PFS #2-02: Rescue at Azlant Ridge (heavy spoilers)

[Ms. Pleiades]

Resurrecting this thread after having played in this scenario because it warrants the commentary. The map design was quite excellent, but the entire scenario lacks in any meaningful skill check (at least within 3-4), and the "climax" was taking so long all our players and GM were getting delirious and fatigued by the end of it.

[Darius Silverbolt]

This scenario is just big long action scene. Personally I like this one a lot but I find it more useful / meaning to run part 1 and 2 together if time allows.

[Ms. Pleiades]

Darius Silverbolt wrote:

This scenario is just big long action scene. Personally I like this one a lot but I find it more useful / meaning to run part 1 and 2 together if time allows.

Given the length of both parts, the arc does no favors in lending itself to that attempt.

Come to think of it, the first part was gobsmackingly skills-poor as well, but at least the fights were better paced and there were characters to interact with.

Minor Spoilers for Part I:

Can't use diplomacy on the summoner in the bar, no knowledges called out as I played through it, just disguise or intimidate as you travel between locations. I know most people invest in intimidate with their characters, but come on, throw a bone for Knowledge Local when you're in a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

[Darius Silverbolt]

I have ran the back to back at cons several times and it works quite well.

[Ms. Pleiades]

Darius Silverbolt wrote:

I have ran the back to back at cons several times and it works quite well.

That comes as no surprise.

[PolydactylPolymath]

Ms. Pleiades wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Response to your comments regarding Part 1:

The skill checks to avoid gaining awareness points are actually based on the type of disguise you choose to adopt. Posing as merchants, for example calls for Appraise or Diplomacy, rather than Disguise or Intimidate. As for a general dearth of skill checks, that seems more a case of selective memory. As I recall, the party used Kn: Local, Kn: Geography, and Diplomacy to gain information about Bloodcove and the Mwangi Expanse, more Kn: Local to track down the initial contact, and Stealth to case the Sanguine Pit, in addition to the standard plethora of perception and enemy identification checks. Your group also entirely circumvented the first encounter via Diplomacy.

As for the Summoner encounter, opening negotiations by accusing her blackmail in front of a bar full of supportive patrons doesn't exactly start things off on the right foot for peaceful resolution. Your words matter, not just your dice rolls. Speaking of which, the DC to turn a Hostile target indifferent is 25+ Cha mod—in case of Lura Ichon, that makes 28. As it stood, I let your check result of 24 shift her to unfriendly, which is why she asked you to leave her establishment rather than setting her Eidolon on you. At which point your group attacked. It would actually have been possible to avoid the fight entirely by simply keeping a low profile in the bar and covertly searching it for the antidote. Perhaps aided by a Bard's Fascinate to distract nearby observers.

[Ms. Pleiades]

Response:

"Knowledge Local will not allow you to determine the location of [REDACTED] shop owner." is a phrase that came up in our specific session.

As for Ichon, I used a diplomacy check announcing her great charity to the bar patrons. GM discretion rules being as they are, I guess I'm alright with that being interpreted as blackmail?

Although the disguise part allowing different checks makes for Part I being better than the individual experience.

[PolydactylPolymath]

Ms. Pleiades wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Right, it was Diplomacy to gather information, not Kn: Local. My mistake. But seriously, cut the snark. We both know that your party (not pointing fingers at anyone in particular) flung accusations first, then tried to backpetal.

[Ms. Pleiades]

PolydactylPolymath wrote:

Ms. Pleiades wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Right, it was Diplomacy to gather information, not Kn: Local. My mistake. But seriously, cut the snark. We both know that your party (not pointing fingers at anyone in particular) flung accusations first, then tried to backpetal.

Clearly at this point something is either being added or subtracted from a text conversation. I hope we can have an in-person conversation next session to bury any hatchets.

[tchrman35]

I found a new danger in this game today: Life Link.

What do you suppose would happen if the life oracle in the group was the one who was carrying the controller? What do you suppose would happen if he had life link up on the whole party when he went Tony Stark on that gorilla?

It very nearly happened today. Fortunately, a couple of other players were like, "No, shiny! I want it!" and it ended up in the spellsword's bag instead.

But I wonder...I could have ended up with a dead oracle on my hands!

[Doug Miles]

The golem takes the damage, not the PC. Only the PC's consciousness leaves his/her body and joins the golem. There's no risk for a life oracle :)

[tchrman35]

Nah, I'd have killed the oracle! As you said, only the consciousness leaves.

[DM Livgin]

Discussed how to handle the 5ft steps at the excavation site in this: rules thread.

[TriOmegaZero]

The horde scored another TPK tonight. Been awhile since I suffered one. It also pointed out how I mis-ran this the couple times I have GMed it.

[Aduaitam]

Running it tonight, and I'm just not sure how the Angazhani is supposed to match even one monolith! The golem automatically hits unless rolling a 1, bypasses the boss's DR and has crazy damage, while the gorilla has a decent chance to hit only because its stat block seems to have been improperly calculated? At the very least, it has a maximum amount of ~16 non-crit damage on the golem per turn if it hits all attacks with maximum damage rolls for each.

[TriOmegaZero]

If it gets it grappled and pinned, things can go south fast. The champion IS overmatched, which makes a certain amount of sense as the monolith was designed to fight such foes.

[Aduaitam]

Well, I ran it! Angazhani went down in a good three turns, the golem instantly breaking grapple and not even dropping to half health. The first golem. Of four. My player still had fun with the role, but felt it to be almost anticlimactic. "Like putting Gurren Lagann in Pacific Rim." Frankly, the wraiths were a larger threat... Still, suppose the final note is that my players had a good time and felt the intensity of breaking an epic siege.