The Price of Immortality trilogy consists of the three modules "Crypt of the Everflame", "Masks of the Living God" and "City of Golden Death". While these modules can of course be played as standalone, they can be linked. This thread is meant for GM questions that come up in relation to using these modules as a mini-campaign, and for hints and tips that GMs can give that have already used these modules in this way.
I start with a question: What ideas do you have to bridge the XP gap between the first and second module? Crypt gives just under 4000 XP max. to a PC, maybe even less. With the medium advancement track, this is 1000 or more XP short of level 3, which should be reached for Masks. Just throwing random encounters at them is nothing I would like. (Besides, my five PCs have just over 3000 XP each, so they need 2000 each).
Stefan
It seems that the modules are a bit short on XP - Masks has about 7000 to 8000 XP per character. (it is hard to calculate exactly, as there are several variable encounters. I added up the fixed encounters and the main NPCs, which gave about 7000 XP. Then I added another 1000) No matter what, if the PCs start at 3rd level in the medium advancement track, they set out with 5000 XP. Level 4 needs 9000, which is easily reached. Level 5 needs 15000, but according to my calculations, the characters will have about 13000 at the end at most. So, they will not be 5th level at the start of CoGD.
I guess I will run some short story in Tamran just before the PC traven to the City.
Stefan
I´ve been thinking of adding encounters on the way to add to the PCs xp:
After CotE:
- the Lake Serpent of the Grey Lake on the way back to Kassen (this cannot be a Sea serpent out of the bestiary. I´m thinking about something similar, but much smaller.)
- Some stray invaders of Belkzen (orcs are always a nice enemy)
- some Lake Encarthan pirates (perhaps even from Razmiran? I seem to recall that there are Razmiran pirates)
- Sea monsters (from the MotLG encounter tables)
- Molthuni privateers (as noted in MotLG)
After MotLG:
- The Cultists have an abundance of freshly minted coins from a mint most probably situated in Tamras. Is there a connection? Are the minters influenced by the cult? This might be a small story before starting CoGD.
If I use the Grey Lake serpent, I guess I will take the poisonous snake from the bestiary and apply either the advanced or the giant template - at the moment, I lean towards the giant template. This would be a CR 2 encounter, worth 600 xp total or 150 each for four to five PCs.
Edit: This would change the poisonous snake as follows:
CR 2
Size Large
Init +4
AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15 (+6 natural, -1 size)
hp 17 (2d8+8)
fort +7, ref +3
melee bite +4 (1d6+1 + poison)
CMB +3, CMD +13
acrobatics +8, stealth +4 (several skills can be strength-based now, as regular)
Change weapon finesse for weapon focus.
I don´t actually know if the poison is changed. I would change the save DC to 14 or even 15, and perhaps the damage to 1d3 con - that beast is supposed to be deadly.
I started crypt a few days early. They were able to go about the town and i made up job posters as handouts (tea + paper + oven). Let them chop wood, find missing cats, find a lost knife, investigate strange noises etc. That gave the people who were new to RP some time to adjust also.
I also extend the crypt and added a side story which i plan to continue in MotLG as ppl come adn go so everyone on avg makes about 3/4 of the nights.
I started crypt a few days early. They were able to go about the town and i made up job posters as handouts (tea + paper + oven). Let them chop wood, find missing cats, find a lost knife, investigate strange noises etc. That gave the people who were new to RP some time to adjust also.
I also extend the crypt and added a side story which i plan to continue in MotLG as ppl come adn go so everyone on avg makes about 3/4 of the nights.** spoiler omitted **
I would love to see what you did with the job poster stuff. Shareable? E-mail in spoiler if doable. If not, no problem. :)
Cheers!
I started crypt a few days early. They were able to go about the town and i made up job posters as handouts (tea + paper + oven). Let them chop wood, find missing cats, find a lost knife, investigate strange noises etc. That gave the people who were new to RP some time to adjust also.
I also extend the crypt and added a side story which i plan to continue in MotLG as ppl come adn go so everyone on avg makes about 3/4 of the nights.** spoiler omitted **
I would love to see what you did with the job poster stuff. Shareable? E-mail in spoiler if doable. If not, no problem. :)
** spoiler omitted **Cheers!
On an iPad now, will try to upload tomorrow, the wife did a fantastic job on the handouts
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The entire review of all three modules in the Price of Immortality Trilogy by the hosts of Chronicles: The Pathfinder Podcast together with interviews with the authors of each of the three modules is now complete and is available for download here in Episodes 01, 02 and 03 of the podcast.
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The entire review of all three modules in the Price of Immortality Trilogy by the hosts of Chronicles: The Pathfinder Podcast together with interviews with the authors of each of the three modules is now complete and is available for download here in Episodes 01, 02 and 03 of the podcast.
I have enjoy9ed the podcasts, but I thin there's an error in the Q&A with Jason Buhlman about the "missing key" discussed elsewhere on these boards.
In Room 6, the text reads that all of the doors are locked. Room 5 holds the key to the southeastern door of Room 6 (leading to Room 7). In the podcast discussion, Jason answers that the eastern door of Room 6 (leading to Room 1) should not be locked.
That works if the party enters from the trapped corridor (8). The southwestern door of Room 6 (leading to the trapped corridor) is the one that has no key, still, however.
DMs have 4 options:
1) leave the southwestern door unlocked (which may serve as a hint to suspicious players that the corridor is not so safe)
2) use the key from the pool in room 6 to unlock the southwestern door
3) use the key from Room 5 to unlock both southern doors in Room 6
4) add a key (as suggested, the sack in the center pit in Room 2 may be a good place to add it)
The party, of course, has a 5th option.. which my players are considering.. chop through the door.