Good choice of monster!
|
Huh, makes it seem kinda pointless for them both to spend two rounds casting both spells. One casting of creeping doom would cover a 40-foot swathe of hallway. Both types of swarms only have DC 13 distraction and poisons so that's no good. Must be the free 4d6 damage on anyone in the area.
What about the fact that creeping doom summons centipedes and insect plague summons flying creatures? Could the ground vs. aerial swarms take up separate space? 6d6 to anyone standing in a square with both would be pretty mean.
I see why stacking like swarms would be a terrible idea since they automatically deal damage.
I kinda like the idea of allowing them to stack with a caveat: I would rule that overlapping ground/air swarms would do damage to each other every round as well.
My Players are coming to the realisation that the best weapon against a swarm..is another swarm.
|
|
Multiple swarms can't affect one creature more than once, unless the creature's space is so big that multiple swarms can get on him. Basically... a square occupied by a swarm cannot be occupied by a second swarm. Swarms don't "stack."Can multiple swarms affect the same character?
I ask because if the dErGHodaEMoN manages to summon another one and they both cast creeping doom and insect plague. That will be 16 swarms in a 10ft wide hallway attacking 4 PCs flanked by the two 10ft wide demon.
With 16 saving throws might see the paladin fail one!
What if the two swarms are fighting each other as well?
|
My players may have done a bit to much work on their Kingdom now to make this attack on Tatzlford plausible. They started their Kingdom very slowly and stabily keeping things well in line with good city planning. Now however their recent economic boom has made them millionaires. They are now making buildings and BP's faster than they can actually spend them, and Tatzlford already is settled and has a castle. I'm hoping to get the fifth book so I can see how well the town is defended but at this point their cities are fleshing out extremely fast. They are half way through the Varnhold Vanishing and already way ahead of schedule. It stems from the selling of magic items for BP and the fact that once you get that ball rolling you can make way more money than you need. I will likely cut them off the next time I run the campaign for a group but until then it seems I need to find a way to keep them exploring longer. It does seem however that by the time the barbarians go to attack their city, They may just bounce off and get laughed at.
Perhaps You could have a smaller city be invaded instead?
... It stems from the selling of magic items for BP and the fact that once you get that ball rolling you can make way more money than you need. I will likely cut them off the next time I run the campaign for a group but until then it seems I need to find a way to keep them exploring longer. ...
I'm considering the following House Rule when my players reach the kingdom building part (currently the group is at the beginning of Stolen Lands):
Not the players decide which item is tried to be sold each Income Phase, but the item is determined randomly per city district. This way, Minor Items are sold frequently, while Major Items sell rarely. This seems more realistic to me. Plus, if the players plan to purchase one of the items for themselves, they can't be sure it will still be there when they finally have enough gold...
I'm really loving this adventure path.
I have two questions:
1. Rumor #7 in the Slough Rumors (pg 56) mentions that the dragon Ilthuliak "has recently moved into Hooktongue Slough", but I don't see a location for his lair anywhere. Where is the black dragon's lair?
2. How do you pronounce "Ovinrbaane" correctly?
Mucho gracias!
I'm really loving this adventure path.
I have two questions:
1. Rumor #7 in the Slough Rumors (pg 56) mentions that the dragon Ilthuliak "has recently moved into Hooktongue Slough", but I don't see a location for his lair anywhere. Where is the black dragon's lair?
2. How do you pronounce "Ovinrbaane" correctly?
Mucho gracias!
I hate it when games have names I can't pronounce. Sometimes I just change the name. My guess is Ovenurbon.
PS: Hate is a strong word. Annoyed fits better.
2. How do you pronounce "Ovinrbaane" correctly?
Personally, I always pronounced it as "Oh-ven-ur-bayne" in my head.
Hope that helps,
--Neil
P.S. As for Ithuliak, that's an addition included by Mr. Jacobs...so he'll have to comment on that one.
My guess on Ithuliak's lair is just wherever the GM cares to put it. I think it's a tool to encourage PC exploration of the Slough, not so much a specific site for them to trek to.
I think it was said somewhere that Ithuliak will be in Kingmaker #6.
I'm really loving this adventure path.
I have two questions:
1. Rumor #7 in the Slough Rumors (pg 56) mentions that the dragon Ilthuliak "has recently moved into Hooktongue Slough", but I don't see a location for his lair anywhere. Where is the black dragon's lair?
2. How do you pronounce "Ovinrbaane" correctly?
Mucho gracias!
I hate it when games have names I can't pronounce. Sometimes I just change the name. My guess is Ovenurbon.
