick do you think the floor above the cellar would be? In all likelihood the thug would be almost right above where our downstairs tenant works, so distance wouldn't be as big a deal. But it seems odd to just automatically have him hear the hubbub above his head.
I usually do +10 per floor.
So the sound of combat is a base -10.
The way *I* would play it is to give him a base Perception roll of 0 (he's not actively listening, but not distracted). So a fight directly above him would trigger him automatically.
My recollection is that the incident occurs on the 2nd floor, in which case we add another +10 and he actually has to roll. But unless he's distracted, I let him roll every round of combat, so he should hear within a few rounds.
But that's all houseruling. I'd love to hear how other people do it.
Actually, it takes place in the big hall on the first floor. Habe doesn't want anyone snooping around his Sanitorum lest details of some of his "practices" get out, so he has Grayst brought down. In essence he needs a Natural 1 to not hear it through a one-foot floor... but I did wonder if Caizarlu'd add some filler between the floor and his ceiling so that he's not constantly hearing footsteps and the like.
Hello everybody! So..our party consists of 4 PCs normally but not long ago they split the party. The elf ranger stayed back with his pet (for one week/game time) and the others went to Magnimar..Eventually they have started exploring about the Brothers of the Seven..everything went smoothly until they reached the Seven's Sawmill..partially due to the missing ranger and mostly due to wrong tactics they found themselves cornered by almost all the cultists and Justice Ironbriar (wearing masks ofc.). They tried to flee, but it was too late for this..they were surrounded..so, wounded (and angry about their decisions) they jumped into the Yondabakari river thinking this was their last hope of escape..This is where we stoped our last session..
Why am I telling you guys all this? Obviously because I dont know what to do next as the Dm :P
1) What would the consequences of falling into the Yondabakari river be? What checks should I allow them and stuff like that..What about their gear and backpacks?
2) What would charmed Ironbriar's reactions be to this attack ?(he totally know about the Pc's existence for 2 weeks now..he just thought they would't be able to harm him..until now..)
3)Whats the best way to put them back into the campaign's line of events?
I hope for your great suggestions and ideas as always! This forum is by far the greatest source of advice untill now!^^
P.S 1 : Sorry for my english being bad.
P.S 2 : My players are still considering going back at the sawmill if they survive!
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Jumping into the river-- I'd have them take normal falling damage, as if the fall was 10 feet shorter than it was (i.e. -1d6), and PCs could make a Jump check to reduce it by another 10 feet (as per normal jumping rules). Unless they're barely conscious, the fall shouldn't kill anyone.
Once in the water, PCs would need to make Swim checks to get to shore. This could be a problem for any low-Strength characters in heavy armor. If you want to add to their peril... maybe they might get caught up in the waterwheel!
Unless the PCs have a whole lot of stuff that would be terribly damaged if it gets submerged, I wouldn't bother damaging their equipment. You can just hand-wave that it will take a day to dry everything out.
Now that the PCs have found the cult's headquarters, the Skinsaw Cult abandons the sawmill. I'll leave it to you as to where they go. One possibility: there's a short "set piece" adventure in Magnimar at the end of Pathfinder #63: The Asylum Stone that involves a Skinsaw Cult chapel in the sewers. Perhaps the remaining cultists regroup there, and the PCs have to track them down. You can pretty much just run the third floor of the Sawmill encounter again, wherever you choose to set it. The PCs still need to find Ironbriar's disturbing collection of victims' faces, treasure, and journal (which is the clue that leads to Xanesha's lair).
And, of course, Ironbriar knows the PCs are a threat. If the PCs don't change inns, maybe some cultists attempt to assassinate them while they sleep!
Good luck!
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Rules for falling/jumping into water have the first ten feet ignored, and then 1d3 temporary damage for each additional 10 feet until they've fallen 50 feet at which point they take lethal damage.
Have Ironbriar call out the guard. They did an attack on the property, it's easy enough to hide any incriminating evidence (not that the guards would have any reason to investigate, especially if he said "they attacked and my men drove them off").
And then have the Scarecrow sent after them. ;)
Thanks a lot!Amazing! Those ideas woke me up and now I think i found what ill do..One last thing..should I have magnimar guards arrest them or search for them?? Actually they are living in an inn that a guard suggested to them so...the magnimar guards could easily learn about them and their location..
