How would Paizo suggest we add XP for caravan encounters?
I used the XP of the CR of the encounter and added it to everyone. It seemed a little high but dividing it by the # of players seemed way low.
On the bright side my group needed the XP as they missed several encounters in the marsh area.
Creative Director
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How would Paizo suggest we add XP for caravan encounters?
I used the XP of the CR of the encounter and added it to everyone. It seemed a little high but dividing it by the # of players seemed way low.
On the bright side my group needed the XP as they missed several encounters in the marsh area.
Use the CR of the encounter to set the XP, just like you would with a monster or trap.
So what exactly does being a Amatatsu scion mean?
Also I don't know if I have seen it in the AP yet but what does the Amatatsu crest look like?
Thanks.
So what exactly does being a Amatatsu scion mean?
It means that the Amatatsu Seal has invested in you the right to rule Minkai, should no living heirs of the Amatatsu family remain. Basically, it is a trick to make sure the AP doesn't end if Ameiko falls into a sphere of annihilation or gets turned into undead or some other horrible death that the Seal's "resurrection" power can't fix.
Also I don't know if I have seen it in the AP yet but what does the Amatatsu crest look like?
Crest or Seal? The Seal is on page 61 of "Brinewall Legacy." I don't remember a crest being mentioned anywhere, though I would also like to see it if it exists.
So what exactly does being a Amatatsu scion mean?It means that the Amatatsu Seal has invested in you the right to rule Minkai, should no living heirs of the Amatatsu family remain. Basically, it is a trick to make sure the AP doesn't end if Ameiko falls into a sphere of annihilation or gets turned into undead or some other horrible death that the Seal's "resurrection" power can't fix.
Humm I hate to see what would happen if a evil/neutral player character decided to eliminate Ameiko and the other PCs to become the only living heir. :)
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So what exactly does being a Amatatsu scion mean?
Also I don't know if I have seen it in the AP yet but what does the Amatatsu crest look like?
Thanks.
It means that you are more or less officially "adopted" into the Amatatsu line. Not only does this mean the Amatatsu seal can use its magic on you to help you, but it means you have the divine right to become a ruler of Minkai as an Amatatsu.
(It's basically the seal organizing a sort of "insurance" in case Ameiko dies. She's still first in line, but if she dies, then the rulership role can pass to a scion.)
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Creative Director
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So what exactly does being a Amatatsu scion mean?It means that the Amatatsu Seal has invested in you the right to rule Minkai, should no living heirs of the Amatatsu family remain. Basically, it is a trick to make sure the AP doesn't end if Ameiko falls into a sphere of annihilation or gets turned into undead or some other horrible death that the Seal's "resurrection" power can't fix.
Humm I hate to see what would happen if a evil/neutral player character decided to eliminate Ameiko and the other PCs to become the only living heir. :)
That'd be up to your GM. I see two possible outcomes from that:
1) The heir of the Amatatsu family is now a treacherous evil person. This has happened plenty of times before in Minkai's history among the imperial families.
2) The Amatatsu seal turns off that player's "scionness" and grants it to someone else some day.
Quick question:
Is the change to Rokuro the Wraith's attack correct? He does 1d6 CHA damage on a failed save, as opposed to the standard CON damage?
The parties melee characters will get a chuckle outta that if so!
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Quick question:
Is the change to Rokuro the Wraith's attack correct? He does 1d6 CHA damage on a failed save, as opposed to the standard CON damage?
The parties melee characters will get a chuckle outta that if so!
It's correct! (and is described in more detail on page 49, as well as in his stat block).
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Creative Director
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Quick question:
Is the change to Rokuro the Wraith's attack correct? He does 1d6 CHA damage on a failed save, as opposed to the standard CON damage?
The parties melee characters will get a chuckle outta that if so!
It is absolutely correct. That's the only reason we listed his melee damage at all, in fact, because it's a change.
EDIT: Ninjad by a non-ninja nome!
It's correct! (and is described in more detail on page 49, as well as in his stat block).Quick question:
Is the change to Rokuro the Wraith's attack correct? He does 1d6 CHA damage on a failed save, as opposed to the standard CON damage?
