My party (6) skipped the Halflight Path entirely using a wand of fly they’d recovered earlier in the AP and the alchemist’s wings (discovery). They also made a b-line for the Ardoc house without meeting the augers thanks to the side quest from Magnimar.
So far, they’ve steamrollered the garden (tendriculous didn’t hold up against bombs and a power attack vital strike from the raging bloodrager) and the lurker above almost ate the alchemist, but it died before the PC went unconscious.
They’re a pretty devastating crew but they’re having a lot of fun so far!
@Daniel Penfold 357: I'm not sure how fast your group moves, so this may be too late.
My party was terrified of the Fiendish Seugathi they found in the Lady's Light, but none of them died to it. They got pretty beat up, though. I knew they'd level up twice before facing the batch of 3 and they'd get better Will saves, so I wasn't worried about it.
When I actually ran the fight, though? All of the party was confused at one point or another, but some managed to break free through lucky rolls on the d100 chart. They were all rolling backup characters in preparation for this since I had ended the previous session when these popped out of the wall. In the end, they only lost one of their number, and Abra Lopati made a good showing of himself and his organization to help save them.
Though, the tension in the scene was helped out by something I did earlier. I had the party make it to the Halflight Path in the middle of a thunderstorm just at Dusk, so the Duskwardens were just about to pack up and take the last group of the day through. As the merchant was getting his cart through the door, one of his sons saw another late-comer in the storm and called out to the group. They turned and saw the Dark Rider (who only Abra knew) and Abra and the merchants were pale and afraid. The party detected the lethal intent as the Dark Rider approached menacingly on foot, the horse behind him and ready to charge. The party tried to engage him for a bit as Abra screamed at them to get through the doors. They beat a hasty (if unwilling in some cases) retreat after they identified it as a Dullahan and it called out the full name of one of the party members (who had never said her last name aloud).
So my party was already amped up and tense from that lovely encounter, after which Abra was able to give them a bit of lore on the Dark Rider and swiftly tell them to get through the path so that he wouldn't have to be near them if/when the Dark Rider showed up again...
For the seugathi encounter, I'm curious as to parties and Protection from Evil, because that seems pretty cut-and-dried to me.
...against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects...While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target.
There's nothing there that says it has to be a spell or spell-like ability; the words "any spells or effects" to me include auras (an effect), even though they're an Su.
Insanity is specifically listed as enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting], so I see my party (that never goes anywhere without a Magic Circle Against Evil up) as being particularly well-prepared for this encounter (and many others).
Is there a reason the Magic Circle wouldn't work against the aura that I'm missing?
For the seugathi encounter, I'm curious as to parties and Protection from Evil, because that seems pretty cut-and-dried to me.
...against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects...While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target.There's nothing there that says it has to be a spell or spell-like ability; the words "any spells or effects" to me include auras (an effect), even though they're an Su.
Insanity is specifically listed as enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting], so I see my party (that never goes anywhere without a Magic Circle Against Evil up) as being particularly well-prepared for this encounter (and many others).
Is there a reason the Magic Circle wouldn't work against the aura that I'm missing?
I tend to lean towards the GM side of things, so I find that interaction to be disappointing, personally. From what I'm reading, the Magic Circle Against Evil/Chaos would indeed work against the Insanity effect of the Seugathi's Madness aura. I would also say that it prevents the Seugathi from using their Confusion Command ability to force the results of the Confusion roll.
However, I would rule that the actual confusion part of the aura does still apply, since that is called out as the confused condition and makes no reference to functioning like the spell confusion.
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For the seugathi encounter, I'm curious as to parties and Protection from Evil, because that seems pretty cut-and-dried to me.
...against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects...While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target.There's nothing there that says it has to be a spell or spell-like ability; the words "any spells or effects" to me include auras (an effect), even though they're an Su.
Insanity is specifically listed as enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting], so I see my party (that never goes anywhere without a Magic Circle Against Evil up) as being particularly well-prepared for this encounter (and many others).
Is there a reason the Magic Circle wouldn't work against the aura that I'm missing?
I tend to lean towards the GM side of things, so I find that interaction to be disappointing, personally. From what I'm reading, the Magic Circle Against Evil/Chaos would indeed work against the Insanity effect of the Seugathi's Madness aura. I would also say that it prevents the Seugathi from using their Confusion Command ability to force the results of the Confusion roll.
However, I would rule that the actual confusion part of the aura does still apply, since that is called out as the confused condition and makes no reference to functioning like the spell confusion.