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Not sure if it's useful for anyone, but here is a different version of Ironbriar that I used:
Elf Inquisitor 8
NE Medium Humanoid (elf)
Init +13; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11
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Defense
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AC 22, touch 16, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +2 shield, +6 Dex)
hp 58 (8d8+8); judgement of profane healing 3
Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +8; +2 vs. enchantments
Defensive Abilities judgement of profane protection +2; DR judgement of profane resiliency 2: magic; Immune sleep; Resist elven immunities, judgement of profane purity +2, judgement of profane resistance 6 (fire)
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 Rapier +14/+9 (1d6+2/18-20/x2)
Special Attacks bane (+2 / 2d6) (8 rounds/day), bleeding touch 4 rounds (5/day), judgement of profane destruction +3, judgement of profane justice +2, judgement of profane piercing +3, judgement of profane smiting (magic), killing blow (4 bleed damage) (1/day)
Spell-Like Abilities Bleeding Touch 4 rounds (5/day), Detect Alignment (At will), Discern Lies (8 rounds/day)
Inquisitor Spells Known (CL 8):
3 (2/day) Keen Edge, Fester (DC 15), Retribution (DC 15)
2 (5/day) Resist Energy, Hold Person (DC 14), Invisibility, See Invisibility
1 (5/day) Doom (DC 13), Shield of Faith, True Strike, Detect Good, Protection from Law
0 (at will) Resistance, Daze (DC 12), Detect Poison, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Bleed (DC 12)
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 24, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 8
Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 23
Feats Combat Reflexes (8 AoO/round), Coordinated Defense, Improved Initiative, Precise Strike, Toughness +8, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +4, Climb +6, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +11, Heal +7, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (arcana) +6 (+8 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6 (+8 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Knowledge (history) +3 (+5 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Knowledge (local) +4 (+6 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Knowledge (planes) +8 (+10 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Knowledge (religion) +8 (+10 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Perception +11, Sense Motive +12, Spellcraft +7 (+9 to determine the properties of a magic item), Stealth +18, Survival +2 (+6 to track), Use Magic Device +2 Modifiers monster lore
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven
SQ domains (murder), elven magic, judgement (3/day), solo tactics, teamwork feat (change 2/day), track
Combat Gear Potion of cat's grace, Potion of undetectable alignment, Wand of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear Mithral Chain shirt, +1 Buckler, +1 Rapier, 150 GP
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Special Abilities
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Bane (+2 / 2d6) (8 rounds/day) (Su) Make the weapon you are holding a bane weapon.
Bleeding Touch 4 rounds (5/day) (Sp) Melee touch attack deals 1d6 bleeding damage.
Combat Reflexes (8 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Coordinated Defense +2 CMD if you are adjacent to an ally with this feat.
Detect Alignment (At will) (Sp) Detect chaos, evil, good, or law at will.
Discern Lies (8 rounds/day) (Sp) Discern Lies at will
Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Elven Magic +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item.
Inquisitor Domain (Murder) Associated Domain: Death
Judgement of Profane Destruction +3 (Su) Weapon Damage bonus.
Judgement of Profane Healing 3 (Su) Fast Healing
Judgement of Profane Justice +2 (Su) Attack bonus
Judgement of Profane Piercing +3 (Su) Concentration and vs. SR bonus
Judgement of Profane Protection +2 (Su) AC bonus
Judgement of Profane Purity +2 (Su) Save bonus
Judgement of Profane Resiliency 2: Magic (Su) DR/magic
Judgement of Profane Resistance 6 (Fire) (Su) Energy Resistances
Judgement of Profane Smiting (Magic) (Su) DR bypass
Killing Blow (4 bleed damage) (1/day) (Su) Critical hits deal additional bleed damage.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Monster Lore +2 (Ex) +2 to Knowledge checks when identifying the weaknessess of creatures.
Precise Strike +1d6 precision damage for melee attacks if you and an ally with this feat flank the same target.
Second Judgement (3/day) (Su) Variable bonuses increase as the combat continues.
Solo Tactics (Ex) Count Teamwork feats as if your allies had the same ones.
Teamwork Feat (change 2/day) Swap your most recent Teamwork feat for another
Track +4 Add the listed bonus to survival checks made to track.
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Also, Tsuto survived in my game and was thrown in jail by the PCs and Sheriff Hemlock. After being interrogated, he was picked up by Justice Ironbriar to be taken back to Magnimar and stand trial. It was a nice way to foreshadow the Justice and set up a reunion later on with Tsuto. Here is how I stated him up for their second encounter:
Half-Elf Monk 4 Rogue 3
LE Medium Humanoid (elf, human)
Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 19, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 49 (7d8+7)
Fort +6, Ref +11 (+1 bonus vs. traps), Will +8; +2 vs. enchantments, +2 vs. enchantment spells and effects
Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense; Immune sleep; Resist elven immunities
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Offense
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Speed 40 ft.
Melee Unarmed strike +7 (1d8+2/x2)
Ranged +1 Shortbow +11 (1d6+1/x3)
Special Attacks flurry of blows +2/+2, ki strike, magic, sneak attack +2d6
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8
Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 26
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Scorpion Style (DC 16), Skill Focus (Acrobatics), Stunning Fist (4/day) (DC 16), Weapon Focus (Shortbow)
Skills Acrobatics +15 (+19 jump), Bluff +4, Climb +10, Diplomacy +3, Disable Device +9, Escape Artist +11, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (religion) +4, Perception +11 (+12 to locate traps), Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +10, Swim +6, Use Magic Device +5
Languages Common, Elven
SQ ac bonus +4, elf blood, fast movement (+10'), ki defense, ki pool, maneuver training, rogue talents (weapon training), slow fall 20', stunning fist (stun, fatigue), trapfinding +1, unarmed strike (1d8)
Combat Gear Ring of the ram; Other Gear +1 Shortbow, 150 GP
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Special Abilities
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AC Bonus +4 The Monk adds his Wisdom bonus to AC and CMD, more at higher levels.