The parties melee characters will get a chuckle outta that if so!
I did miss the detail where its specifically spelled out on page 49, but I still don't see why the change.
I suppose just an incorporeal at this level is challenging enough, but for a party that took on Kikonu, Nevakali, and Bittersnips all at the same time (and yes, I realize that a story is necessary to imagine how that happened!) I think I might leave the CON damage in to incease the challenge. That is unless there is some specific character reason that I'm just completely blind to as I read this through.
Perhaps the party sorcerer will just get a lotta wraith love!
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Creative Director
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I did miss the detail where its specifically spelled out on page 49, but I still don't see why the change.
I suppose just an incorporeal at this level is challenging enough, but for a party that took on Kikonu, Nevakali, and Bittersnips all at the same time (and yes, I realize that a story is necessary to imagine how that happened!) I think I might leave the CON damage in to incease the challenge. That is unless there is some specific character reason that I'm just completely blind to as I read this through.
Perhaps the party sorcerer will just get a lotta wraith love!
I made the change for 3 reasons. (And no... none of these reasons are, "So the monster can hurt sorcerers more." In fact, sending monsters specifically agains specific PCs simply because you know the monster will hurt that PC more than any other PC is kind of mean and unnecessarily antagonistic, I think.)
1) To make the monster more unusual and unique and memorable. Originally, that monster was going to have its own stat block and have some unique stuff going on, but I ran out of room. Making it a wraith with a variant effect on its attack was a handy way to do what I wanted to do while keep it short and sweet (and within word count).
2) An incorporeal foe is a really mean thing to throw at a low level party. Constitution drain is also a really mean thing to throw at a low level party. Put them both together and it's a pretty unfair combo—it's one of those monsters that is an "un-treasure," since when you're done fighting it, you'll probably end up spending more money fixing what it did to you (in this case, paying for restoration spells). By switching it over to do Charisma drain, the monster is still hurting you, but the foes it's attacking in melee are less likely to rely as much on Charisma as they do on Constitution... so while still scary, it's not ruining things. Also... being drained to zero Charisma doesn't kill you, but being drained to zero Constitution does—switching the monster to Charisma softens its blows that way and makes it less likely to have a sudden and frustrating character death spoil things.
3) To scare players who think of Charisma as a dump stat.
In the end, switch it back to Con drain if you want. Just do so with the knowledge that doing so makes the monster a little more deadly, and also makes it "just another wraith." If the players know the rules and they're faced with a ghostly undead that drains Charisma, they'll likely be more frightened/excited and the fight will be more memorable because they'll think back to that fight with the crazy Charisma-draining undead thing and not "a wraith fight."
Thank you Mr. Jacobs! I really appreciate the fact that the developers for these Adventure Paths actually take the time to read and respond to our posts. It's one of the reasons I love paizo products so much!
And I apologize if I came off as antagonistic, I believe my party's tendency to roll over what I believe will be a challenge for them has me a touch frustrated in my roll as GM (especially since our usual GM is playing as a character, and I'm subbed in for this AP).
In the end, my concern was nor naught, as after hearing Ameiko whisper something about her "grandfather knows not who he is" the party almost immediately began calling out to Rokuro upon seeing the Tian wraith...
Nindenzigo also presented little challenge for them, as one of the characters scored back to back criticals with the +2 evil bane arrows they found!
*shuffles back to put his head in the GM corner of shame*
Well, at least they all had fun.
Again, thanks for the detailed input. I really appreciate it.
\end ramble
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Creative Director
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Thank you Mr. Jacobs! I really appreciate the fact that the developers for these Adventure Paths actually take the time to read and respond to our posts. It's one of the reasons I love paizo products so much!
And I apologize if I came off as antagonistic, I believe my party's tendency to roll over what I believe will be a challenge for them has me a touch frustrated in my roll as GM (especially since our usual GM is playing as a character, and I'm subbed in for this AP).