The nigh-impossible-to-find FAQ clarifies it:
Protection From Evil: Does this work against all charm and compulsion effects? Or just against charm and compulsion effects where the caster is able to exercise control over the target, such as charm person, command, and dominate person (and thus not effects like sleep or confusion, as the caster does not have ongoing influence or puppet-like control of the target)?
The latter interpretation is correct: protection from evil only works on charm and compulsion effects where the caster is able to exercise control over the target, such as command, charm person, and dominate person; it doesn't work on sleep or confusion. (Sleep is a border case for this issue, but the designers feel that "this spell overrides your brain's sleep centers" is different enough than "this spell overrides your resistance to commands from others.")
Bluntly, if I were to play this encounter as-written at my table, my players would walk, the AP would end, and we'd switch away from Pathfinder. So yeah, I won't.
More for roleplay than anything else: At the entrance to the Halfight Path, the Twisted Door has, "strange runes... in no known language".
I 100% guarantee the party wizard will cast Comprehend Languages to see what they say.
So... any suggestions?
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"Taken on the whole, the writing makes no sense. Looking at one character at a time, you can figure out that this one's from Aklo, that one's ancient Thassilonian, that one's either the schwah from Infernal or the 'zh' from Draconic written upside-down.
"The most generous interpretation is that the calligraphers just wanted to be mysteriously foreboding, but couldn't agree on how."
"Taken on the whole, the writing makes no sense. Looking at one character at a time, you can figure out that this one's from Aklo, that one's ancient Thassilonian, that one's either the schwah from Infernal or the 'zh' from Draconic written upside-down.
"The most generous interpretation is that the calligraphers just wanted to be mysteriously foreboding, but couldn't agree on how."
Love it! Thanks!
My question is on the spell DCs listed in the statblock for Luonim the Vast, and the various DCs for his Compulsion and Evocation spells.
I get the additional +2 for Compulsion DCs from his bloodline arcana, and +1 to Evocation DCs from Spell Focus (evo), but there's a +2 in there that I can't figure out.
Seems like Cone of Cold should be DC 20, Deep Slumber should be DC 19, Fireball DC 18, etc. Anybody else able to figure this out?
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I've a question about the Curse of the Living Death in C18. This was asked a few years back, but I don't think it's been answered. Can the curse be lifted via Remove Curse or Break Enchantment? And if so, what would the caster level be? If not, is there another means to remove the curse? The DC 20 Fort save will be tough for my group, but the DC seems too low to be from Karzoug. Thanks!
My question is on the spell DCs listed in the statblock for Luonim the Vast, and the various DCs for his Compulsion and Evocation spells.
I get the additional +2 for Compulsion DCs from his bloodline arcana, and +1 to Evocation DCs from Spell Focus (evo), but there's a +2 in there that I can't figure out.
Seems like Cone of Cold should be DC 20, Deep Slumber should be DC 19, Fireball DC 18, etc. Anybody else able to figure this out?
Well, my group (All Level 9, longbow Magus, Heavens Oracle, TWF Ranger, Summoner, TWF Rogue), encountered Luonim just after the room with the Brain Ooze and the Gibbering Mouthers. They approached through the hallway, and cautiously approached into the room, somewhat heeding Luonim's invitation that they all join him. What happened was our Tiefling Rogue and Dwarf Ranger with Badger companion entered the room, but our Elf Magus, Half-Elf Summoner, and Aasimar Oracle held back, just enough for Luonim to activate the room's spinning mechanism. Luonim was able to turn invisible, but got smacked (while summoning) after our Summoner used Dimension Door to get himself, his Eidolon, and the Oracle into the room. Luonim got off a Fireball, and took enough damage to render him barely conscious, before a final blow from the Ranger rendered him unconscious. It's a pity, he was gonna use a Cone of Cold if he was still up...
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Has anyone found a Paizo-official/Pathfinder definition of the Caulborn defensive ability "Premonition"?
I find nothing in Bestiary 3, nor the SRD or PRD/AoN. The closest is a 3rd-party spell in the SRD.
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A little thread necro...
My take on the Seugathi issue is why not turn the aura of Madness into a gaze attack instead of a continuous aura.
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So my scheming group, ever looking to push the envelope, have reached the point where they are doing some crafting and someone mentioned the idea of enhancing the ioun stone that they were given and using it while they are searching for the 4th shard then when they meld the two it would have the increased abilities.
I'm reviewing the mechanics that would allow that but I don't have anything against that gamewise if that how they want to spend their resources. I thought I'd throw it out there to see if others have thoughts I'm not considering? I haven't seen anything the the AP text that says the abilities of the ioun stone affect it's ability to counter the curse, just that it needs to be a specific type.
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A little thread necro...
My take on the Seugathi issue is why not turn the aura of Madness into a gaze attack instead of a continuous aura.
