Ryth'a
Female lizardfolk abyssal bloodline sorcerer 15
Description: Nearly twenty five years after a rag-tag group of adventurers disrupted and defeated the plans of the would-be demigod Ssyth'ek, the marsh around tiny Quilman's Ferry has become a darker place. Ryth'a, barely four summers old when her father died, escaped the assault by being spirited away by her priestess mother, only to return after the “heroes” had plundered all they could. Intent on revenge and determined to avoid her father's fate, Ryth'a spent many long years honing her sorcerous abilities in the hidden copses of black, dead trees that were once her home. As she grew in power, something else grew along with her: The spirit of Ssyth'ek. Despite being torn asunder by the Abyssal-energies he tried to consume, he remained, though fragmented, haunting the darkened bog.
Motivations/Goals: Vengeance is not all that Ryth'a seeks. She may have plans to drown the hamlet of Quilman's Ferry for their part in killing her father, but in her desire for power, she also plans to submerge all lands beneath the swamp, expanding Ssyth'ek's ghostly influence, and taking back their land from the soft-skins. Ryth'a spends much time with the shattered spirits of her father, learning where he went wrong, and laying plans to overshadow even his great ambitions. A charismatic leader, Ryth'a emphatically believes that she can do more and go farther than Ssyth'ek ever could, armed with both his earthly knowledge and her own considerable power. She knows the isolationism of her father was part of his downfall, and has used her guile and magical abilities to broker alliances with bandits, gnolls of the Sirmium Plain, goblinoids of the Chitterwood, and demonic forces who want nothing more than to see the diabolic nation of Cheliax reduced to chaos.
Schemes/Plots/Adventure Hooks:
- Banditry along the River Iseld has become rampant, with the few survivors telling of dark powers aiding the raiders. Evidence points to a gang of tieflings with crocodilian companions working out of Senara as the cause.
- Thanks to the efforts of her sycophantic marsh giant companion, Ryth'a has cowed some of the Shaggras ogres to her will and is arming them for an attack on Quilman's Ferry. A lone trapper catches sight of the ogres' camp and alerts the PCs.
- Patches of swamp have begun to appear in places where no swamp should be. Although the patches linger for only a few days, those who encounter them report sightings of a deeply disturbing frog-like visage within them.
- An oracle has been struck with a vision of wet, murky doom. Sending for the PCs, she begins to foretell of the catastrophe, but is only able to detail vague directions before fetid water fills her lungs, pouring out her mouth and drowning her.
Ryth'a CR 15 [CR 1 {base lizardfolk} + CR 1 {2HD of nonassociated class levels} + CR 13 {13HD of associated class levels}]
NE Medium humanoid (reptilian)
Init +2; Senses Perception +0
===== Defense =====
AC 24, touch 15, flat-footed 22; (+4 armor, +2 deflection, +2 Dex, +5 natural, +1 dodge)
hp 147 (2d8+4 [13] plus 15d6+30 [84] plus 20 [toughness; 2 racial hit dice + 15 sorcerer hit dice + 3 from the feat] plus 30 [bear's endurance])
Fort +10 [+5 sorcerer HD, +2 Con, +1 cloak, +2 bear's endurance], Ref +11 [+3 racial HD, +5 sorcerer HD, +2 Dex, +1 cloak], Will +12 [+9 sorcerer HD, +2 Iron Will, +1 cloak]; +4 vs. poison
Defensive Abilities evasion; DR 10/adamantine (150 points); Resist acid 7, electricity 10
===== Offense =====
Spd 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +13 [+8 BAB, +2 Str, +1 magic, +2 bull's strength] (1d8+5 [+2 Str, +1 magic, +2 bull's strength] plus 2d6* plus 1d6 fire), bite +7 [+3 BAB, +2 Str, +2 bull's strength] (1d4+2 [+2 Str, +2 bull's strength, /2])
*Ryth'a takes 1d6 points of damage every time she attacks with her claws.