Elf Blood You are counted as both elven and human for any effect relating to race.
Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Evasion (Ex) If you succeed at a Reflex save for half damage, you take none instead.
Fast Movement (+10') The Monk adds 10 or more feet to his base speed.
Flurry of Blows +2/+2 (Ex) Make Flurry of Blows attack as a full rd action.
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed strikes don't cause attacks of opportunity, and can be lethal.
Ki Defense (Su) A monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Ki Pool (Su) You have a ki pool equal to 1/2 your monk level + your Wisdom modifier.
Ki Strike, Magic (Su) If you have ki remaining, unarmed strikes count as magic to overcome DR.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Maneuver Training (Ex) CMB = other BABs + Monk level
Point Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.
Rapid Shot You get an extra attack with ranged weapons. Each attack is at -2.
Ring of the ram A ring of the ram has a setting crafted to resemble a ram's head. The wearer can command the ring to give forth a ramlike force, manifested by a vaguely discernible shape that resembles the head of a ram or a goat. This force strikes a single target, dealing 1d6 points of damage if 1 charge is expended, 2d6 points if 2 charges are used, or 3d6 points if 3 charges (the maximum) are used. Treat this as a ranged attack with a 50-foot maximum range and no penalties for distance.
The force of the blow is considerable, and those struck by the ring are subject to a bull rush if within 30 feet of the ring wearer. The ram is Large and uses the ring's caster level as its base attack bonus, with a Strength of 25. This gives the ram a Combat Maneuver Bonus of +17. The ram gains a +1 bonus on the bull rush attempt if 2 charges are expended, or +2 if 3 charges are expended.
In addition to its attack mode, the ring of the ram also has the power to open doors as if it were a character with a Strength score of 25. This usage expends 1 charge. If 2 charges are expended, the effect is equivalent to a character with a Strength score of 27. If 3 charges are expended, the effect is that of a character with Strength score of 29. A newly created ring has 50 charges. When all the charges are expended, the ring becomes a nonmagical item.
Construction
Requirements: Forge Ring, bull’s strength, telekinesis; Cost 4,300 gp
Scorpion Style (DC 16) Standard action: Unarmed strike also reduces target's land speed to 5 ft.
Slow Fall 20' (Ex) Treat a fall as shorter than normal if within arm's reach of a wall.
Sneak Attack +2d6 +2d6 damage if you flank your target or your target is flat-footed.
Stunning Fist (4/day) (DC 16) You can stun an opponent with an unarmed attack.
Stunning Fist (Stun, Fatigue) (Ex) At 1st level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the monk gains the ability to apply a new condition to the target of his Stunning Fist. This conditio
Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
Unarmed Strike (1d8) The Monk does lethal damage with his unarmed strikes.
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Should the PCs be able to destroy the stuffed manticore trophy in area B2? If so, would it "repair" itself at some point? If so, when? My party has just finished the first level of the manor and had destroyed the manticore first thing when they entered. Therefore, I couldn't activate the haunt tied to it when that particular party memeber re-entered the room. Looking for some advice on how to handle this. Thanks! Also they destryoed one of the four pstained window portraits in the dining area also. Would this "repair" itself also after some peroid of time or no?
Just seems to me that running around destroying the house rooom-by-room, piece-by-piece ruins the adventure and the mood. They destroyed the grand piano also.
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I would definitely have the house start to repair itself when the PCs aren't looking. At least every 24 hours, when the haunts reset. Also, look at the history of the house. Someone tried to burn it down before. What happened? They ended up dying a fiery death themselves. Maybe create a custom haunt that triggers next time they try to smash something. Have them make a Will save to resist actually inflicting the damage on themselves.
How thoroughly did they destroy it? Why not have the broken remnants activate and create a "ghost Manticore" that goes after the PCs?
Echoing Githzilla's post, note that the house can cast Phantasmal Killer at a PC who tries to vandalize it. One "make two saving throws or die" event might dissuade them. And while I hate save-or-suck moments, this one is two saves, plus you get a bonus if you have any bonuses against fear or illusion, so it's one of the few "save or suck" moments I decided I was happy with.
I would also adhere to the "24 hours to repair itself" mantra.
Should the PCs be able to destroy the stuffed manticore trophy in area B2? If so, would it "repair" itself at some point? If so, when? My party has just finished the first level of the manor and had destroyed the manticore first thing when they entered. Therefore, I couldn't activate the haunt tied to it when that particular party memeber re-entered the room. Looking for some advice on how to handle this. Thanks! Also they destryoed one of the four pstained window portraits in the dining area also. Would this "repair" itself also after some peroid of time or no?
Just seems to me that running around destroying the house rooom-by-room, piece-by-piece ruins the adventure and the mood. They destroyed the grand piano also.