PS: Hate is a strong word. Annoyed fits better.
I know a fantasy author who insists that if he's going to create weird names, readers can pronounce them however they wish and he can't complain about it. I've always liked that. :)
Creative Director
|
1. Rumor #7 in the Slough Rumors (pg 56) mentions that the dragon Ilthuliak "has recently moved into Hooktongue Slough", but I don't see a location for his lair anywhere. Where is the black dragon's lair?
Ilthuliak's lair is...
...presented in both "War of the River Kings" (in which the PCs have a chance to find her old and now abandoned lair deep in Thousand Voices) and in "Sound of a Thousand Screams" (in which the PCs find her NEW lair in the First World and actually get to fight the dragon). Ilthuliak is also on the cover of the last Kingmaker adventure.
Ilthuliak's lair is...
** spoiler omitted **
Ah, cool. Thanks, James!
So, Rumor #7 should be "(False)", right? Since the dragon does not live in Hooktongue Slough?
|
Creative Director
|
Ilthuliak's lair is...
** spoiler omitted **Ah, cool. Thanks, James!
So, Rumor #7 should be "(False)", right? Since the dragon does not live in Hooktongue Slough?
I suppose so... although at the time it was written it was "True" because we had planned on putting the dragon into Hooktongue Slough. We decided not to because that would have meant a TPK.
Do the designers have any more background information on the Drelevs that didn't see print? I'm thinking things like Household crest and motto, where their lands were, etc.
Thanks!
Nope; it's all pretty much in print.Do the designers have any more background information on the Drelevs that didn't see print? I'm thinking things like Household crest and motto, where their lands were, etc.
Thanks!
Cool. Well I'll just put on my imaginaut helmet and set my mind to racing.
There's 8+ quests in every book that I've seen so far. May want to try redownloading your copy.
|
Creative Director
|
Were there supposed to be more quests inside the covers? My hard copy doesn't show any, and I cannot yet access the PDF.
Page 8, "Quests" says there are some.
There are eight quests on the inside covers for "Blood for Blood." There's a 3-part quest on page 15 (Kisandra's Plea), one on page 27 (Sepoko's Revenge), one on page 31 (Saving the Bog Strider), and on on page 32 (Escorting the Refugees).
The direction of the Skunk River at the Tatzlford den seems to change from running east/west in book #31 (Stolen Land). This is encounter U. In the big map on page 14 it also appears to be running east/west.
When we get to Blood for Blood, the river at the same location is now running north/south. This is on Page 10 and is for the map and the description of the action there.
I would just assume that cartography in Golarion isn't 100% accurate. Just like the Stolen Lands map doesn't fit 100% on the Inner Sea map, the local map of Tatzlford won't fit 100% to the Greenbelt map.
I have a hypothetical question.
What would happen if Ovinrbaane actually succeeded in possessing a PC in the long term? What would be the goals of Armag in his new form? Invading Brevoy perhaps?
I have a hypothetical question.
What would happen if Ovinrbaane actually succeeded in possessing a PC in the long term? What would be the goals of Armag in his new form? Invading Brevoy perhaps?
Hypothetical Answer:
You might want to consult the "Concluding the Adventure" notes about what happens if the PCs give Ovinrbaane to the Tiger Lords. Not only does it make the Tiger Lords more friendly toward them and help secure their border, but it also mentions how the blade will transform one of the barbarian chieftains into the next incarnation of Armag, who will then turn his attention toward Numeria and parts of Brevoy.
I also think there's a possibility of him going on another rampage by leading a horde into Iobaria. That's where the original Armag met his end, after all. So, he must have had a reason for venturing there in the first place. And maybe he'd want to finish what he started all those years ago?
Hope that helps,
--Neil
It seems that Ovenbane's goals are to kill everything. The wielder's chain of thought would probably go like this.
-"All bow to Armag, barbarian lord!"
-
-
-
|
Creative Director
|
The direction of the Skunk River at the Tatzlford den seems to change from running east/west in book #31 (Stolen Land). This is encounter U. In the big map on page 14 it also appears to be running east/west.
When we get to Blood for Blood, the river at the same location is now running north/south. This is on Page 10 and is for the map and the description of the action there.
The skunk river flows down to the south. There's an unfortunate mixup with the compass roses between the map on page 10 of PF 34 and the map on page 28 of PF 31. The map of Tatzlford in PF 34 should have its compass rose rotated 90º to the right so that north points to the left side of the page.