Ranged Ranged touch attack +10
Spells Known (Sorcerer CL 15th)
7th (5/day)--greater teleport, mage's sword, summon monster VII
6th (7/day)--acid fog, chain lightning (DC 23 [+6 spell level, +7 Cha]), greater dispel magic, transformation
5th (7/day)--baleful polymorph (DC 22 [+5 spell level, +7 Cha]), cloudkill (DC 23 [+5 spell level, +7 Cha, +1 feat]), cone of cold (DC 22 [+5 spell level, +7 Cha]), dismissal (DC 23 [+5 spell level, +7 Cha, +1 feat]), feeblemind (DC 22 [+5 spell level, +7 Cha])
4th (7/day, 6 left)--bestow curse (DC 21 [+4 spell level, +7 Cha]), dimension door, enervation (DC 21 [+4 spell level, +7 Cha]), stoneskin, summon monster IV
3rd (8/day)--dispel magic, lightning bolt (DC 20 [+3 spell level, +7 Cha]), rage, ray of exhaustion (DC 20 [+3 spell level, +7 Cha]), slow (DC 20 [+3 spell level, +7 Cha])
2nd (8/day, 6 left)--bear's endurance, bull's strength, eagle's splendor, glitterdust (DC 20 [+2 spell level, +7 Cha, +1 feat]), touch of idiocy
1st (8/day, 7 left)--cause fear (DC 19 [+1 spell level, +7 Cha, +1 feat]), expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp
0 (6/day)--acid splash, arcane mark, detect magic, mage hand, mending, message, read magic, resistance, touch of fatigue (DC 17 [+7 Cha])
===== Tactics =====
Before Combat If she anticipates combat, Ryth'a casts stoneskin, mage armor, bear's endurance, and bull's strength on herself, in that order. If she has time, she casts bear's endurance on Braxxog.
During Combat If outside her chambers, Ryth'a starts combat by casting acid fog from hiding while her foot-soldiers, using potions of resist energy (acid), attack en-masse. She follows up by focusing on fighter-types with ray of exhaustion, ray of enfeeblement, or baleful polymorph, while reserving feeblemind or bestow curse for spellcasters, heightening them when appropriate.
If caught inside her chambers, she begins combat by casting summon monster IV, summoning two Huge fiendish vipers and orders the snakes to push PCs into the area affected by Ssyth'ek's haunt. She then follows up with chain lightning or mage's sword, reserving greater dispel magic for those bearing obvious magic effects. Depending on how well the fight is going, Ryth'a will attempt to flank with Braxxog in order to grant him sneak attack damage. If reduced to 80 hit points or less however, she will instead summon two fiendish girallons via a summon monster VII spell to aid the marsh giant instead.
Morale While tenacious, Ryth'a does not wish to share her father's fate, and flees using greater teleport (or expeditious retreat if dimensional travel is barred somehow) when reduced to 25 hit points or less.
Base Statistics AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 18; (+2 deflection, +2 Dex, +5 natural, +1 dodge); hp 117; Fort +8 [+5 sorcerer HD, +2 Con, +1 cloak]; Melee 2 claws +11 [+8 BAB, +2 Str, +1 magic] (1d8+3 plus 2d6 plus 1d6 fire), bite +5 (1d4+1); Str 14 [8, +2 racial, +4 strength of the abyss]; Con 14 [12, +2 racial]; CMB +10 [+8 BAB, +2 Str]; Swim +11 [2 ranks, +2 Str, +4 racial, +3 trained class skill]
===== Statistics =====
Str 18 [8, +2 racial, +4 strength of the abyss, +2 bull's strength], Dex 14, Con 14 [12, +2 racial, +2 bear's endurance], Int 11 [13, –2 racial], Wis 10, Cha 24 [15, +3 from levels gained, +6 from headband]
Base Atk +8; CMB +12 [+8 BAB, +2 Str, +2 bull's strength]
Feats Abyssal Inheritance, Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Empower Spell, Eschew Materials, Heighten Spell, Iron Will, Spell Focus (conjuration), Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +11 [2 ranks, +2 Dex, +4 racial, +3 trained class skill], Bluff +14 [5 ranks, +6 Cha, +3 trained class skill], Intimidate +14 [5 ranks, +6 Cha, +3 trained class skill], Knowledge (arcana) +6 [3 ranks, +3 trained class skill], Knowledge (planes) +6 [3 ranks, +3 trained class skill], Spellcraft +15 [12 ranks, +3 trained class skill] (+4 defensive casting), Swim +13 [2 ranks, +4 Str, +4 racial, +3 trained class skill]
Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic
SQ added summonings, claws, demon resistances, hold breath, strength of the Abyss
Combat Gear +1 vicious amulet of mighty fists, 3 potions of cure serious wounds; Other Gear headband of alluring charisma +6, ring of protection +2, cloak of resistance +1, ring of evasion
===== Ecology =====
Environment Temperate marsh
Organization Ryth'a usually has a retinue of four swamp-skimmers (lizardfolk rogue 1/ranger 4), Zatha (lizardfolk cleric 5) and, unless he's been already killed by the PCs, Braxogg (marsh giant rogue 3).