Thanks for all the replies and great ideas. Initially I had it that the manticore was fully restored when they returned to the room approximately 30 minutes or so later in game time. I changed it though becuase I wasn't sure. The book stated that small things like breaking doors and windows goes unnoticed, so I threw this in with that statement, but afterward I felt it ruined the overall effectivness of the haunts and therefore the game. I"ll use the house's spirit to interfere a bit more, going from sutble to increasing interference. Hopefully they'll get the hint. Also I'm going to say the manticore is repaired next time they enter the room. Thanks again!
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I'm soon going to run RotRL and am reading this adventure now. I've got 2 questions (which are based on the AE):
1) When did Xanesha arrive in Magnimar? I have read in another thread that she was wandering Varisia a few years and has only been in Magnimar for about a year. But I can't find anything like that in this adventure.
2) How exactly were those people in Magnimar murdered?
She began directing her new minions to "harvest" greedy souls (...). These unlucky men and women were brought back to the cult's headquarters within a lumber mill (...), where they were marked with the Sihedron Rune and then sacrificed.
As the PCs explore Magnimar, they'll certainly hear rumors and news about a disturbingly familiar spate of murders plaguing the City of Monuments. Stories of merchnats (...) showing up dead - their bodies mutilated, faces missing, and chests carved with seven-pointed stars - seem to be on everyone's lips, and it seems every week brings a new victim to light.
So? Did they move the bodys to the lumber mill? If yes, how would anyone know about the murders? Wouldn't those people just be "missing"? When did these murders start? And how many victims were there?
I'm thinking of having a characters brother beeing murdered by the cult (as colleteral since he was a cleric) a few month prior as part of her background story, having him beeing found next to the real victim who has the rune and everything. Being unable to find any clues she trys to get out of magnimar for a while and makes a trip to Sandpoint for the festival. So she should later recognize the pattern when Skinsaw Murders begins and have a first real clue to the murderers of her brother and be able to revenge him (just to find out that all of this was just part of a greate scheme). Especially since she will probably also be the key NPC for Aldern as the most attractive female character, this should be fun I hope I can build up some major paranoia on her part, maybe having her think her brothers death was her fault in some way after reading the notes! :D
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The murders likely happen at the mill and then the bodies are dumped elsewhere.
That does make some sense, though I would have thought they would dispose the body's in a more subtle way. I mean, it does say that they don't really leave any clues behind, but the body's with the sihedron rune on them is a rather big clue (and is what ties those murders to Alderns murders after all). Body I think I can make that work somehow.
On another note: How well known is the actual rune? I mean, it IS depicted on the Varisian flag/icon/whatever. Is this purely out of character? Or does something similar exist in Varisia? And it is the main symbol that is associated with Thassilon I guess. Any ideas on this?
And what about my question about Xaneshas timeline? I'm not quite sure of what would be the best way to have the characters (probably non-greedy) brother killed a few month prior to the campaign start in a recognizable way... but for that I would have to get the timeline strait, since I haven't read after chapter 2 yet and don't want to break any logic beyond that by changing the timing too much.
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I'm soon going to run RotRL and am reading this adventure now. I've got 2 questions (which are based on the AE):
1) When did Xanesha arrive in Magnimar? I have read in another thread that she was wandering Varisia a few years and has only been in Magnimar for about a year. But I can't find anything like that in this adventure.
2) How exactly were those people in Magnimar murdered?
1) Somewhere in the various threads is a timeline for Rise of the Runelords -- Xanesha's arrival in Magnimar is noted there. I don't have it in front of me, but it hasn't been terribly long.
2) I'm going with a very different tact for the Brotherhood of the Seven. This is a cult of essentially serial killers. Each of them should be unique, rather than just generic fodder for the PC's to mow-down until they reach Ironbriar. I'm in the process of stat'ing them all out and I will post them when I get a chance.
For the many years that the Brotherhood of Seven has been operating in Magnimar -- pretty much since Ironbriar fled wherever he was -- they have been making sacrifices to Norgorber in the form of serial murders. Each of the Brothers has a unique style, victim profile, and method of worship. It was only recently that Xanesha has insisted on the incorporation of the Sihedron Ritual in the Cult's rites. The Brotherhood would still follow Norgorber in the way they have done so for decades, just with an added twist.
My Brotherhood are also very successful serial killers. They have never been caught -- or at least never publicly acknowledged ("outed"). So within the files of the Magnimar Watch are occasional references to weird unsolved murders. But by and large they are very good at covering their tracks and if necessary blaming any number of other criminals and blackguards. In my campaign the one thing that links all these otherwise seemingly unconnected murders is that the faces of the victims are missing. This is a pretty significant link even if the murder methods and victim profiles are entirely different. Now with the addition of the Sihedron Ritual -- there is a second link between victims, so the Brotherhood is having to be especially careful in carrying out their "worship".
All of this adds up to why the Brotherhood would be so very annoyed with Aldern/Skinsaw Man. He is sloppy and stupid, and could easily bring unwanted attention to the Brotherhood's activities. Which also gives them a reason to want to "clean up" lose ends (Aldern and the PCs).
I ended up rambling on quite a bit. Hope this helps.