(Minor side rant: Pathfinder APs print two sizes of maps these days; full-page and half page horizontal—it never ceases to amaze me when authors build maps that don't conform to these shapes. When it happens, we have to rotate maps and resize them, and that's the main reason those compass rose errors creep in. Usually we catch them... sometimes they sneak in like gremlins. THAT SAID: Neil's maps are actually among the BEST we get from freelancers, and in this case, the error is pretty much 100% Paizo's [aka my] fault.)
|
Creative Director
|
I would just assume that cartography in Golarion isn't 100% accurate. Just like the Stolen Lands map doesn't fit 100% on the Inner Sea map, the local map of Tatzlford won't fit 100% to the Greenbelt map.The direction of the Skunk River at the Tatzlford den seems to change from running east/west in book #31 (Stolen Land). This is encounter U. In the big map on page 14 it also appears to be running east/west.
When we get to Blood for Blood, the river at the same location is now running north/south. This is on Page 10 and is for the map and the description of the action there.
While cartography in-world isn't 100% accurate... that's not an excuse we can use for adventure maps at all. Those maps are intended to be accurate, because the GM NEEDS accuracy in order to run the game. It's one thing to deliberately mess with player perception by putting inaccuracies on player handout maps, but it's quite another to deliberately mislead the GM. Map errors are just that, errors made by us.
Of course, maps and coordinating them with the text is probably the HARDEST part about publishing an adventure because the cartographers don't have the luxury or time of knowing the adventure inside and out. Which is why it's SO IMPORTANT for authors to be clear and concise with their map turnovers.
I would just assume that cartography in Golarion isn't 100% accurate. Just like the Stolen Lands map doesn't fit 100% on the Inner Sea map, the local map of Tatzlford won't fit 100% to the Greenbelt map.The direction of the Skunk River at the Tatzlford den seems to change from running east/west in book #31 (Stolen Land). This is encounter U. In the big map on page 14 it also appears to be running east/west.
When we get to Blood for Blood, the river at the same location is now running north/south. This is on Page 10 and is for the map and the description of the action there.
While cartography in-world isn't 100% accurate... that's not an excuse we can use for adventure maps at all. Those maps are intended to be accurate, because the GM NEEDS accuracy in order to run the game. It's one thing to deliberately mess with player perception by putting inaccuracies on player handout maps, but it's quite another to deliberately mislead the GM. Map errors are just that, errors made by us.
Of course, maps and coordinating them with the text is probably the HARDEST part about publishing an adventure because the cartographers don't have the luxury or time of knowing the adventure inside and out. Which is why it's SO IMPORTANT for authors to be clear and concise with their map turnovers.
That's true and I really appreciate the effort to maintain accuracy. Thanks for commenting. :)
But when you get unlucky and it doesn't happen I would hand-wave it so it ends up matching to how I had assumed it to be.
That said, having the hex maps is awesome combined with Campaign Cartographer 3 where I create overlays to show what's explored and political borders to show the party's progress.
Just a quick query - in encounter Q (the spirit naga), if she's been there for years shouldn't she have treasure of some sort? Especially if she's killed and devoured any intruders who were resistant to her charming gaze?
Not sure if I'm wrong about this, or if it was just left out in the interests of space.
|
Creative Director
|
Just a quick query - in encounter Q (the spirit naga), if she's been there for years shouldn't she have treasure of some sort? Especially if she's killed and devoured any intruders who were resistant to her charming gaze?
Not sure if I'm wrong about this, or if it was just left out in the interests of space.
She does have treasure: it just so happens that it's all concentrated into one magic item that she's wearing on her head. You could certainly give her a more classic treasure horde type treasure if you want, but you'd probably want to remove her magic headband to keep things from going too over the top.
As for those she charmed, she generally lets them keep their magic and gear and treasure so they can serve her needs and assignments better.
I think that's your call as GM. You know your players (and their kingdom) better than the actual module could ever anticipate. So go with what makes the most sense for your game. Remember, too, that you have the option to advance the timeline between chapters of the AP. So lots of stuff could come and go in the intervening months or years.
My two-cents,
--Neil
Question for the peoples of awesomeness:
In the Varnhold Vanishing book, it offers helpful suggestions for what size the players' nation should be at at the beginning and ending of the adventure. What I would ask would be- what size should we shoot for for the start of this adventure? The end? Should they be 'kings' by the start of it, or a tad lower? I've been managing to keep things balanced so far, but before I really go into it I like to have an idea how to guide their expansion.
I understand that it's open-ended and it's kind of party-to-party, but do you have any guidelines/expectations for the party at this point?
...what size should we shoot for for the start of this adventure? The end?