In the end, my concern was nor naught, as after hearing Ameiko whisper something about her "grandfather knows not who he is" the party almost immediately began calling out to Rokuro upon seeing the Tian wraith...
Nindenzigo also presented little challenge for them, as one of the characters scored back to back criticals with the +2 evil bane arrows they found!
*shuffles back to put his head in the GM corner of shame*
Well, at least they all had fun.
Again, thanks for the detailed input. I really appreciate it.
\end ramble
Well... keep in mind that we generally try to aim our Adventure Paths at a group of four player characters run by players who have average experience with the game.
If your group is VERY experienced players and/or there are more than four players in the group... the APs are of course going to be a lot easier.
And in any case, as long as the players have fun, who cares how tough or easy the fights are? :-)
Where can I find information on Churlwood and Velusha Uplands? I'm trying to develop some background for the journey from Sandpoint to Brinewall. The players are really excited about playing Pathfinder and I'd like to take full advantage of the campaign setting.
If you dig through this section of the messageboards there have been a couple threads on this subject.Ive looked, but found nothing for marshal or bard. I can find some basic items to give, +1 weapons and armor etc, but that doesnt seem as epic as the story wants it to be.
** spoiler omitted **
These are the magic items that I designed for our party, to give you examples...
- [for the magus]: masterwork mithral O-yoroi armor (at 7th level he can don this armor as "medium" armor. I realize I'm breaking a rule by allowing him to do this....BUT IT'S JUST SO DAMN COOL!)
- [for the rogue]: Cloak of the Last Breath (dimension door 5 feet per character level as a standard action [or as a move action if a DC 20 +1 per 5 feet you teleport Acrobatics check is made], if DD is successful... +1d6 added on to sneak attack, and if attack is a crit, treat as a coup de grace)
- [for the monk]: The Beating Heart of Amatatsu (amulet of mighty fists +1 PLUS amulet of natural armor +2 [one or the other/switch as a move action] plus the Redirection ability of the Flowing Monk archetype on pg 58 of Ultimate Combat)
- [for the two-weapon fighting ranger]: Cudgel of the Howling Winds (+2 club that can separate into a +1 wakisashi and a +1 club. If the club crits, foe must make a Will save DC = 10 plus CHA mod plus character level or be confused for 1 round. The PC can continue the confusion by continually hitting the same foe with the club. If the PC has the wakisashi in her hand, she may take an AO against an opponent that's only moved 5ft AND operates as if she had the Nimble Moves feat). Also, can act as a Immovable Rod 1/day if it's put together as a +2 club.
- [for the druid w/animal companion]: "Susanu"...bottled wind kami (Once released, provides the Air Domain to it's user AND can use Air Walk and Summon Nature's Ally IV 1/day, and Gust of Wind at will, and the effect of the Cartwheel Dodge Feat in Ultimate Combat (does not work for the animal companion).
- [for the Evoker]: The Third Arm of the Fire Shugenja: lesser staff of Fire (no Wall of Fire and 5 charges instead of 10) plus +1 spell level to all fire spells that the PC casts AND can use Selective Spell (APG) once per day to affect anyone of the Amatatsu line.
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Where can I find information on Churlwood and Velusha Uplands? I'm trying to develop some background for the journey from Sandpoint to Brinewall. The players are really excited about playing Pathfinder and I'd like to take full advantage of the campaign setting.
There's a Varisia gazetteer in Pathfinder #3, but beyond that, the Inner Sea World Guide's entry on Varisia is pretty much it for those regions. Feel free to expand them how you wish!
Where can I find information on Churlwood and Velusha Uplands? I'm trying to develop some background for the journey from Sandpoint to Brinewall. The players are really excited about playing Pathfinder and I'd like to take full advantage of the campaign setting.There's a Varisia gazetteer in Pathfinder #3, but beyond that, the Inner Sea World Guide's entry on Varisia is pretty much it for those regions. Feel free to expand them how you wish!
Thank you! I have Pathfinder #3 and will get it out. I've been referencing #1 for Sandpoint and just might have to review the whole AP. I'm glad to have an excuse.
