PFS2 Hydra's Fang Incident GM Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Master of Rhetoric]

Misroi wrote:

It's not on the Chronicle sheet, it's in the mod. Relevant section in spoilers (not that that's probably necessary, as this mod is five years old or so, but better safe than sorry):

** spoiler omitted **

"Their" in this case is a pronoun referencing "the ... embassies," not "the Pathfinders."

[Misroi]

Thanks for clearing that up, both of you. Like I said, the wording was a bit vague, and I didn't want to screw any of the PCs out of their duly earned rewards.

[Uri Meca]

This is on the docket for tonight. I'm failing to make sense of the map on p9 for the Underdocks. I take it that the building with the door is the stone bunker. I take it that the circles are the pylons which suspend "the docks above".

If this is correct, where do the PCs come from after managing the greased ladder from Lubor's Imports? From the boardwalk leading offmap to the North? This boardwalk which leads them to... the wall of the bunker? I don't get it.

Thanks for any helpful input. Barring any replies, I'll just adjust the map slightly to allow people to walk from Lubor's to the bunker without having to jump over or wade through water.

[FLite]

I think the problem is that they are using a generic flipmat map (admittedly a pretty bizarre and poorly laid out generic map)

When we ran it, the GM extended the boardwalk that is leading off the northwest to extend off the map and form our entry point.

[Uri Meca]

A very sensible easy fix. Thanks for the reply, FLite. Session went well. The cleric bluffed her way past the guards there.

[joe kirner]

where do the pc's start on the map to area a.3??? (the under docks)
I would think on the planks at the top but that dead ends into the building.

[Doug Miles]

You are correct, the walkway entering from the north is where the PCs enter from. The map is poorly constructed. Make a hole in the wall on the north side of the bunker. Problem solved.

[Tweedle-Dum]

Doug Miles wrote:

You are correct, the walkway entering from the north is where the PCs enter from. The map is poorly constructed. Make a hole in the wall on the north side of the bunker. Problem solved.

Can't see a door there? Clearly there is a secret door there! I mean, after all, if the walkway ends in a "solid wall" what do you think would be there?

;)

[Avatar-1]

When I ran this a few weeks ago, I went with FLite's solution 5 posts above, otherwise there's no space for the encounter to happen from the north side. Worked well.

[joe kirner]

the 1 building on the map in a.2 is the one pcs need to get into that has harbormaster badges, oars, keys to unlock 2 remaining boats and chalkboard on wall with harbor map. No secret door.
I will just have the docks from the north go in front of the bunker.

Also for a.3, what kind of map did anyone draw out for that encounter?

[Avatar-1]

Don't need a map for the maze; just use a blank map with a boat for the sahuagin encounter. For the boat I drew up a 2x3 grid area, with the top 5ft curved diagonally. Sort of like this:
/ \
| |
= =

[Codanous]

Just to clarify, for the lacedon fight there at the end I just use the stats for Pathfinder Ghouls, correct? I have never heard ghouls being called Lacedons. Also, what should we do about the wizards sub-obtimal stats? MoFiddy, near the end of page 2 proposed changes bringing her back in line with current gen Npcs, but of course we aren't supposed to change scenarios so in the end do I just chalk her inherent sub-optimal ness up to bad genetics.

[Mike Bramnik]

For Season 0 scenarios, if there are monsters that don't match up with the PFRPG version, you have to dig up the 3.5 stats:

http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm is your best bet. If the CR of the original monster *and* the monster in the PFRPG Bestiary(ies) are the same, you're allowed to make that swap, but not if they're different (I think #0-06 is one of the prime examples of that).

Hope that helps!

[Codanous]

Turns out the Lacedon ghoul is also in pathfinder so I will use that version. However in all truthfulness the differences between a 3.5. Ghoul and Pathfinder ghoul are marginal. I am excited to run thus, definitely worried about a TPK though.

Some people seem to think that coming out of the secret door leads straight into the corrupt harbor masters scene but my understanding was it is a short jaunt through the mud, muck and brine following tracks that ends up at the docks with the HM's.

Because there is no listed depth but the author has popped in said use best judgement. I'll be rolling 3d4 to determine depths. I'll probably portion of areas so some are deeper, say 2d10+5 feet. That way if they fall out of the boat there is a relatively good chance it could be deep enough to be difficult but not so deep that they can't be rescued.

[TriOmegaZero]

Kinda wish I had rolled a random depth for the sahaugin encounter tonight. Ended up with 4 out of 6 PCs unconscious, and the rogue failing his Con check to avoid drowning.

[1bent1]

Tim Hitchcock wrote:

Shisumo wrote:

Coridan wrote:

For the Sahuagin fight, I got that clarified by Josh before Gencon (it should probably have been made available to everyone running it though) but the water is only like 2-3 feet. Only a threat to Gnomes and Halflings in heavy armor hehe.

The text seems to imply that it's only that shallow before the characters pass through the locks and enter the harbor itself.

yep.. that's what I implied.

In retrospect, I should have been specific; but I left it open to allow the GM a slight bit of leeway when adjudicating players sinking in armor.

Necro-posting underway

So is the depth of the water 2-3 feet or is it greater?

[1bent1]

Disregard.
Author stated 13+1d10 feet was reasonable for depth of water.