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For those of you lucky enough to download or get this in the mail, what are your Impressions of the mod? I'm curious to see how the adventure path transitions from an urban to a wilderness setting.
Given the great job that Kortes did with Entombed with the Pharoahs, how does the mod handle the party and its pursuing groups (Red mantis?, Grey Maidens?). Please hide anything spoilerish with a spoiler tag.
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At the moment I read only as far as page 39. It's chock-full of great roleplay and rich of magic/mysticism, with an astounding job of recalling pseudo-myths and traditions. The baddies are the NPCs you love to despise.
Kudos to Michael Kortes for creating a single adventure that summarizes the bildungsroman of true legendary heroes.
A well-timed change of peace in the campaign, and a very well written adventure stoked to the brim with the classical fantasy sense of wonder that adventurers get when exploring exotic lands.
Very much liked the Shoanit section (which is all I've read so far).
What the heck? Mine's not even shipped yet. Are you pulling our legs or something?
Mine is still showing "Pending" so I suspect it will be available for download today....hopefully?
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I liked the Shoanti article. The adventure looks very tough (it is a Kortes (tm) adventure after all), but I DO like that Dr. Jacobs put in that side bar about varying the seemingly linearity of the 'quest' line.
I also like the idea of a "crowded" dungeon and NPCs doing things in the background in spite of the heroes (reminds me of CoC adventures where the NPCs have an agenda, and the PCs have to thwart it. )
Hey thanks a ton guys - much appreciated. The process is even more enjoyable when you discover people are actually reading the stuff.
Golem: thanks especially for the interesting link. High compliments indeed. I hope the remaining pages measure up.
Some of the art wasn't really to my taste, mainly because it appears to be a new artist that didn't do any of the previous modules. See pages 45 and 57.
All the rest of it was great, although I haven't had a chance to read it through very thoroughly yet.
Well having read through it over the weekend, I have to say I rather enjoyed it.
The adventure is a bit linear but I think it's very workable as is, if for nothing else, because of all the roleplaying encounters that occur. The "What Happens if the PC's fail" blurb is also nice for gm's that don't want to strong arm their players to keep them on the tracks.
I love the NPC's! Some really interesting characters thrown in the mix. Was delighted to see Thousand Bones again, and I think Krojun Eats-What-He-Kills is my favorite NPC thus far for this AP. That's saying a lot, because there's been one in every issue that I've rather loved, and I'm picking him out as a favorite. (I'll be honest, I can't wait to play him at the table, guess it's the actor in me having shakes from a lack of roles).
And honestly, I was rather lukewarm towards the Shoanti barbarians when I first read about them in Rise of the Runelords. This issue has completely turned me around on them. I still favor Varisians (I have a soft-spot for anything to do with Travelers or Rom) but Shoanti have been wholly fansicinating with this issue. I'm actually willing to play one in a game, if I could ever find another DM willing to run in Golarion.
So kudos to Paizo, and to Mike Kortes for a great issue. I can't wait for next month.
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Just finished this morning; I love it. A very different adventure from the previous three, but I think my players will dig it. I'm a little concerned about DM-PCing the NPCs (Boneslayers, Moon Maidens, Burn Riders) that are key parts of many combat encounters. I'm thinking of assigning one each to a player. Should add for some nice additional variety after having played (hopefully!) the same characters for some time by then.
Cindermaw--too sweet. I really think I've got to get the Advanced Bestiary.
The Trial of the Totems... I imagine Jeff Probst standing in the wings, telling the PCs how the heat is rising in the Cinderlands, how long they've gone without water, and tempting them to leave their vigils with offers of Mountain Dew and Oreos. There are a couple "Survivor" fans in our group, I think; might have to reward those who pass the test with a gaudy necklace to represent their accomplishments!
Oddly enough, mine arrived yesterday, which is quite quickly considering the last one took 30 days to get here
I still didnt get time to get pass the foreword and random readings here and there, but what Ive seen, I liked! I dont know why some people were complaining that it takes the AP outside the urban setting. It doesnt it will great style (and reason)
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I got mine last week, but I've been too busy to do anything but give it a cursory glance so far. That noted, it looks frickin' great! From the bits I've read, you can feel the dry heat of the plains washing over you. Michael did a great job.
And, in regards to one of the critters...
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This adventure is actually my second favourite Pathfinder to date. There's just something about the amazing portrayal of the Shoanti being steeped in this really amazing spiritual/shamanistic culture that I truly love. They're more than just barbarians, they have codes, rituals, and overall, they're a very honorable people, which is a nice change of pace considering the treachery the PCs have faced in Korvosa up to this point.
I thought this was exemplified by Eats-What-He-Kills, who I cannot wait to play in my game. Bravo, Michael.