Treasure In addition to her gear, Ryth'a also carries a fire opal and black star sapphire cloak clasp worth 2,600 gp.
Abyssal Inheritance
The power of the Abyss runs fiercer through your veins than others of your kind.
Prerequisite: Sorcerer 1st level, abyssal bloodline.
Benefit: Choose acid, cold, or fire. You gain resistance equal to half your sorcerer level (rounded down, max 10) versus the energy type you chose. Once the energy type has been chosen, it cannot be changed. You also gain Abyssal as an additional spoken language.
In addition, add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against any spell you cast that was gained from your bloodline, such as cause fear. This bonus does not stack with Spell Focus.
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st level.
Kobold Press
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Ok, lizardfolk abyssal sorceress, 1700 words. We do seem to have a certain tilt toward fiends and arcanists, but that seems about right for the type of villains most campaigns feature.
The concept section about the "spirit of Ssyth'ek" growing alongside her does leave me scratching my head a bit. Is that a literal spirit? If so, I hope to see it reflected in stats. If not... Well, why mention it here?
And the reference to an oracle seems like a not-very-Golarion-ish hook. Easy to drop it, though.
On to stats. The hp are off slightly from average, nothing major. The spells are effective but not hugely interesting; mostly straight-up combat and buffs. However, I'm especially happy to see that the high-level summon monster gets fleshed out in the Tactics section: smart design and immediately useful to the DM.
Other things seem less well-woven, especially her followers. The reference to Braxxog in Before Combat means nothing to me, and it took some searching to find him briefly in the Ecology/Organization section. Would have been smarter to name the marsh giant when he first appears in the Concept section. Are the "footsoldiers" referenced in During Combat the same as the "retinue" in Ecology? I have no idea.
Likewise, there's a mention of "Ssyth'ek's haunt" that comes out of nowhere. I suspected he had some role in her stats, but he has a haunt? Why no stats for it? I'm not sure it's fair to assume that all those things are obvious to a reader without a lot more context.
The Abyssal Inheritance is cool and all, but a full set of sorcerous inheritances was done for demons, dragons, and so on in Kobold Quarterly #3.... so maybe they seem too familiar to me.
Recommendation: I'm not quite sold. Though the stats are ok, they don't seem complete without a few more details on the followers. The gaps and assumptions are for the DM to fill in.
We've got Sean and Wolf and Jason--all guys who are way better than me at the crunch--so I am going to focus my comments on growth and development of the submission. In other words, how has this villain gotten better? I LOVE that Paizo decided to let people change or revamp or even scrap and redo their villains for this round. So I am going to focus on that. I'll also comment on some of the crunch stuff, but not as much as my esteemed colleagues, who are way more qualified anyway.
Clark
Ryth'a. Hmmm. Ok. Looks like Ssythek bowed out based on judge and community comments. I respect that. Good call.
My concern with Ssythek was that he was a first draft and you hadnt really found your motivation. So lets see...
Better focus on this villain. Good tie in to the old villain that you scrapped gets you some points. The "killed by adventurers" is a bit trite, but given that you are scrapping that old villain to make a new one I kind of took it as irony.
I will say, though, I didnt expect you to scrap Ssythek. I thought he was a first draft but not a bad villain. So I was surprised to see you do that. It will be up to the voters to decide. I was hoping to see a polished final draft of Ssythek. But that said, as a submission this is an improvement.