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I'm looking to kick off The Jade Regent with The Brinewall Legacy for my group in a few months and I just got the Dragon Empires Gazeteer today. I was wondering if the 5 new PC races are something I should offer as options to my players. Suggestions?
Also, is the adventure built on a specific number of PCs? I may have up to 7 playing. And if not, is there a good rule of thumb for scaling the encounters?
Thanks!
APs are designed with a 4-player party in mine; D&D/PF design in general tends to assume a party which includes a frontline fighter who can take and dish out damage, an arcane caster, a divine caster, and a skill monkey/face/sneaky type. Archetypically, Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue. With 5 PCs, you shouldn't need to alter anything much. Once you hit 6 or 7 players, though, it's time to start amping up the encounter levels...add more monsters, apply the Advanced template liberally...generally work out how you can add 1 or 2 to the CR/EL listed for any given encounter.
I'm looking to kick off The Jade Regent with The Brinewall Legacy for my group in a few months and I just got the Dragon Empires Gazeteer today. I was wondering if the 5 new PC races are something I should offer as options to my players. Suggestions?
Also, is the adventure built on a specific number of PCs? I may have up to 7 playing. And if not, is there a good rule of thumb for scaling the encounters?
Thanks!
As far as allowing the five new races, They seem to be balanced against the core seven pretty well and it stated that there are small populations of them around golarion though some more so than others. So I would say allow it.
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I have a couple quick questions regarding the crypt in the dungeon of Brinewall. First off, who is the blue skinned lady depicted on the wooden door, in the iron screen leading to the crypt?
Second, as you go further east in that room, the description says that the various drops are 20 feet, it seems to be a series of drops, is each one meant to be a 20 foot drop making most of the V10 area 40 feet down?
The blue-skinned lady is Pharasma.
And yup; each drop is 20 feet, if I recall correctly.
#)3 to scare players that think of Charisma as a dump stat.
Maybe those fighter types won't be laughing so hard at all...
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I just started my group of 2 with the AP. I added a 2 fights for it to see how the combat would go. The PC are playing a Holy Gun & a Fighter. I have left Ameiko, back in Sandpoint for right now. Her friends are looking the goblins. This is my first product with you guys and I love it. Are there any suggestions for running this with AP with 2-3 PPL?
Thanks for being greatest company!
Ash
APs should in general still be playable as written with 3 PCs, at least if your players have a little experience with the game and know how to use their character options efficiently (not necessarily optimizing).
2 PCs is a different deal though, if you don't want to change almost every encounter in that case I would recommend sending one of the caravan NPCs alongside the PCs as a GM-PC.
Depends on your group. Many players really resent GM PC's for a couple of reasons.
Some players feel like it stealing the action away from the PC's (especially a problem early in this AP as those NPC's are much higher level than the PC's).
Some GM's can't seem to run a GM PC with trying to run both sides of the adventure (particularly if it is an intelligent GM PC because, "it would just make sense to do this").
Plus, the GM has enough to keep track of just running the game.
I would suggest just let the hire a couple of 1st level warrior thugs in town for the first part of the module.
and/or
Start them at 2nd level. Then just keep the exp rewards high enough to keep them a level (or 2 if needed) above the printed level recommendation for a party of 4 PC's.
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Someone once sugested Gestalt to solve a lack of PC.
The APs assume a balanced party of four... a Cleric, a Wizard, A Fighter, and a Rogue. As important as balance among the character abilities is the "action economy".. the number of actions that the party has available to take in a round. 4 characters have 4 Standard Actions and 4 Move Actions, so 2 characters have only half as many actions.
If you're all new to the game, the Gestalt option is probably a little too much to get into, and adding a couple of GM-run NPCs as backup might be suitable.
Given that there's a Fighter and a Holy Gun (essentially 2 Combat-oriented characters), a couple of casters (one divine and one arcane) would seem like good additions. Perhaps you should let each player run 2 characters.
...If you're all new to the game, the Gestalt option is probably a little too much to get into, .... Perhaps you should let each player run 2 characters.
