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Though I'm in the process of wrapping up my epic level campaign, I've also begun to start on a new campaign that would effectively combine Second Darkness and Legacy of Fire with other things thrown in. It's an ambitious undertaking, but while I have some idea as to how I would like to go about this, I wouldn't mind some outside input on this either (who knows, maybe you'll have better suggestions and ideas).
The players (who number at about seven or eight when all together) are as follows:
* Nagato (CG Male Human Ranger 5 [uses spell-less ranger from KQ])
* Shikaba (N Female Half-Orc Fighter 1/Druid 4)
* Ill'Karn (LG Male Aasimar Inquisitor 2/Paladin 3)
* Rezumi (NG Female Halfling Alchemist 4/Witch 1)
* Tinker-Tock (CN Human Bard 5)
* Maho (N Mordent Spire Elf Conjurer 5)
* Saharin (LG Male Suli Cleric [Saerenrae] 5)
* Unnamed (LG Half-Ogre Fighter 5; a recent addition)
Nagato, Ill'Karn, and Rezumi all grew up in Alkenstar and thus know one another. They were caught up in a tavern brawl that went out of control and are currently performing community service by working for the Pactmasters.
Shikaba is from the Mwangi Expanse and works for the Pactmasters as a guide.
Tinker-Tock is from Numeria and has been infected with clockwork plague (also from KQ) contracted from a Worldwound demon. Freed from the Technic League's control by the Pactmasters and now works for them.
Saharin was sent from a temple of Saerenrae in Katapesh to answer a request from the Pactmasters. He has the task of leading this motley assemblage.
Maho is a Mordent Spire elf seeking to further his knowledge on his path to becoming a spellcasting god (thanks to reading Treantmonk's wizard guide). Works for the Pactmasters.
The half-ogre served in one of the recent Mendevian Crusades at the Worldwound under Ill'Karn (whose influence is the reason why he is LG).
The Situation:
* Tinker-Tock, Shikaba, and Maho just finished up the first adventure in Second Darkness (the Pactmasters sent them to learn about the Blot in Riddleport as they've been tracking a similiar phenomena over the city of Katapesh that has not become as obvious as the one in Riddleport).
* Nagato, Ill'Karn, and Rezumi (led by Saharin) just finished up the first adventure of Legacy of Fire (as part of the community service).
* The Pactmasters are planning on sending Saharin's group to Riddleport to aid Tinker-Tock and the others (with the cleric assuming full leadership upon arrival).
The Goal:
My goal is to have the final events of Second Darkness take place in the Black Desert underneath Katapesh. I also plan on having the Scroll of Kakishon be made available to them at some point (possibly as something that Maho can come across) to release Jhavul from his prison. My problem is in trying to figure out a way to connect the dots to make this all viable.
Now I turn to you here at the Forums. Any suggestions you have would greatly be appreciated.
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More info:
Tinker-Tock, as I mentioned above, has been infected with the clockwork plague. However...
...he was given a magical item by the Pactmasters that unexpectedly (?!) caused the plague itself to evolve so that it no longer poses a danger to its host. However, under the right circumstances, it can still pose a danger to others.
Such an opportunity presented itself when, during the first session of "Shadow in the Sky," he
infected one of Angvar's goons with clockwork plague. Not prepared for the unexpected turn of events, Tinker-Tock was shocked to discover that the goon was not a "mere" clockwork zombie but in fact something "more" like himself.
Though he tried his best, Tinker-Tock failed to be the father figure needed (due, in combination, to both the events of the adventure spiraling out control as well as some things Tinker-Tock said that proved to come back and bite them all in the proverbial hind-parts). In the end, during the aftermath of "the impact," Tinker-Tock began to receive word of mysterious disappearances and the emergence of a faction bearing the same clockwork parts that he himself bore. His curiosity getting the best of him, Tinker-Tock and Shikaba went to investigate. It wasn't long before the goon (named Artemis by Tinker-Tock) and the two eventually met at the Boneyard (unbeknownst to the PCs, Artemis had just finished "recruiting" the caretaker of the cut to his side).
In the course of talking, both Tinker-Tock and Shikaba soon learned that Artemis had come to realize that his progenitor's plan to aid those in need was, while in itself commendable, a flawed endeavor. When asked what brought him to this conclusion, Artemis essentially laid it out like this:
"The problem is that this concept that you refer to as free-will. So long as it exists, then the sentients of this world will constantly need to be saved from themselves."
When asked by Tinker-Tock what he intended to do, Artemis revealed that he had his own plan:
to assimilate every sentient being that could be assimilated. Those that could not be made a part of the clockwork army would face annihilation.