Lets take a bit deeper look at a few things:
I'm with Wolf on Braxxog and Ssythek's haunt. I figured out Braxxog but the haunt still bugs me. I thought perhaps it was a new spell effect and scrolled down to see what you had created. Its not there. I now presume that your earlier comment on Ssythek's spirit was literal and not figurative as I first guessed.
Also, I like your new feat, but I think you forgot some format issues (such as feat type in parens after the name of the feat).
I think you have shown improvement and this stat block has some good stuff. The tactics section I thought was particularly well done. This villain is a bit more focused and compelling. I do think that organizationally (references to Braxxog and the haunt) slow you down a bit.
We've seen improvement. It will be for the voters to decide if it is enough. As of now, though, I am going to recommend advancement but I do so reluctantly and only after reading all the other submissions. And because I commend your growth.
Description:
Nice tie back to your previous villain. I think she's more useful than her father was.
Stat Block:
The name Braxog appears in the stat block and I have to read farther down to see who that is; he probably should get a mention in the Description section.
Tactics refers to the ships pushing PCs into the area "affected by Ssyth'ek's haunt," but I never get any info on that (I was expecting it to appear in the stat block or Rule Element).
Rule Element:
This is fine and appropriate for this character or anything with this bloodline. It's not very sexy, though.
I like that you turned around a bad villain concept (in my mind), but the problems with the references in the stat block and the unsexy feat leave me tepid.
Rec: do not advance.
Director of Games
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I like Ryth'a's background (although that name makes it hard to add a possessive at the end). Everything about it is coherent and logical. I especially like the hook about the oracle that drowns before she can tell you too much (despite the fact that prophesy does not work well in our world, I think this is actually a good example of it). Even taking that into consideration, it is clear that you have a good understanding of our world, which is a big plus.
On to the stats. The hit points are off by 1 (15d6+30 should be 85 not 84, and the first hit die of the PC class is always max). Her other defenses appear to be correct. His bite attack should include all of the bonuses from the amulet. He appears to be short one 2nd level spell known, but this is the only error I can find here. He appears to be 2 short on skill ranks (2x2 for lizardfolk HD, and 2x15 for sorcerer HD, for a total of 34, but I am only seeing 32 spent). Overall, a very solid rules job here.
As for the new rules element, I like the feat that builds off the bloodline, but since you can take it at 1st level, I should note that you get nothing out of it until 2nd, which is a shame.
Overall, this is a mechanically sound villain. I would need to do very little work to get Ryth'a up and running. There are some odd references in the backstory I do not understand, but I am more forgiving on that front than my fellows, since I am primarily looking at numbers.
My Grade (on a 1-10 scale) is a 8.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
Nice. I'm actually kind of excited to see the haunts - that is, if he's referring to the haunt mechanics used in rise of the runelords. Foxglove mansion was my favorite part of that whole thing (then again, I was playing a rogue with a penchant for getting into trouble, and that mansion was all about trouble). If that's the case, I will be so stoked to see it used again in an adventure path or something.
Cute the way he moved from Ssythek to Ryth'a too. I liked Ssythek a bunch, though, so sad to see him go...
Sadly, I'm making dinner, and really shouldn't be sitting here reading mobs and probably burning the steaks XD
Still, nice comeback!
Thanks guys, I'll keep everything in mind for my next (hopeful) round.
Midwife, thanks to you too. Can I come over and have steaks too?
Interesting - a complete change to the daughter of the now-dead Round 2 demon-eating lizardman Ssyth'ek. But she's straightforward to the point of being boring. Her minions are more diverse, which is nice. But can she really carry a plot (a CR 15 plot)? I don't really think so. Although I do love haunts. 4/10
A nice jump from a villain to another, but I wonder if I have something against lizardfolk or if there is some other reason I still don't particularly care about this one. And the feat was a bit meh.
Awwww ... I voted for He Who Devours Demons, sorry to see him go. I was really hoping for a retake on him.
On to his daughter. Intriguing, and I like the nods to Ssyth'ek. The story needs a bit more polish, to remove some of the confusions already noted, and to bring out her followers and the giant earlier.
