Bestiary question:
In the bestiary, is the Clockwork Dragon's Self-Destruction ability meant to have no save? Seems like a reflex save might be in order here.
A save is not mentioned, so I would assume one is not intended. Most saves tend to be 10+1/2HD+Con for monsters, but constructs lack a Con modifier. I guess if you wanted to add a reflex save, it would be DC22 using that formula, but that seems a bit low for a give or take 16th level party.
My guess is it's supposed to have one. See for comparison:
His Self Destruct ability has a Reflex save, and it is Constitution based. DC24 for a CR 19 monster.
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Sorshen is one of two Runelords who was never supplanted, so yes, Xin would recognize her, and I'm pretty sure it mentions that when the party encounters his spirit in the central chamber.
Creative Director
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Xin's spirit would ABSOLUTELY recognize a character who'd fallen prey to that trap.
As mentioned in the second paragraph of the "Creatures" section of encounter area A3, anyone who appears to be Sorshen pretty much instantly startles and frightens Xin, since he thinks she's come to finish the job of assassinating him. This causes the first Vision to trigger at once, and should color his reaction to the party as appropriate (likely resulting in combat sooner than later with his legionnaires).
The Shiedron artifact mentions "opposition" points. I understand the concept of the "ascending" points but can't find any relavent details about what opposition points do mechaically. Is there anything?
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The Shiedron artifact mentions "opposition" points. I understand the concept of the "ascending" points but can't find any relavent details about what opposition points do mechaically. Is there anything?
The ascending point is the tip of the arm of the star that's pointing straight up when it's floating behind your head. The opposition points would be the two arm tips pointing down toward your feet. Which also works out to be the oppositional schools for the ascending point's school.
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The Shiedron artifact mentions "opposition" points. I understand the concept of the "ascending" points but can't find any relavent details about what opposition points do mechaically. Is there anything?The ascending point is the tip of the arm of the star that's pointing straight up when it's floating behind your head. The opposition points would be the two arm tips pointing down toward your feet. Which also works out to be the oppositional schools for the ascending point's school.
I get what opposition points are, but there is still something unclear to me.
I have the gut feeling that the purpose of mentioning opposition points is that when a character using the Sihedron wants to spin it, she can choose any new tip as the "ascendent" one, except for the two opposition tips (meaning two rotations are required to get to the opposition tip of the current point). Am I correct in this? because I can find no mentiong of it in the text, but no other explanation to what differs an opposition point from any other point, anyway.
BobRoe,
I'm traveling and can only access my turnover, which states C8 is a transmutation spell well.
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Developer
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Two of the Spellwells seem to be connected to evocation (C8 and E3).
Is that correct? If not, what should they be.
James would be more certain than myself, but I believe that E3 should be keyed to necromancy, as the throne is made of inubrix, also called ghost iron, and is associated with necromancy (and temperance and gluttony).
That should be right, Adam. Thank you!
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The Shiedron artifact mentions "opposition" points. I understand the concept of the "ascending" points but can't find any relavent details about what opposition points do mechaically. Is there anything?The ascending point is the tip of the arm of the star that's pointing straight up when it's floating behind your head. The opposition points would be the two arm tips pointing down toward your feet. Which also works out to be the oppositional schools for the ascending point's school.I get what opposition points are, but there is still something unclear to me.
I have the gut feeling that the purpose of mentioning opposition points is that when a character using the Sihedron wants to spin it, she can choose any new tip as the "ascendent" one, except for the two opposition tips (meaning two rotations are required to get to the opposition tip of the current point). Am I correct in this? because I can find no mentiong of it in the text, but no other explanation to what differs an opposition point from any other point, anyway.
You can't switch from one school of magic to its opposition, essentially. All other choices are legal.
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James would be more certain than myself, but I believe that E3 should be keyed to necromancy, as the throne is made of inubrix, also called ghost iron, and is associated with necromancy (and temperance and gluttony).Two of the Spellwells seem to be connected to evocation (C8 and E3).
Is that correct? If not, what should they be.
Yup; that's correct. Sorry about that error!
Another question, the "flamma horacalcum" is mentioned throughout and on page 22 it says, "The early discovery of the flamma horacalcum (see page 58) in Xin's throne room....", however, this item isn't mentioned in area A3. Where is it? Or was this accidently left out?
Looks like something got unintentionally excised in development. Yes-the flamma horacalcum should be discovered hovering around Xin's throne.
Treasure: The flamma horacaulcum slowly orbits Xin's throne. For more information on this item and the temporal anomalies it reveals, see page XXX (22).
spoilered for details regarding an opponent within;
Another question, the "flamma horacalcum" is mentioned throughout and on page 22 it says, "The early discovery of the flamma horacalcum (see page 58) in Xin's throne room....", however, this item isn't mentioned in area A3. Where is it? Or was this accidently left out?Looks like something got unintentionally excised in development. Yes-the flamma horacalcum should be discovered hovering around Xin's throne.
Treasure: The flamma horacaulcum slowly orbits Xin's throne. For more information on this item and the temporal anomalies it reveals, see page XXX (22).
Per the final version, it seems to have been bumped to the Archives in area A8.
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Yes; there's an unfortunate typo.
The flamma horacalcum is found in area A8. It was originally in area A3, but I moved it because I wanted to reward exploration; one of several tricks up my sleeve to train high level PCs to not just teleport to what they think is the last room.
But yeah... changes like that can be tricky, especially when the developer and the editors miss the change. Sorry about the confusion!