CJ
No no, that's an excellent point! I've already run a previous encounter where the group encountered a Brotherhood Assassin who I statted differently than the rest of the group (he ended up hiring thugs to assault the PCs - it didn't go well and the assassin ended up dead); this was while Ameiko was looking for a glass smith to replace the crew who died thanks to her darling brother Tsuto. ;)
Here, I'll include him below in a Spoiler tag.
XP 1600
Male Dread Gnome Assassin 1 Cleric 3 Rogue 2
NE Small Humanoid (gnome)
Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +4 Dex, +1 size, +1 dodge)
hp 51 (6d8+15)
Fort +5 (+2 vs. poison (+4 vs. accidently poisoning yourself)), Ref +9, Will +5
Defensive Abilities copy cat (su) (5/day), defensive training, evasion
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee (M) Masterwork War razor +7 (1d4+2/19-20/x2)
Ranged (M) Hand crossbow +6 (1d4/19-20/x2)
Special Attacks bleeding touch 1 rounds (5/day), death attack (dc 11), hatred, sneak attack +2d6
Spell-Like Abilities Bleed (1/day), Bleeding Touch 1 rounds (5/day), Chill Touch (1/day), Copy Cat (Su) (5/day), Detect Poison (1/day), Touch of Fatigue (1/day)
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 3):
2 (2/day) Silence (DC 14), Invisibility, Hold Person (DC 14)
1 (3/day) Shield of Faith, Bane (DC 13), Command (DC 13), Disguise Self
0 (at will) Bleed (DC 13), Detect Poison, Light, Mending
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 11
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 18
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Martial Weapon Proficiency (War razor), Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +10 (+6 jump), Climb +7, Disguise +5, Fly +6, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +11 (+12 to locate traps), Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +16; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Gnome, Sylvan
SQ aura, cleric channel negative energy 2d6 (3/day) (dc 11), domains (death, trickery), knack with poison, poison use, rogue talents (finesse rogue), spontaneous casting, trapfinding +1
Combat Gear Black fester (2), Shadow essence (2); Other Gear Leather armor, Crossbow bolts (10), Hand crossbow, Masterwork War razor, Skinsaw mask, 20 GP
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Special Abilities
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Aura (Ex) The Cleric has an aura corresponding to his deity's alignment.
Bleed (Fell Magic) (1/day) (Sp) With Wisdom 11+, cast Bleed once per day.
Bleeding Touch 1 rounds (5/day) (Sp) Melee touch attack deals 1d6 bleeding damage.
Chill Touch (Fell Magic) (1/day) (Sp) With Wisdom 11+, cast Chill Touch once per day.
Cleric Channel Negative Energy 2d6 (3/day) (DC 11) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Cleric Domain (Death) Granted Powers: You can cause the living to bleed at a touch, and find comfort in the presence of the dead.
Cleric Domain (Trickery) Granted Powers: You are a master of illusions and deceptions. Bluff, Disguise, and Stealth are class skills.
Copy Cat (Su) (5/day) (Sp) Create a single mirror image duplicate
Death Attack (DC 11) (Ex) You can kill or paralyze for 1d6+1 rds with a prepared sneak attack.
Defensive Training +4 Gain a dodge bonus to AC vs monsters of the Giant subtype.
Detect Poison (Fell Magic) (1/day) (Sp) With Wisdom 11+, cast Detect Poison once per day.
Evasion (Ex) If you succeed at a Reflex save for half damage, you take none instead.
Hatred +1 Gain a bonus to attack vs goblinoid/reptilian humanoids.
Knack with Poison (Ex) +2 Craft (alchemy) to make poison, +2 save vs poison (+4 if accidentally expose yourself).
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Poison Use You do not risk poisoning yourself accidentally while poisoning a weapon.
Sneak Attack +2d6 +2d6 damage if you flank your target or your target is flat-footed.
Spontaneous Casting The Cleric can convert stored spells into Cure or Inflict spells.
Touch of Fatigue (Fell Magic) (1/day) (Sp) With Wisdom 11+, cast touch of fatigue once per day.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
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Getting ready to fire up another session in a few weeks after about a six month hiatus (FINALLY!).
My players, having just started chapter 2, investigated the Sandpoint sawmill as well as the jail to do the interviews. They called it a night and are going to visit the Sanitarium the next morning. The notes for the Hambly farm indicate that the Farmer runs into town the morning that the players will leave to investigate the Sanitarium.
I am debating whether or not to delay the farm hook one more day, or just have it happen as written since the players are sort of going in that direction anyways. Doing it as written would at least give them some extra bodies when visiting the Sanitarium, although imagine Habe would be acting quite agitated with the town watch there.
What say you?
[nitpick]It's sanatorium, not sanitarium. One's for treating chronic diseases, the other's for convalescence.[/nitpick]
I'd suggest having Grump arrive after the PCs have left for the sanatorium. Then you can have the option of having someone chase after the PCs with the information or wait until they get back to town. If you time it right, you might be able to get them to reach the farm as evening arrives...
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I still have some questions regarding Nualias and Xaneshas Timeline.