If someone could explain the CR to me? Why are two of the sorcerer levels non-associated and the rest associated? ((I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to understand this part, and may stick to player race villains for my brain's sake <G>))
Two mistakes on addition that I saw in the stats. STR I think should be a 16 (8+2+4+2) not 18. CON should also be 16 (12+2+2). Or am I missing another addition and subtraction respectively somewhere?
At first I thought you were two points over on skills until I saw Jason's comments. You're two under instead.
Shouldn't she have leadership? This seems a character that almost begs for that feat ...
And I was also looking foward to info on Ssyth'ek's Haunt, when you used that ... so a bit disappointing there.
Still, a good villain, with goals and means. Good job.
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If someone could explain the CR to me? Why are two of the sorcerer levels non-associated and the rest associated? ((I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to understand this part, and may stick to player race villains for my brain's sake <G>))
Non-associated classes only count as such until they equal the creature's base hit dice. Lizardfolk have 2 HD base, so the first 2 sorcerer levels are non-associated. After that, they're considered associated and count for the full +1 CR/level forevermore.
If someone could explain the CR to me? Why are two of the sorcerer levels non-associated and the rest associated? ((I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to understand this part, and may stick to player race villains for my brain's sake <G>))Non-associated classes only count as such until they equal the creature's base hit dice. Lizardfolk have 2 HD base, so the first 2 sorcerer levels are non-associated. After that, they're considered associated and count for the full +1 CR/level forevermore.
Thank you, I knew there was a step I was missing in this. Making notes, so I'll remember that part as well :)
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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I really enjoyed the little asides and oblique references to the previous entry and the comments made about it - showed a good sense of humor without being over the top about it. The villainess here is solid, the stat block is fairly decent, the tactics section is good... you have a solid entry here. There are some points of confusion, already pointed out (the haunt, mentioning Braxxog before he shows up in the stat block), but nothing earth-shattering.
Really, that "nothing earth-shattering" I mean that in a good way and a bad way. Ryth'a is good, but not great. If I had 8 votes she'd get one, but I only have 4, and she's hovering somewhere right around the cutoff line. I'll have to go back and give everyone a quick look again once I finish the last 2 entries.
That is one well-chosen spell list: cold, acid, electricity, battlefield control, summoning creatures (meleers, grapplers or poisoners), baleful polymorph, mobility, buffers and de-buffers, spells targeting all three saves, energy drains, condition-imposers, ability drains, AC boosts, and magic missile. Prepare for smack down.
Since she's clearly not a ghost, I don't have a problem with references to her father as a haunt... because that's got to be detailed in the lair in how Paizo designed haunts. Nothing's in the stat block to indicate that we need to see the haunt. I really don't get why this is a big deal to the judges.
I can hardly understand why the marsh giant thing was such a big deal to the judges. An error sure, but a formatting one, really. The information is in there.
The new rule's pretty "meh" to me. I'd rather have had the cannibalism power-up of last round explained. She could even have eaten her father, just as he was supposed to get ready to eat his.
She's in the pile of contenders for my fourth vote.
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good luck for next round I do believe you make a muchbetter villain, the other one could have been bettered... but it was interesting to see that he didn't survived round 2, changing him from the villain you must seek to a pervading prescence that with his daughther tries to drown the world.
I like it...
snif its a cruel joke I don't have 1 or 2 more votes...
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RPG Superstar 2013
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Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka Steven T. Helt
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Correction:
I had erroneously assumed that Feats from racial HD were issued on a 1 per 2 HD basis, in line with those for class levels, but the Beta (page 296) makes it clear that this is not the case.Apologies and congratulations on earning my second vote.
Glad you pointed out the page number. I get it now, but I'm a little disappointed. How will monsters with fewer feats compete against the heightened power level and increased healing of Pathfinder PCs?
Of course, the answer is that we'll know more when the Pathfinder monsters make their way to us.
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RPG Superstar 2013
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Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka Steven T. Helt
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Congratulations on Superstar '09 Top 16!