A mechanical question, not sure if it's been covered or not:
Krojun fights with an earth breaker and a klar with the Thunder and Fang feat, but the earth breaker is a two-handed weapon. He doesn't have monkey grip or any other feat that I can think of that would allow him to wield it one-handed. Is this an oversight for flavor purposes or can an earthbreaker be used one-handed?
Cindermaw--too sweet. I really think I've got to get the Advanced Bestiary.
The Advanced Bestiary is terrific! I picked up my copy back in December, prompted by the Green Ronin sale here at Paizo at the time, and the fact that several of the templates are used in Rise of the Rune Lords. I'm going to be doing little gaming for the next year or so, most of which will be primarily older edition D&D. I'm going to be taking that time, and really digging into the templates of that book to see what I can come up with.
Should be a blast!If you can get a copy Golbez57, do so. It's well worth having simply because it creates nearly infinite possibilities with just the MM. No other monster book needed.
Does he have exotic weapon proficency? It could be a case like the bastard sword that two handed=martial 1 handed=exotic.
I think he has endurance, two-weapon fighting, thunder and fang and weapon focus in each. Exotic weapon proficiency could be a worthwhile fix, but it seems to make the earthbreaker into a ridiculously powerful weapon (2d6 damage one handed!).
Creative Director
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A mechanical question, not sure if it's been covered or not:
Krojun fights with an earth breaker and a klar with the Thunder and Fang feat, but the earth breaker is a two-handed weapon. He doesn't have monkey grip or any other feat that I can think of that would allow him to wield it one-handed. Is this an oversight for flavor purposes or can an earthbreaker be used one-handed?
The Thunder and Fang feat is what allows him to fight with both weapons. This feat is a new kind of feat that basically lets a character treat a light weapon and a two handed weapon as one double weapon: basically, the feat lets him wield his earth breaker and klar as if it were one double weapon. The earth breaker is the primary attack, and since the klar blade is attached to his shield it leaves his hand free to wield the earth breaker. The klar's blade is treated as his off-hand weapon.
Ah, I see. Thanks, James. I wasn't entirely sure on the wording for the feat, but now I get it.
This is for me the "shortest" of the APs so far. What I mean by that is that I totally loved it, and just wanted more, and more, and more. The Havero "crypt" is absolutely inspired, and is a perfect tone setter for Scars. The contrast with the otherworldliness of the Temple of the Moon and the Havero with the very, very physical Tests set out by the Shoanti really allows for satisfaction on every mark on the scale from mundane instant-gratification physical success to epic "there're things out there we don't understand" wonderment.
Kudos.
Thanks again guys. It was a very different kind of an adventure to write and so I was glad for the chance to do it. I should also acknowledge that the editors work on the script like crazy and much of the good stuff mentioned above is attributable to them.
Thanks again guys. It was a very different kind of an adventure to write and so I was glad for the chance to do it. I should also acknowledge that the editors work on the script like crazy and much of the good stuff mentioned above is attributable to them.
** spoiler omitted **
Hey Mike - looking forward to having a good read of this one, sounds like another Kortes special to me. Huzzah!
Rich
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Hey thanks a ton guys - much appreciated. The process is even more enjoyable when you discover people are actually reading the stuff.
Golem: thanks especially for the interesting link. High compliments indeed. I hope the remaining pages measure up.
They do. :-D
I really liked the trial of the totems, combining many factors (long time exhaustion, small scale strategy, frenetic combat) towards a grueling and significative scene.I think I'll come up with a bunch of more visions along the line of the sun vision of the aurochs, maybe customizing them for different characters.
Also, huge compliments to Jacob Frazier for the ecology of the Cinderlands article.
As I studied Natural Sciences at the university, I found the realistic and comprehensive approach well-thought and fitting. This should be taken as a golden example for future stuff (I'm reading right now the Guide to Darkmoon Vale, and it seems indeed that the Paizo staff knows how to do things right).
CotCT is right now the best AP ever Paizo has published. Each chapter has a distinct feeling (the dark victorian/dickensian city, the terrifying plague-fighting, the pulp-style criminal mastermind, the exotic wilderness, the gothic horror of Scarwall), and I'm seriously at loss for words to praise it enough.
Also, huge compliments to Jacob Frazier for the ecology of the Cinderlands article.
As I studied Natural Sciences at the university, I found the realistic and comprehensive approach well-thought and fitting. This should be taken as a golden example for future stuff (I'm reading right now the Guide to Darkmoon Vale, and it seems indeed that the Paizo staff knows how to do things right).
Wow! That IS a huge compliment - thank you very much Golem!! The Cinderlands piece was a blast to write and I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity. To reiterate what Mike said a couple posts up, without our brilliant editors this stuff would only be half as cool, so hat's off to them.
Best single AP adventure to date.
This is a cracking adventure an definitely my favourite of the two adventure paths so far and I loved rise of the runelords. Another quality adventure from Kortes. I look forward to Kortes next adventure and I hope that he's the one writing the follow up to Entombed with the Pharaohs which is one of the best modules I've ever read.