My party faced the fiendish Seugathi in the Lady's Light after completing the adventure and exploring the Western end of the upper dungeon level they bypassed. There were only three 7th level PCs and they had a heck of a time against an advanced fiendish version.
So in lieu of repeating the theme of confusion and enchantment from book two I'm replacing the Seugathi with 3 sinwarped Cloakers (advanced runewarped (lust) Cloakers, CR 7) seeking Thassilonian magic underneath the city. With THREE artifacts in the party's possession they're a beacon to the magic-scent of sin/runewarped creatures.
So the cloakers will be waiting at the 3 archways along the half light path where they will use shadow shift to disguise themselves as heavy curtains over the bricked up openings using silent image. Two will be at the closer end of the tunnel and one will be 60 feet down the path.
If they investigate the reliefs along the wall and the arches or Abra mentions the oddity of the walls the 3rd cloaker will begin it's unnerving moan to draw their attention. When they move up, the other two will drop the illusions and switch to mirror image and use their fear and nausea moans against the merchants and the non-martial PCs in the rear. Once the NPCs are incapacitated they will engulf the 3 PCs with shards and attempt to consume their magic. The one PC without a shard will have to attack the grappled foes and deal with the tail attacks.
--We will, we will Vrock you!
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Well, who else has a party that is adept at running the train off the tracks? After surviving the half light path and runewarped Cloakers, the Pathfinders completed PFS 4-10 Feast of Sigils where once again, like in The Cultist's Kiss, they enter the main structures through the back doors.
So it was with the Hanging Manse. The Eldritch scoundrel rogue, Slayer, and Wind oracle use invisibility, spider climb, and fly to enter the manse bypassing the stairs and elevator platform. They enter the garden with stealth scores already between 17 and 22, and +20 for invisibility. Now the tendriculoses notice them when the Eldritch Scoundrel casts a few more spells from the undergrowth but can't see them so they move towards the sound. The Slayer moves by them with no issue, but the Wind Oracle flies by the gazebo triggering the Lurker Above who has blindsense. She gets grappled but has a fantastic escape artist check and escapes. This now draws the tendriculoses to the gazebo and the Lurker (who proceeds to bludgeon and smother them to death).
The Slayer spider climbs up the NW Tower past the master bedroom window and up to the lab seeing Kanya and Berkanin. The rest of the party follows him up as they're communicating with message. The scoundrel dimension doors into the lab on top of augustille and the device still invisible, but the Ardoc wizard recognizes the DD spell and activates his wings of flying lesser and flies to the opposite side of the room just over the wall planning on dropping either web or black tentacles in the room. Before he can do that the Slayer under haste, spider climb, and invisibilitu moves over to him and sunders the harness of the wings with an adamantine dagger. The wings end up gyrating out of control into the trash heap near the alchemical golem and Berkanin feather falls down to the melee in the garden. The wind Oracle begins disabling device to remove the troll while the scoundrel and slayer attend to the clockwork soldiers and Kanya who ascends to the lab. Herifax also flies up and begins firing into the room. They defeat the wizard's lieutenants by the time he makes it up to the upper level with the terra cotta soldiers and buffed up. Even after webbing the room and following up with a fireball his lack of mobility and some good saves by the party leave him defeated.
We left off with 2 clockwork soldiers waiting to attack anyone they can see in the lab, the Oracle trying to remove the troll but failing to keep him calm and rational and the rest of the party making their way back into the room. They still have 2 more clockwork soldiers downstairs, the tupilaq, the construct swarm, the trapped oven, and the alchemical golem left for next session as they actually take the time to explore the location fully.
--Vrock, vrock. Who's there? <combat ensues>
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So part three has turned out to be a little more challenging for my party of Pathfinders. The Eldritch Scoundrel got hit for 9 points of strength but the research assistant before he disabled that trap and the wind Oracle lost 6 points of intelligence to the brain ooze and none of them were equipped to defeat the hellwasp swarm. They managed to take Ashari and Luonim alive and returned them and Perotus to the Therassic Spire. They're taking a few days off to craft a swarmbane clasp and recover ability points. They left the moon and sun room unexplored and the hellwasp are currently inhabiting the corpse of a kyton so they can open doors.
They also did not activate the orrery so I'm going to have the lurkers in light exploring that room having trapped the swarm in the hive room again. They'll be invisible and activate the orrery via mage hand and use ghost sound and dancing lights to entice the party into the room to trigger the hounds of tindalos. If they're spotted (party regularly uses see invisible) they'll unleash the swarm, the hounds, and daylight door back to the sun room. I think the swarm also would have left the moon room door open allowing it's occupant to reach out into the corridor.