Growth
A shiny, brand new villain? I wonder how this will word out for you! From the beginning, I don't like the use of 'rag tag' villains desposing demigods. I am pretty impressed with the internal joke, though. 'That her father's downfall was his own isolationism' is a clever nod to those who gave you feedback, and you do right by them to kill the old villain and give them a sequel. Your new plot hooks are great. The oracle that drowns in the middle of her prophecy is very evocative. You took a villain that I though needed work, and offered a revision that makes me want to run the full game, including the use of Ssyth'ek. Nice change, and big improvement.
Mechanics
-I count 11 feats instead of 12. 3 bonus feats for sorcerer, and HD based feats through 17. With lizardmen only having 2 HD, do they get something a little extra? Or does lizardman become the unofficial favored class for lizardmen the worlf over?
-Added summonings and claws are not examples of special qualities, they are attack options.
-At 17 HD, shouldn't you have 34 skill ranks instead of 32?
-I like that Ryth'a has tactics other than physical combat, bt that she still has a little prepared for it. The use of vicious claw attacks can be a double-edged sword though. If she is pressed into combat, she's likely already taken some damage. The extra d6 damage with her attacks might do her in as much as it helps her. Still, it makes her as feral as she is cunning, and I kind of like that.
-I find it a little odd that if she's caught on her own turf (often meaning not under terms she wants), her first act is to cast a full-round spell. I think very often, this tactic would lead to the party getting a full surprise round on her. Inclusion of the types of creatures she summons and what she uses them for is essential for higher level play, so that's good thinking, but I think a party of 13th level adventurers gets a huge edge on her during the round, and likely leading to her not getting her snakes.
New Hotness
-If you are presenting a new rules, such as a feat, present it to us just like we'd see it in the books. This is "Superstar", not "You Get The Idea". So, for example, use complete language like "You gain resistance to the chosen element equal to half your sorcerer level [note:caster level is better], to a maximum of 10." Contrast that with :You gain resistance equal to half your sorcerer level (rounded down, max 10) versus the energy type you chose." You don't need to mention rounding down, it's a core rule of the system. Mention if, for some reason, you want to round up.
-This feat would beg for a Swiss Army Knife category of feats, where first level sorcerers add to their save DCs, gain a bonus language or second bonus class skill, and energy resistance or minor DR or save bonuses. Do we really want a feat like that, which becomes a foregone conclusion for every sorcerer in Pathfinder? Maybe a higher level feat with tighter design.
Overall
We have huge improvements in concept and villainy. Better writing and complete tactics make you my 'most improved' contestant of the round. You or Volner. The mechanical stuff has errors, and what I consider a tactical gaff, but it is well presented and easy for me to correct. The new feat is a good concept, and plays on maybe the most well-received change from the 3.5 classes to Pathfinder classes. It needs to consider the doors it opens, but it's not necessarily a bad door and that's something you can address during playtesting,
With three entries to review, my votes are for Gulga, Ryth'a, Volner and maybe Malgana.
Of course, the answer is that we'll know more when the Pathfinder monsters make their way to us.As I posted on another thread, I hope that they level the feats playing field to save headaches over maths. Right now I keep changing opinion on whether or not Ryth'a is suffering from a feat shortage, since now you make me think she may have been short-changed by one feat after all, but I don't feel like penalising this contestant over a difference of one feat given the confusion I am experiencing on the matter. :)
Agreed.
All and all, I think this is a top tier submission for this round. The only serious question mark I have is what "Ssyth'ek's Haunt" is (A ghost, a "haunt" (per Pathfinder #2), or something else).
That said, I like this villain. She is a very good candidate for one of my precious few votes. :)
Nice. I'm actually kind of excited to see the haunts - that is, if he's referring to the haunt mechanics used in rise of the runelords. Foxglove mansion was my favorite part of that whole thing (then again, I was playing a rogue with a penchant for getting into trouble, and that mansion was all about trouble). If that's the case, I will be so stoked to see it used again in an adventure path or something.