Spanky, the inubrix darts are a special ability of the Clockwork Reliquary, not an item, so that's the only place you'll see 'em. =-)
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There's also a stat block copy and paste error on the stats of the Taiga giant lich. At the end of the stat block, it says he's a Thassilonian specialist and he gets two of his Transmutation spells.
He is, of course, a Necromancer, not a transmuter specialist, and it so follows earlier in the stat block, and with his feats.
Confused the heck out of me for a moment when I read that, and then saw that he had Necromancy spell focus...then I realized someone did a cut and paste from Karzoug somewhere :)
==Aelryinth
Spanky, the inubrix darts are a special ability of the Clockwork Reliquary, not an item, so that's the only place you'll see 'em. =-)
Thanx! snif....
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I think my PCs are going to object to being part of a Sihedron Council. I predict they are going to object to the city or the Pathfinders exercising any control at all over the Sihedron when it was the PCs who fought and bled and died to assemble the shards. Just possibly they will accept advice from Sheila and/or Koriah. So what suggestions might there be to make this seem more palatable or just?
In the alternative, does it really matter to the story if the PCs tell the Council to take a hike?
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Spanky/heathhansson, in my non-canonical skymetal article, I hinted at the idea of inubrix ammunition being found in Silver Mount. I think it'd be easy enough to craft inubrix ammo if you have some (and with the prices listed in the first AP volume, you could hypothetically buy some in a big enough marketplace). Personally, I love the idea. So get to it. :D
One note: with a pistol, musket, or blunderbuss, it would be less-than-ideal, unless for some reason you've got one made of non-metal (or at least non-ferrous metal). Everything else should be fine.
Wow, does that ever look like a response to a different thread, N'wah.
Spanky/heathhansson, in my non-canonical skymetal article, I hinted at the idea of inubrix ammunition being found in Silver Mount. I think it'd be easy enough to craft inubrix ammo if you have some (and with the prices listed in the first AP volume, you could hypothetically buy some in a big enough marketplace). Personally, I love the idea. So get to it. :D
One note: with a pistol, musket, or blunderbuss, it would be less-than-ideal, unless for some reason you've got one made of non-metal (or at least non-ferrous metal). Everything else should be fine.
Of course, inubrix ammunition isn't particularly helpful for guns, since most of the time you ignore armor anyway.
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Did a little sleuthing, Modron--the reference should be to Area C6, where the referenced item can be found.
Why am I spoilering this in a GM thread? Because it's a special kind of bastardy.
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Author's reply, similarly spoilered:
Xin has a god-like Intelligence: a 39. Not only that, but he's been watching the PCs since they stepped foot into his palace, AND he should already have encountered them several times in various guises by now. I say there is no trick too dastardly or canny that he would not take advantage of to ensure his own survival and resumed world domination. I say unleash hell. The PCs are high level. Don't make it easy on them. =-)
True enough, but
I'm not ashamed to say it: I've got, what, a 14 Intelligence? When I'm playing something with this kind of intellect, I'm not afraid to stoop to silent metagaming as a GM to replicate the sort of canniness and cleverness a being of this power would display, particularly when Xin has been wtahcing the party in action most of the adventure and by now should have felt what they can do.
That is awesome feedback!
Metagaming is one of the best, if not THE best way to simulate high intelligence.
Great advice!
I'm trying to get a sense of Xin's power levels prior to the final assasination attempt. I have to assume he was more powerful than his apprentices, especially since some of them had another 1000 years to grow in power.
The guy can create constructs of amazing abilities, but couldn't create an intelligent magic weapon to rival those of his apprentices.
Just gets me curious.
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Creative Director
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I'm trying to get a sense of Xin's power levels prior to the final assasination attempt. I have to assume he was more powerful than his apprentices, especially since some of them had another 1000 years to grow in power.
The guy can create constructs of amazing abilities, but couldn't create an intelligent magic weapon to rival those of his apprentices.
Just gets me curious.
Actually, Xin wasn't more powerful than ALL of his apprentices, just most of them.
He was a 20th level generalist wizard, in any event. And the reason the runelords ended up in charge of Thasislon is precisely because they outmaneuvered him.
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God this was a good one. Loved Xin.
James, quick question a bit off topic, but as a player or GM of this AP, did you ever experience a situation where your people lost to Xin but didn't die?
It's always interesting to me to see what a creator would do in those situations, so I have to ask.
Yes.
I was running White Plume Mountain, and the PCs found the vampire and were being destroyed by him. They tried to flee, but failed. They were gonna die, so one of the PCs basically took a bag of holding and stuffed it into a portable hole, hoping the resulting explosion would kill the vampire. It did... but it also knocked both PCs out. And then the vampire came back to life (like they do after returning to their coffin), came back to where the PCs were still unconscious, and captured them.
He delivered them to his boss, who was an agent for an ancient group of powerful necromancers who ruled the world eons ago but were now all slumbering in stasis. When the PCs woke, they'd been put under a geas to go destroy a Desnan shrine that was serving to keep the necromancers asleep. They did so and then escaped the geas, but then had to go on a DIFFERENT adventure to defeat the most powerful of the rising necromancers. They defeated him, but the other four woke up and took over different nations of the world, and now, there are four different necromancer realms in my setting.
And parts of that plotline are what inspired Rise of the Runelords, which is also about ancient wizards rising from stasis from a time when they ruled an empire.
So yeah... run with it! You never know what sorts of developments a failed adventure might have.
At the end of book 5 the PCs get a scroll of Miracle.
Could they use that to protect Magnimar in book 6?
Any ideas on how to handle that?
of course. In fact it states that in part 1 wish also works great for that, i wish people would actually read the books instead of just skimming them.