Please help me to get this straight :)
5 Years ago the runewell was activated, Nualia miscarried her child and fell into a coma for about a month. After she woke up she burned down the temple and fled to Magnimar where she enlisted the help of the skinsaw cult to find and kill Delek, the father of her son. As I see it this took only a few weeks or month.
At about the same time, Xanesha was enlisted by Karzoug to harvest greedy souls. I guess she went on her journey about the same time Nualia and the cult killed Delek. If another thread is to be believed, Xanesha journeyed about 3 or 4 years through Varisa until arriving in Magnimar. This would make sense, since the murders in Magnimar started about a year ago, probably just after Xanesha took over the cult.
Now back to Nualia. The next info we have on her is, that she got the "Sihedron amulet" from the mysterious leader of the cult. That must be Xanesha, right? Or Justice Ironbriar? Why would he give her the amulet and tell her to listen to her dreams or something like that?
Some additional information: In Eryliums background it says that Nualia arrived not long after the runewell was activated.
So, as I see it, this doesn't add up correctly.
Either Xanesha arrived earlier (after just a few weeks or month maybe) to give Nualia the Sihedron amulet or Nualia stayed far longer in Magnimar, raising the question what she did all that time. Alternatively Nualia got the amulet from someone else.
So, what do you think? I know this might never come up in game, but I'd still like to find out how all of this could work out. Every idea/comment is highly appreciated!
It may have taken her a while to find Delek. And Xanesha has likely been operating in Magnimar for a year at most. We also don't know how long Nualia was in the catacombs with Erylium. She may have spent a year or so there learning what she needed (and becoming a priestess) from our pintsized menace.
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My players unleashed Iesha last night, and we called off the session with the group just about to descend down into the bowels of Foxglove Manor.
I've read that Aldern doesn't stand a chance against Iesha, and I ran a mock combat between the two to see how long it would last: Iesha won initiative, got the attack in the surprise round and the full attack in round 1, and Aldern was finished. That, obviously, isn't good from a storytelling perspective (and just isn't very satisfying).
So, I'm contemplating allowing Aldern access to a large mirror, and knowing that Iesha is trying to beat down the door, positions it so that she sees it immediately upon coming through the door. She fails her Will save, he Stealths up to her and Coup de Gras her right as the players come into view and her body crumbles to dust. Monologue as written, then a battle. As the battle progresses, the dust begins to reform into Iesha, and depending on how the battle is going, she can either help or give a thankful smile as her soul is finally released.
Is this remotely plausible?
Yes but that makes it even harder to estimate.
By the information we have we can assume that Nualia hasn't been in in Magnimar for too long.
We also know, that Tsuto joined her in 4706, so it must have been shortly after (or even before) the murders started.
So the question stands: Who gave her the Sihedron amulet?
HangarFlying, that's when fudging comes into play. ;) Have her do the traditional attack Revenants used before (strangulation) on him, slowly breaking his neck, while the party holds off the ghast reinforcements.
My group actually killed Iesha. Of course, the Half-Orc Barbarian with a 20 strength and Power Attack (and using Nualia's bastard sword two-handed) is a mean, lean, smashing machine so... in fact, he's so nasty that when he got paralyzed first thing with the Skaveling, it gave them a run for their money! (I did make it Advanced, however, and give it extra hit points.) So once he laid into her, she didn't have a chance. ^^;;
It will be most interesting to see how they do against the Skinsaw Man. Of course, it also depends on if they'll pause their fight when His Lordship pops out when hurt and cowers, begging for mercy... if they attack it again I'm going to have Skinsaw come out to play right then and there. And maybe have it do a few really odd maneuvers.
In short... I will fudge things to make the fight more interesting. If that means fudging things to keep Aldern alive longer? I will. ^^;;
eXaminator this is a nice question there! I also thought that it was Xanesha until now but this is true, something doesn't fit.. Maybe we should ask someone from Paizo for a correct answer to this:/
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Somehow I fear that there is no correct/official answer. I think I read somewhere that Nualias Sihedron amulet was added in the AE to have a greater connection (I don't have the old version, so I can't check that), but I think that whoever added this detail didn't think this through.
So now I'm just trying to make this work somehow, because I'd like Nualia to kill an Aasimar NPC in Magnimar as the background of a PC, another Aasimar who would be that NPCs sister.
So my take on this (I haven't read beyond chapter 2 yet, so I don't know if this fits nicely):
Does this make sense? Am I missing something? Would this work?
I'm still not sure why Xanesha has any interest in Nualia. Besides the lamias usual worship of Lamashtu. But Xanesha is working vor Karzoug now, wouldn't she try to have someone like Nualia work for her course and probably send her to Sandpoint to harvest some greedy souls, instead of Aldern later on? But I guess I can ignore that as this will probably not come up in game anyway.