I usually find a party of new players usually can't do a good job of running 2 characters at first. Especially if they are something totally different like a melee and a caster.
That's why I suggested a level (more survivable) and if necessary a warrior thugs (very simple to run and don't take the action from the PC's).
Is story experience awards per character or a total to be divided up among the party?
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Sorry for the double, but I guess it probably makes more sense in the long run to be in this thread :)
Shouldn't this:
Melee Whispering Shrike +8 (1d6+5/18–20), claw +2 (1d4+2)
be
Melee Whispering Shrike +6 (1d6+5/18–20), claw +2 (1d4+2)
Since the blade’s tsuka (hilt) has not weathered the passage of time as well as the blade itself, and until the pommel is repaired (a process requiring 600 gp, a day’s work, and a DC 20 Craft [weapons] check), attacks with the weapon take a –2 penalty due to the loose grip.
???
Regarding Volorog's Disguise check
Should it be made at the base +14 because the players may sense something is wrong, or should it be at the +24 because he's using his shape change ability to impersonate Walthus?
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Regarding Volorog's Disguise check
** spoiler omitted **
Hunh, so it is done at that after all. I thought something must have been wrong with my reading of it.
One of my players actually did make that perception check, but it was on a nat 20 from her and a nat 1 from Volorog. And that was the only possible situation she could have beaten his disguise in (and the other three players actually had 0 chance of success.
...I suppose it's really meant to be his bluff that they see through rather than his amazing disguise, but it still seems tough.
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Hunh, so it is done at that after all. I thought something must have been wrong with my reading of it.
** spoiler omitted **
Depends if he gets a chance to do that. :P
The player of mine who beat the check basically pulled the others out of there as fast as she could. Turns out she'd misheard Walthus' name as Wolfus and had assumed he was a werewolf.
I scolded her on the slight metagameyness of that. Walthus died.
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Hunh, so it is done at that after all. I thought something must have been wrong with my reading of it.
In my game, one of the PCs cooks as a hobby, so I allowed a Craft(cooking)/Profession(chef) check once "Walthus" began cooking. While the faceless stalker could carry a conversation, it wasn't really sure about humanoid cuisine, and made some very basic mistakes, cluing in that party member.
In short, it's possible to work in methods of detection other than Perception and Sense Motive as needed.
In my game, one of the PCs cooks as a hobby, so I allowed a Craft(cooking)/Profession(chef) check once "Walthus" began cooking. While the faceless stalker could carry a conversation, it wasn't really sure about humanoid cuisine, and made some very basic mistakes, cluing in that party member.
In short, it's possible to work in methods of detection other than Perception and Sense Motive as needed.
It's hard to make that work for PCs who have almost no conceivable life skills beyond killing things. >_>
... In short, it's possible to work in methods of detection other than Perception and Sense Motive as needed.
:) ...and in my game... Spoiler
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^I introduced it through glowing red eyes across the river, half-mutilated animal corpses on the road, and twigs snapping frighteningly close behind them. I made these occurrences more common near its lair, but my players ended up paranoid and avoiding that half of the swamp entirely.
They never did track it down to finish it off, so it still lurks in the marsh to this very day.
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** spoiler omitted **Oooh, I actually like that better than the truth...
Thanks - that is helpful(and funny)!
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I've been running my players through this AP, and so far it has been a blast!
For the custom treasure, I used a dragon / elemental theme:
For the Ranger:
+1 Seeking Darkwood Composite Longbow (STR 1)
A Sky Dragon is carved on it, and it has the name "Gentle Breeze."
For the Druid:
+1 Mithral Scimitar
A Sea Dragon is engraved upon it, and it has the name "Sterling River."
For the Barbarian:
+1 Cold Iron Dwarven Waraxe
A Forest Dragon is engraved on it, and its name is "Roaring Mountain."
For the Wizard:
+1 Spell Storing Darkwood Quarterstaff
A Underworld Dragon is carved on it. Its name is "Radient Flame."
All are designed in the style of Tien Xia, and match the Imperial Dragon on the Warding Box. Each player gets a weapon worth around 4500 gp.
Destiny!