And to put off the possibility of an attack from Tinker-Tock and Shikaba, Artemis showed them a fraction of his capabilities by transforming into a clockwork spider plated in onyx that was the size of a bull-elephant. At this point, he informed them that he was no longer the lesser being that was once Artemis. He had transcended his progenitor in every way. He was now Salamanca.
(Note: the "oh crap!" look on the entire group's faces at this point was priceless...as was the whole "this is all your fault for messing with things beyond the ken of mortals" spiel that was being tossed at Tinker-Tock's player.) Salamanca had become what Tinker-Tock should have become: a gestalt of inevitable and retriever.
Out of respect for his progenitor, Salamanca would not assimilate any others in Riddleport during the crisis that had gripped the city. Once it was over, however, they would once again be at odds.
The players do not yet realize that Salamanca has every intention of finding out what the drow is up to as well. What I'm toying with is the idea that he captures Depora outside of Riddleport, assimilates her (he's still keeping his word) and learns of what's going on at Celwynvian. In this way he bypasses the second adventure but is present for the third (the thought of Salamanca pursuing them through the Armageddon Echo would either be awesome in effect if he never actually caught them or a needlessly overpowered TPK should he actually catch them).
However as I see it, he wouldn't kill them. It's not even in his best interests to truly hinder the PCs. Any help he provides would definitely be indirect. In fact, by the time they get to Celwynvian, the PCs will find that
Salamanca has made things a little more personal for the PCs than it would otherwise had I gone on with the adventure path as written. I'm still not sure how to fully bring things where I envision it going, but I am hoping that where I may miss an opportunity, you'll see it and call it to my attention.
Sounds good you are adding and changing alot of things
The Second Darkness Threads are not very active, there is alot of hate for this AP (that I disagree with)
So what do you need from me ill try to help. If you want stuff converted to Pathfinder I have a thread on here that does that.
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Sounds good you are adding and changing alot of things
The Second Darkness Threads are not very active, there is alot of hate for this AP (that I disagree with)
So what do you need from me ill try to help. If you want stuff converted to Pathfinder I have a thread on here that does that.
Thanks for the comments. Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I don't understand the hate either. I like this AP alot.
To answer your question, though I know that I want to change venues for the last adventure of Second Darkness to the Black Desert, I'm kind of at a loss as to what I should do to make it happen, as I don't think taking the desert portions of Legacy of Fire and putting them here won't work (at least not for me). The first thing I thought of when I read about the Black Desert was Arrakis.
This seemingly endless expanse contained mile upon
mile of shifting black dunes—this was the legendary
Black Desert, a lost cavern of immeasurable antiquity
serving as a mass purple worm spawning ground in
the dark glow of a ceiling encrusted with huge lodes of
virulent blightburn ore. The poisonous sands and air of
the cavern had no effect on the indigenous life...
When I read that, I knew then I wanted to use it in an adventure.
I'm having trouble with several aspects.
The blightburn is not the issue. That is actually easily handled. My main concern (for now) is the use of House Shraen, the lost Drow House that resides there and is comprised of undead spellcasting nobles. I'm sure I want them to play a role, but I can't seem to figure out how. I'm sure that the activity of the PCs trying to deactivate the glyphs will bring the unwanted attention of House Shraen upon them But I also figure that the act of laying the glyphs down wouldn't have gone unnoticed by them either. So I'm looking at the possibility of work them in as either allies of Salamanca or as enemies to both sides. I'm kind of torn as to which way to go with it.
If you, or anyone else, has suggestions as to what you think I should do or how I should go about this I would love to read them.
Thanking you in advance.
Don't let yourself be limited by canon. Simply create another, similar cavern, minus the Shraen Drow, give it a different name, and fit it to your liking. Thus you will neither contradict canon - in case any of your players are familiar with the Darklands book - nor have to deal with any annoyances resulting from it.
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Don't let yourself be limited by canon. Simply create another, similar cavern, minus the Shraen Drow, give it a different name, and fit it to your liking. Thus you will neither contradict canon - in case any of your players are familiar with the Darklands book - nor have to deal with any annoyances resulting from it.
Hi, DoR!