Who's to say she DOESN'T carve the seven-pointed star on her victims? We're never given specifics on it, but Xanesha could have claimed it's an older rite of Lameshtu without revealing anything else to her. It could even be she sensed that Nualia had too much wrath in her soul to be an immediate convert to Karzoug and instead decided to deceive her into helping Karzoug without realizing it. :)
Ultimately, we can craft these campaigns to mean whatever we want, so these ideas bandied here, even if unofficial, are fantastic. I know I'm going to have victims occasionally appear with the seven-pointed star after the Skinsaw Cult is eliminated... until the group runs across Nualia once more. I may even have her start to leave taunting notes to try and drive the PCs batty... especially as they stripped her almost naked (the NPC thief did at least, she didn't want to let Nualia be left with ANYTHING that could be a possible weapon) and tossed her in a cell. So there's undoubtedly some unresolved hate there. ;)
My group will be heading to the Sawmill this next session, and because we play long sessions, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them get to the Clock Tower as well. Is Xanesha still as utterly brutal as she was in the 3.5 days? She looks pretty horrific to me. I have a well-balanced party (paladin, cleric, fire wizard, and rogue/fighter on the track to become a duelist). Tsuto will attack them on the way up the stairs, so they'll be down a little more in the consumables department than they would normally be, but I don't anticipate him providing a real impediment so much as a little speed bump. Do I need to tone down Xanesha to avoid a TPK?
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It depends.
If the party decides they want nothing to do with the interior of the tower and instead use Fly potions or spells to get to the top? They'll likely encounter X with a full complement of spells and hit points and perhaps even catch her by surprise. If not? You might need to fudge some die rolls. Expect at least one unconscious or dead player.
I don't mind a dead PC here and there, I just want to avoid a TPK. Besides, the PCs are fully laden with Hero Points, so they can save themselves that way in a pinch...unless they all go unconscious, in which case they're boned.
Xanesha's been toned down quite a bit, but my group was a fumble away from a likely TPK. She had all her buffs up as written, and they walked in the front door, stared at the illusion, and:
Surprise Round: Xanesha got a full round of Power Attacks on the barbarian from behind.
Round #1: Xanesha did another full round on the barbarian, killing him outright. The paladin invoked Smite Evil, the bard started performing, and the sorcerer learned about her spell resistance.
So all Xanesha had to do was outgun a paladin smiting evil. I was going to have her take out the sorcerer and the bard first, so it really was just going to be her vs. the paladin, and I'd rate that fight at a 50/50 or worse for the paladin.
Fortunately or unfortunately, she then fumbled, blinding herself, and that was all she wrote for her. The paladin carved her to pieces after knocking off all the mirror images.
But definitely the most nail-biting fight of our campaign so far, and we're a side track away from starting Book 5.
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I have a couple of questions about exorcising Vorel's spirit after dealing with the Skinsaw Man.
According to page 108 of the Anniversary Edition, the party need to cast 'hallow and a consecrate spell or a dispel evil spell.'
First of all, how are they supposed to know this? A knowledge (religion) check (and if so, what DC)? Or do they need to consult with Father Zantus?
My party's cleric is only 6th level, so still several levels away from being able to cast hallow (and dispel evil). What's the 'normal' way this should play out; is the party expected to leave the manor for some time while they go off to Magnimar etc, or are they expected to procure scrolls, e.g. from Sandpoint? I know my players; they're like a dog with a bone and won't want to go anywhere until the house is dealt with once and for all.
My group is dealing with the same issue. I had them know it with a DC28 Religion check, and then they went to Magnimar to buy a Dispel Evil scroll. Of course, once they got there, they discovered the wave of murders going on, they investigated the townhouse, they were attacked by Tsuto (who'd been captured in the Glassworks and sent to Magnimar), etc.
Here's an odd question. How long will Xanesha wait before sending someone up to Sandpoint to continue the murders? And would a spy use magic or a carrier pigeon to send a message to Xanesha? Or go in person (which suggests leaving with a caravan so to avoid possible encounters on the road)?
I'm wondering because while the group knows Magnimar is their next stop, one just gained the Craft Magic Item feat and has been hording the masterwork items to enchant several of them (I allow newly-enchanted items to be sold to merchants for 75% of their value - otherwise, there's no economic point for enchanting items. Used items still are only worth 50% due to nicks and other blemishes that accrue over time. Think pristine magic items vs. something used for a while or found in a hoard).
While the transmuter isn't going to enchant EVERYTHING just yet, he does plan on enchanting party weapons and armor, which would take around a week. Given that Xanesha is going to be researching the group initially... (and how would that research go? Send a bard up to Sandpoint to talk to the PCs and get their stories in preparation for writing a song of their recent exploits? Be a fun way of providing a foundation for her research so it's not just out of the blue)
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I have a couple of questions about exorcising Vorel's spirit after dealing with the Skinsaw Man.
According to page 108 of the Anniversary Edition, the party need to cast 'hallow and a consecrate spell or a dispel evil spell.'
First of all, how are they supposed to know this? A knowledge (religion) check (and if so, what DC)? Or do they need to consult with Father Zantus?
My party's cleric is only 6th level, so still several levels away from being able to cast hallow (and dispel evil). What's the 'normal' way this should play out; is the party expected to leave the manor for some time while they go off to Magnimar etc, or are they expected to procure scrolls, e.g. from Sandpoint? I know my players; they're like a dog with a bone and won't want to go anywhere until the house is dealt with once and for all.