That's really going to depend on your specific game, what kind of players you have, and the pace you've got within your overall story. The entire "sandbox" of Kingmaker is written such that you (as the GM) get to throttle the timeline up or down depending on how much time you want to elapse between and during the adventures. Obviously, the decisions you make on that will affect how much the PCs' kingdom might expand from one adventure to another.
Should they be 'kings' by the start of it, or a tad lower?
Well, I specifically tried to ensure that Baron Drelev was just a "baron" as opposed to an actual king. But, his area of control and influence will be about half the size of the PCs "kingdom" after they merge with Varnhold. Even so, I really wouldn't imagine the PCs warranting the title of "kings" until around "War of the River Kings" whereby they receive an invitation to Irovetti's tournament in Pitax. However, it also depends on how much "filler" you want to introduce in your campaign. I think a lot of people are rounding out the story by giving the PCs some extra time to play diplomacy with their neighbors, including stuff like interactions with Brevoy or even the Outlaw Council of the River Kingdoms. If they warrant an invitation to the latter, it means the other powers-that-be view them as "kings" in the same sense as they view themselves. So, it's all relative, really. And you have free rein to take it in whatever direction you desire.
I understand that it's open-ended and it's kind of party-to-party, but do you have any guidelines/expectations for the party at this point?
If I were running a campaign, I think I'd mostly focus on ensuring the PCs are a growing power in the Stolen Lands at the beginning of "Blood for Blood"...but not quite a "kingdom" yet. And then, by the end, I would certainly view them as such if they've successfully repelled the Tiger Lords and added the Drelev Demesne to their holdings. At that point, they'll be the undisputed masters of the Stolen Lands and have a kingdom equal in size to any other member of the Outlaw Council. This development will then help explain why Irovetti invites them to the tournament in Pitax, especially if they merit an invitation to the Outlaw Council first.
But that's just my two-cents,
--Neil
|
About Zorek's template, The book mentions Advanced Bestiary 60 but I can find no such book. I wanted to use the template for a different campaign.
It's not a Paizo book, it's published by Green Ronin (and technically it's a 3.5 book rather than PFRPG). Not sure if it's still in print but PDFs of it can be found at DriveThruRPG here.
Question:
Either: How did Armag get past the daemon?
Or How is the daemon alive/back?
Answer:
There are actually three different paths that can be taken to reach Gorum's temple and the original Armag's tomb. Each one corresponds to one of the different warrior archetypes: the Strong, the Fast, and the Smart. Taking one of the paths means you're less likely to discover or explore the others, since they all lead to the same place. Completists, of course, may want to backtrack and explore every part of the tomb. But, once the PCs are exposed to the deadly traps in the first route they take, they may rethink checking the others. ;-)
Now, the new Armag most likely took the path of the Strong Warrior, which he would have been eager to prove himself upon. This means he would have bypassed the daemon while facing the Test of Strength and the Test of Endurance. And, of course, he would have had to fight the iron golem in the Test of Prowess, which Zorek and the magic circle can "heal" via make whole. So, it'll still be there, fully recovered, by the time the PCs arrive. And, during that time, Armag can recover as well while he attunes himself to Ovinrbaane.
The PCs can also avoid the daemon if they don't discover the path of the Smart Warrior. That encounter is really pretty self-contained. They'll need to be sharp just to find that hallway since it relies on secret doors. But, if they do find it, they're also rewarded with the discovery of the runes powering the bloody skeletons in the Chasm of the Slain.
Hope that helps,
--Neil
About Zorek's template, The book mentions Advanced Bestiary 60 but I can find no such book. I wanted to use the template for a different campaign.It's not a Paizo book, it's published by Green Ronin (and technically it's a 3.5 book rather than PFRPG). Not sure if it's still in print but PDFs of it can be found at DriveThruRPG here.
That's correct. Both the Advanced Bestiary and the Tome of Horrors see some pretty heavy use when designing for Paizo. The former is a massive book of templates and the latter contains lots of the old school monsters that didn't make the original Monster Manual from WotC, but which they allowed Necromancer Games to serve up as OGL reprints instead.
I have a question concerning destroying Ovinrbaane.
So the question is what happens if you break your gravestone in so doing? Does hitting it have any effect on you sense its your grave stone after all? Is your gravestone just immune to all damage because your still alive?
I have a question concerning destroying Ovinrbaane.
I'll have to defer to Jacobs on that one. I believe he came up with the method for destroying Ovinrbaane.
I have a question concerning destroying Ovinrbaane.
** spoiler omitted **
Any chance I get this question answered? If not Ill just make something up that sounds good.