I'm not so much limiting myself as I am seeing assets that I can use in some fashion. House Shraen provides me with an opportunity to use magic using undead against my players. That they are drow nobles makes it better. Add in the fact that they serve Urgathoa just enhances the feeling even more. I prefer using the Pallid Princess over the Demon Lord of Forbidden Knowledge, as she just fascinates me more than the other. So I want to use them. I'm looking at the idea that as the First Undead, Urgathoa also witnessed Earthfall and it is her wish to recreate it, as a second Age of Darkness would be of great benefit to her. While she wouldn't have the direct knowledge of the glyphs that Abraxas has, that doesn't mean she couldn't get it (by using Allevrah). In other words, it would be through the whisperings of Urgathoa that she would begin to take the initial steps of study that would lead her to evil (in fact, I may even have Perelir make reference to the concept of studiose when she speaks of the 'falling from elven ways and the loss of faith in Nethys'). I'm changing Allevrah's backstory so that...Aside from the Core Rulebook and APG, none of my players have anything else Pathfinder related. I'm usually the one that runs the adventures and campaigns for the group, so I have no worries there.
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It's been a while since I've written anything here but I'm back. Let's see, when last I posted, the group was in the process of dealing with Children of the Void. Since then, they've finished that up and have received word that all of them were to return to Katapesh at once to report what they discovered to the Pactmasters (this message, once read, activated a hidden spell (teleportation circle) that snatched them from the Gold Goblin in Riddleport back to the city of Katapesh). Once back, the group was brought before the Pactmasters and the city's representative. Once they gave their report (excluding any mention of Salamanca), the group was then asked if the pending threat posed any immediate danger to Katapesh. Not expecting such a straight forward question, the group told them the truth, that it did not pose an immediate threat to the city. The Pactmasters agreed and then told Saharin, Shikaba, Tinker-Tock, and Maho that their services were required on another front. The looks of shock that were on the faces of Nagato and the others was priceless. They were about to speak up to voice their concerns about the threat that was the drow but before they could do so, the representative for the Pactmasters turned to them, handed each their governmental pardons and then informed them that as their community service was done their voices "no longer could be heard" by the Pactmasters. If they wished to be "heard", then they would have to go through the usual bureaucratic red tape to secure the opportunity to be heard once more or that they could give up their pardons to extend the length of their community service to be in a position to be heard by the Pactmasters. Ill'Karn chose to hand over his pardon and extend his time of service. Once he did so, the others followed suit. Ill'Karn then began to expound upon the danger that the drow posed to all and on the possibility that if they were successful the consequences could very well bring about another Age of Darkness. The Pactmasters then informed him that they would take his words under advisement, seek an open dialogue with the elven nation of Kyonin and that based on that conversation they would decide on how best to proceed with the drow threat. In the meantime, there was a more pressing problem that needed to be dealt with: word had reached them of the location of the lost Shory sky-city of Ulduvai. This caused Tinker-Tock to nearly wet himself with excitement and through him I explained what was so important about it. When asked where Ulduvai was, Shikaba gave that answer: the Mwangi Expanse. And she also put forth the very real possibility that if the Pactmasters knew then there would be others who already knew as well and would be looking to get there first. When asked who would have the best chance of getting there first, Shikaba bluntly put forth the Aspis Consortium. This got the attention of Ill'karn (who knew of them due to their ties with Cheliax) and Nagato (who, as a Pathfinder, has had more than one encounter with them on his own). They both put forth the idea that the Consortium (and through them Cheliax) could not be allowed to get a hold of Shory technology. The Pactmasters were pleased to see that the group had come to view the situation as they had and that, though the matter with the drow was great, finding the sky-city was a more immediate concern. In return for their aid, contracts were negotiated for them all and the group was given the opportunity to have limited access to the treasury vaults of Katapesh (setting the precedent for this very thing later on in the campaign when the city itself is threatened).
Bottom line, the group will be dealing with a mash-up of River of Darkness and Crucible of Chaos with a slight touch of Entombed with the Pharaohs thrown in for good measure (they will be dealing with a reformatted Her Majestrix's Expeditionary as the Chelish/Aspis Consortium adventuring party as 'rivals'). My Expeditionary consists of the following
* Paracount Julistar - Male human aristocrat 3/cloistered cleric of Asmodeus (variant) 9
* Xaven Neversword - Male halfling rogue 11
* Scepter CR - Male human ranger 2/evoker 10
* Rhokan the Assailant - Male half-orc fighter (thug variant) 11
* Legionnaire Captain Zoljka - Female half-orc barbarian 1/monk 10 (she replaces Lonicera to provide a more visceral adversary for the group due to the role she is assigned in addition to maintaining the contingent of 40 Legionnaires that will accompany the Expeditionary on this mission).