I had the party go back to Sandpoint and enlist the aid of Father Zantus (who's 7th level in my game). He's still not high enough level to cast these spells, so I invoked my rules for ritual magic. Zantus, his acolytes, Hannah the Healer, Madamme Mvashti, Brodert Quink, and the PCs all returned to Misgivings and performed a 24-hour-long ritual to rid the house of its curse. I ran a couple of spooky combat encounters that took place in the participants' collective imaginations (or was it?) and the spirit of Vorel Foxglove was successfully dispelled.
By the way, here are my rules for Ritual Magic: "Ritual Magic is a GM tool by which several lower-level characters together can cast magical stuff that's importatnt to the plot in a ritual that takes days to perform. Required material components generally include the McGuffin of plot advancement and/or one or more specific NPCs that have to be convinced to participate."
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In the Anniversary Edition, Xanesha has charm monster at will with a save DC of 21. This ability isn't mentioned in the Tactics section. I wonder if anyone has thought of spamming charm monster to take several of the party members out of the fight? She would cast it defensively (her concentration bonus here is +24).
Is there something I'm forgetting about the rules? I hesitate to use it because I don't know how a party could effectively counter it.
Protection from Evil.
Protection from Evil.
Ah! Whaddaya know, learn something new every day. I didn't know that spell made one immune to mind control during its duration. Seems pretty powerful for a Level 1 spell, but I'm not complaining.
My PCs did the opposite, thanks to the Warlock and his Spider Climb-at-will Invocation. They are about to stumble into Aldern with absolutely no clue about who he is and what is going on.Well, I added a lot of tracks in and around the well (The huge bat is using it to exit and enter, after all...) and they found the hidden entrance using a Faerie Fire spell.
BUT... they chose to ignore it, fearing of losing some clues in the manor and, also, fearing the depth of the well (the first climber would be alone for a few moments, before the second could catch up with him)...
So, no need in hiding the PC something... they take all kind of decisions anyway.
well, that's my problem... have any of the GMs out there not use the well as an entrance to the bottom of the foxglove manor? I could see 1 or 2 unfortunate pcs running into the dire bat, but then going right to aldern...kill him or tpk, and then end of chapter? must be a better way to run the well entrance..
Let them. If they wish to enter that way? They'll find an Adamantine longsword and potentially a +1 heavy pick, have to deal with over a half dozen ghouls, four pintsized ghasts... and then have a door they have to roll really well to unlock.
They'll backtrack to try and find the key, and run into the Haunts.
My PCs entered through the well, so I just moved Aldern to the 2nd floor. It was sorta lame having them get all of the visions and stained glass images backwards though. If I had it to do again, I would eliminate the well entrance. Maybe just have it lead somewhere really nasty, Rappan Athuk style.
My PCs entered through the well, so I just moved Aldern to the 2nd floor. It was sorta lame having them get all of the visions and stained glass images backwards though. If I had it to do again, I would eliminate the well entrance. Maybe just have it lead somewhere really nasty, Rappan Athuk style.
yeah, I just don't want to move aldern
Have the door be unbreakable and unpickable. They have to find the key to get in. So now they have to backtrack to find the key to get into that door. Doesn't change anything else.
Have the door be unbreakable and unpickable. They have to find the key to get in. So now they have to backtrack to find the key to get into that door. Doesn't change anything else.
yeah, I agree..... but it seems kinda like a video game with a key needed to further the adventure. I have a 5th level rogue who will not give up on the door, a 5th level fighter who will not stop smashing the door..lol I feel like a magic trap/locked door might be the way to go
That's a very viable option. Have the Rogue investigate the door and see it's Wizard-Locked and the only thing that will work is the Key. The door has a light blue glow to it, so any damage to it is repaired rapidly - as fast as the Fighter may bash it, it fixes itself, even with the Adamantine sword.
And if it's like a video game? Oh well. You still got the players back on track to investigate the rest of the house and build up XPs.
That's a very viable option. Have the Rogue investigate the door and see it's Wizard-Locked and the only thing that will work is the Key. The door has a light blue glow to it, so any damage to it is repaired rapidly - as fast as the Fighter may bash it, it fixes itself, even with the Adamantine sword.
And if it's like a video game? Oh well. You still got the players back on track to investigate the rest of the house and build up XPs.
you are right....I will use this as an option
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That's a very viable option. Have the Rogue investigate the door and see it's Wizard-Locked and the only thing that will work is the Key. The door has a light blue glow to it, so any damage to it is repaired rapidly - as fast as the Fighter may bash it, it fixes itself, even with the Adamantine sword.
And if it's like a video game? Oh well. You still got the players back on track to investigate the rest of the house and build up XPs.
you are right....I will use this as an option
thanks!!!
If you want to keep it more in theme, instead of a glow cover it in fungus (or glowing fungus) that immediately covers any damage done to the door and repairs it. And the rouge should enjoy having the door actively moving his lock picks on him as fungus in the mechanism swells and shrinks.