Actually as a GM, I am loathing the "haunts" from Pathfinder #2. (Which I am still set to run.) :(
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka JoelF847
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While it's great that you re-did your villain from last round, and took lots of the advice to heart, I also would have rather seen Ssyth'ek back with changes. I think the best thing you had going was the eating demons for power concept, and would have liked to see that detailed as a ritual or something. But that's not what we have here, so on to Ryth'a.
Overall, I'm not that excited by the backstory. It seems pretty cliche. I did really enjoy the plot hook of the oracle though. Prophecies that are cut off midway through are sure to get most PCs pumped about something, and the water in the lungs from nowhere is a great visual.
For the stat block, there's nothing major I'm seeing as a problem, but I'm confused by some of the choices. As a full classed sorcerer, with a somewhat low strength, I'm not sure why she wastes her time with bull's strength or the vicious mighty fists. If she's in melee, something's seriously wrong, and she should teleport away or something. Those resources could help her avoid trouble instead, like boosting her AC and reflex save with cat's grace (which makes her ring of evasion more effective) and spending the gold on more relevant items (either to further bump her AC which is pretty low for CR 15 - for the same 20K, she could increase her cloak of resistance to +3, get an amulet of natural armor and a dustry rose ioun stone, and have 5K left.)
I'm also surprised that there's no tactic to get the PCs in the water where lizardfolk have the advantage. Summoned water elementals, forceful hand spell that push them in, etc. Having said that, the spell selection overall is a good mix for a sorcerer, and the tactics are well thought out.
For the new rules element, it's a servicable feat, that would work well in a big book of sorcerer goodness, but I don't think it's Superstar caliber. I'd have rather seen something that will let Ryth'a acomplish her goal of turning the world into a swamp.
Overall, I don't think I'll vote for her, but wouldn't be dissapointed to see you in round 4. Good luck!
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RPG Superstar 2013
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Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka Steven T. Helt
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Nice. I'm actually kind of excited to see the haunts - that is, if he's referring to the haunt mechanics used in rise of the runelords. Foxglove mansion was my favorite part of that whole thing (then again, I was playing a rogue with a penchant for getting into trouble, and that mansion was all about trouble). If that's the case, I will be so stoked to see it used again in an adventure path or something.Actually as a GM, I am loathing the "haunts" from Pathfinder #2. (Which I am still set to run.) :(
I love the haunts. I invented that concept for my upcoming Rokugan game before I knew about them, and immediately blended the rules given Paizo's approach.
I was also asked to add haunts to Dralkard Manor, but then I was asked to remove them. Violence towards children, folks! Not acceptible!
As for the new rules element, I like the feat that builds off the bloodline, but since you can take it at 1st level, I should note that you get nothing out of it until 2nd, which is a shame.
To be fair, you actually do get something at 1st level. "You also gain Abyssal as an additional spoken language."
However, while I personally like feats that can only be taken at 1st level, I don't like feats that do more than one thing (such as energy resistance and a free language).
Also, you shouldn't say it's a "spoken" language. If you know a language, you can speak and read it. Pathfinder even got rid of Illiteracy for barbarians.
Finally, unless I'm missing something, I believe you failed to account for something with your new feat. Remember Humans gain an aditional feat at 1st level, so it's possible that a human sorcerer would choose this feat twice, and choose different energy types. You did not tell us if this was allowed. I believe this should have been mentioned in the Special section. If it's not allowed, that should be mentioned too. See Improved Critical, Skill Focus, and Weapon Focus for a few examples of feats that can be taken multiple times.
PS, For my part, I found it humorous that you "killed" your round 2 submission for this re-write.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
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Dedicated Voter Season 6
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I like this being a second-generation villain - more than just humor, it's a good effort at campaign continuity. Not a huge fan of the feat - I don't like stackable DC boosts - but it's limited enough in application that I don't think it's huge problem.
This is in my "maybe" pile. I actually liked the original a bit more, but this is well designed, and I'm happy to see the template gone.
To everyone who voted, whether it was for me or it wasn't, thank you. The same goes to everyone who commented. This was a great experience, and regardless of where I go after this round, this has probably been the best thing I've had the chance to do with the hobby I love. Thanks again Paizo.
Once again, thanks all.
Congratulations on your success! Sad that you can't advance farther this year, but you've still come a long way.