The levels might seem a little extreme (given that on their own, each member is effectively a CR 10 encounter), but seeing that their characters are each 6th (soon to be 7th) that's not too big of a concern at the moment (especially considering that the numerical advantage that they usually enjoy has been taken away from them). But my players are more than up to the task of dealing with the Expeditionary (even if they don't realize that they are).
But now that I've caught you up on the current aspects of the campaign, I will now do so in regards to its future. I've come across some things from 3.5 and (of all places) 4E that I think will be helpful in dealing with my Black Desert venue change.
From 3.5, I perused my old Dungeon mags and came across issue 132. I think the Sickstone Caverns in the adventure "Caverns of the Ooze Lord" will be useful in setting up the Black Desert in a manner that will be beneficial to my goals. But the most surprisingly helpful item came from 4E: Vor Kragal, City of Ash. Now understand that I am no fan of 4E, not by any means. But since the article was written by Nick Logue, I figured this may be what I need to get the ball rolling and it didn't disappoint. This will help serve as my model for the Shraen city (after certain changes are made to make it more in sync with I have in mind for the cavernous desert setting it will be in). The mind of Nick Logue strikes again! His adventures have caused so many problems for my players in the past that if they knew his name was involved at all in this campaign they might have a group conniption.
But we'll see how things go from this point on.
Hopefully I'll be able to post what happens next this Sunday.
And as always, If anyone reading this can think of other ways to help me out with this campaign, I'm more than open to hearing it out (I read out loud).
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Sorry for not keeping up with my posting here. I'm not only running the Legacy of Darkness campaign, but I've started a new job and I'm playing in Papa DRM's PBP for Kingmaker (my first time playing rather than running in years). So it's been pretty busy for me as of late. I'll try to keep up with the posts here each Sunday after running my game on Saturdays from now on. That said....
When we last left off, the group had made it to Bloodcove to begin their search for Ulduvai. After an encounter with a runaway dragonne, the group made the acquaintance of a representative of the Aspis Consortium (Kelim Esteban, whom they saved during the battle with the dragonne). The group negotiated a deal to assist him with his journey upriver to Nightfall Station (which benefited them because it gave them an opportunity to see what it was they would be dealing with first hand in regards to what the Consortium would be bringing in to not only reinforce the Station, but to look for for Ulduvai). This also enabled them to get a glimpse of the River Queen and its protean engine (which excited Tinker-Tock the bard to no end, as it was giving him ideas in regards to his own engineering plans). After numerous encounters along the river, the group eventually made it to the Station, where they became involved with the Ekujae insurgency (among other things; I'm being vague with the happenings deliberately to avoid spoiling in the event that those reading are involved playing "River of Darkness"). After settling things there, the group was forced to leave even as the reinforcements arrived: it was at this point they got their first glimpse of Her Majestrix's Expeditionary and the Chelish Legionnaires they brought with them. Some of the members of the Expeditionary were known to different players (notably the team of Xaven and Rhokan). All were wary of the mysterious (and obvious, due to his bandoleer of wands) spellcaster in the wide brimmed hat carrying the unusual rifle-like contraption (Scepter) and the Legionnaire Captain disturbed them greatly. But the one who inspired the most discussion was Paracount Julistar. That he was able to hold a group of such extreme personalities together indicated he was a powerful force to be reckoned with. Few of the group knew anything of Asmodeus and those that did (the cleric of Sarenrae and the paladin/inquisitor of Iomedae) portrayed the clergy in a light that did not sit well with the group. This heightened their resolve to ensure that Ulduvai did not fall into the hands of the Chelish. The group set out on a journey to cross the Expanse on foot that would take weeks, but they eventually (with the help of the compass given to the ranger Nagato by the Pactmasters) made their way to the valley of Ulduvai (unbeknownst to the group, Zoljka of the Expeditionary was right on their heels, her movements being scryed by Julistar so that his team had a clear path to follow, in spite of the efforts of both the druid and the ranger to cover the group's tracks). After their battle with the unseen guardian in the valley's pass, the group set up camp to prepare themselves for further exploration of the valley. As for what happens next, that'll have to wait until my next post....
As for setting up the Black Desert the way I want, I haven't been able to do much work on that due to the other things going on that I alluded to earlier in this post. Since I am experiencing such a slow down in regards to getting this done, I'm imploring to any who are following these posts for any suggestions that you might have to help me get this ready for the group. I really want them to have an awesome experience (they've been enjoying themselves and the world of Golarion immensely since we as a group have converted over fully to this system and I want to make sure that they continue to do just that). Their satisfaction with the sessions thus far validates all the work put into this and makes me feel happy as well.