--Third Vrock from the Sun
Heyho, short question.
I am currently running part 4, the black keep.
In room C12 under development, the adventure states that the dark rider comes to check if the combat against the mastiffs lasts longer than one round.However, in room C16 (the dark rider's room), the adventure states "chances are good that the PCs are confronted by the Dark Rider before they enter this room, for if the PCs defeat his mastiffs in area C12, he immediately moves into that room to seek revenge."
I will probably not let the rider join the fight after just one round, that would probably be way too difficult for my party - however, two or three rounds, or once one of the dogs is defeated, sounds good to me.
Question: What is the behavior James intended for the dark rider here?
The descriptions in C12 and C16 seem to contradict each other.
i believe the sound of battle against the mastiffs will alert the Dark Rider, and he will then move to investigate. i think it might be good that he makes a perception check to see if he can hear the combat. he might have some loud music on, which also poses another question, what genre of music would the dark rider listen to?
my party decided to enter the complex in reverse order, essentially dimension dooring through the wall into the last room. fun times. the dark rider was aware of this and was waiting with the mastiffs
hope this answers your question, as always other answers are available and i'm sure which ever way you go, your players will have a blast.
:)
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Even with significant magic resources and a tendency to go straight to the end of a dungeon, my players like to work at things backwards. As I'm running the Black Keep as a sort of corrupted genius loci and it can draw creatures from across the planes into itself, it can also stop others from entering freely via teleportation magics.
So not only will the Keep itself open and close doors or window shutters outside at inopportune times, looking into the windows only shows empty rooms (screen)to increase the creep factor it will also shunt planar travelers randomly within the Keep. The caster must make a caster level check vs DC 23, failure means the effect does not work and is expended, success means they roll 2d8 and that's the room they appear in.
--Vrock blocked
Even with significant magic resources and a tendency to go straight to the end of a dungeon, my players like to work at things backwards. As I'm running the Black Keep as a sort of corrupted genius loci and it can draw creatures from across the planes into itself, it can also stop others from entering freely via teleportation magics.
So not only will the Keep itself open and close doors or window shutters outside at inopportune times, looking into the windows only shows empty rooms (screen)to increase the creep factor it will also shunt planar travelers randomly within the Keep. The caster must make a caster level check vs DC 23, failure means the effect does not work and is expended, success means they roll 2d8 and that's the room they appear in.
--Vrock blocked
that's fantastic, and makes sense.
also proves the point that I still have a lot to learn about how the GM tells the amazing story and how the mechanics flow into making that story better.
:)
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The 734PathfinderLodge have infiltrated the Black Keep, home of the dreaded headless Dark Rider, but the haunted castle itself has no intentions of letting them skulk about it's halls without challenge. The semi aware structure (treat as a haunt/genius loci that uses abjuration, conjuration teleportation, and illusion effects) diverts their dimension door from the Master's chamber (Naming Pool) to the Great Hall (CL check vs DC 23, roll 2d8 -room number they appear in- if successful) where they are noticed by the keen eared manananggal laundress who calls out the pair of hungry fogs to seek the invisible invaders. All the while the Black Keep plays on the senses of the Pathfinders building fear and tension as they are not sure they can trust what they see or hear(spooked condition).
As they struggle to batter down the stuck doors to the banquet hall, the seneschal, an irksome pukwudgie & his wraith porters emerge to see what the racket is and catch the adventurers against the stuck doors. Having triggered two encounters without engaging we leave on a cliffhanger until next session.
-- Vrocky Horror
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Nearly had a half party kill in the Black Keep tonight. When we left off last session the party tried sneaking through the great hall invisibly but were heard by the manananggal who called out the hungry fogs. The Keep itself kept the doors to the dining hall stuck (DC 23) and the prying and kicking at the door drew the attention of the pukwudgie and his wraiths.
The eldritch scoundrel & slayer failed their saves vs the manananggal's fear spell causing them to flee in a panick. That left the wind oracle and half orc arcane bloodrager to deal with both encounters. The oracle was already under a freedom of movement and got a scroll of death ward up messaging the main stacks of the wraiths and hungry fogs but couldn't make enough saves against the wraith's Con drain even using all get hero points getting drained to 1 Con before she got knocked unconscious and fell 25 feet while flying reducing her below -1 hp. The bloodrager nearly didn't make it either even having destroyed 3 of the 4 wraiths as his low touch AC meant the hungry fogs could hit him nearly at will. He managed to grab the oracle's body and he retreated back to the menhir to follow the panicked members of his group before dropping to -1 when his rage ended.
It will be interesting to see if the Oracle decides to get raised using their prestige points (Pathfinder society) or wants to build another new character.
--save vs system Vrock