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A few more decisions about the exact placements of the NAAK Intelligence array stations.
I have chosen the general locations (nations/regions) for the array stations outlined above, and how they relate to the overall adventure arc. This does not include specific sites (except those discovered in Southern Garund in 4th-5th levels), since I am not yet to that point. More powerful AI systems (higher CR) would be placed in lower subterranean depths, in general, and backups are located somewhere in proximity to a more powerful array (making low-CR challenges appear in high-level adventuring, and having an effect on the higher-CR AI foe and its resources); PCs can make secondary missions out of debilitating these array stations, in order to get a better footing in the final showdown with the primary array (the central off-world backup) and its caretaker and defenses.
The Tertiary Arrays function as 4x slaves (CR 6; levels 6-9), and 1x master array (CR 10; level 8-10), with as many backups as there are secondary array stations (3x; levels 10-15). Tertiary Arrays are located:
- Garund (slave #1)
- Nagajor (slave #2)
- Minata (slave #3)
- One other site of the GM's choice in the Inner Sea or Casmaron (slave #4)
- Vudra (master)
- Garund (backup #1)
- Valashmai (backup #2)
- Vudra (backup #3)
The Secondary Arrays function as 2x slaves (CR 15; levels 10-15), and 1x master array (CR 18; level 14-15), with 1x backup on Castrovel (level 17), and 6x backups located in alternate realities (parallel Material Plane worlds) of the other six contra-universes within the planar correlations the NAAK Intelligence is trying to manipulate in order to further its own goals (level 15-17). Secondary Arrays are located:
- Garund (slave #1)
- Vudra (slave #2)
- Sarusan (master)
- 6x parallel Material Plane worlds (Golarion alternate futures) (backups #1-6)
- Castrovel (backup #7)
The Primary Array always functions as a master to itself and all other array stations, and the single backup is located off-world (main foe, BBG of 18th-level). All array station left even partially intact by the beginning of 18th-level adventure portion eventually comes together, centralizing in Southern Garund deep underground, and burrows to Arcadia (Beta Site). Any location previously left partially intact becomes the master, and the off-world array functions as the backup.
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Nudge.
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It will interesting to know what Monster Codex has in store for more information about the serpentfolk than what is included within Serpent's Skull, if any. I hope the material doesn't explicitly include something that would make this series idea any further off course than already described.
Any input is welcomed as I continue organizing material and NPC concepts, criticism included. As much as I had hoped to include all the relevant content on Obsidian Portal for easy access, I am not very happy with the changes in layout for that website, and still considering how/where to re-post the content, save for the compiled adventure material PDFs.
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The content within Monster Codex is generic, in that it does not use names (such as the serpent god, Ydersius, whose name is never specified but who is alluded to often). The cultural elements are clearly in favor of the Ydersian standard for serpentfolk belief and their central social themes. I won't specify in this post how that works in with the rest of this adventure, as it is specified elsewhere. In any case, it did allow for the variation of alignment in serpentfolk stat blocks (CE and NE), including the CE high priest (advanced serpentfolk cleric 10, with Evil and War domains - who seems to favor the light mace over the official favored weapon of the deity, the dagger).
More directly, the material regarding lizardfolk and troglodytes is a bit more specific and possibly a bit restrictive to the cultural elements presented (especially in southern Garund), but there is a lot of room for creative reasoning. Nothing is explicitly contradictory to the adventure material, and there is still room for background on the nagas (of both Vudra and Nagajor) and Valashmai Empire (of Tian Xia), which is another sleeping empire like the rising serpenfolk on the rise. Overall, it is more helpful than anything, and doesn't exclude any possibilities I have put forward here.
I put together my first notes on how I will stat the Valashmaians, which I have split up into three caste types: Warrior (CR 10), Controller/Purecaste (CR 12, MR 6 variant), and Royal/Imperial (CR 15, MR 7 variant), and class advancement (similar to serpentfolk, with Warrior Caste Valashmaians being most like degenerate serpentfolk). For very specific reasons, I have made Warriors and Controllers both Monstrous Humanoids, and Imperials as native Outsiders. All three types also count as both giants and reptilian subtypes for humanoids (favored enemy type); Controllers and Imperials are also treated as having the dragon type, and Imperials are also treated as Monstrous Humanoids. I'll post more details later - I also have the BBGs listed out for Books 2-6, excluding the final adventure (18th level), which I will soon post here as well.
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Valashmai Castes: Warrior (CR 10), Controller (CR 12), and Imperial (CR 15). I had considered making mythic variants, but instead chose to focus on the increased-CR foes as NPCs with class levels and mythic tiers. The warrior caste is meant to emulate degenerate serpentfolk, the controller caste is meant to emulate advanced serpentfolk with draconic genetic elements infused into their own, and the imperial caste is meant to advance a controller caste Valashmaian to a native outsider, with all included elements of those below them. It's possible I may make them evil instead of neutral, but I want to be sure about that before nailing it down.
Valashmai Warrior (CR 10)
XP 9,600
N Large monstrous humanoid (extraplanar, psionic)
Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent
hp 136 (13d10+65)
Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +10; fanatic (+4 vs. mind-affecting effects; -10 vs. those created by reptilians)
DR 10/magic; Immune paralysis, poison, sleep; Resist acid 10, electricity 10
Speed 40 ft. without armor
Bite & 2 claws primary melee (when not wielding manufactured weapons) plus poison like serpentfolk; natural attacks and weapons wielded count as magic for overcoming damage reduction
Str 25, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 12
BAB +13; 7 Feats; 52 skill ranks; Racial Modifiers +8 Escape Artist, +4 Perception, +4 Spellcraft to identify psionics or psychic spell effects
Languages Annunaki, Common, Valashmaian; telepathy 120 ft
SLAs: plane shift at will (self plus 50 lbs. only)
Gaze: Charm/Hold/Hypnotism effect
Giant Reptilians: These Valashmaians also count as giants and reptilian humanoids for the purposes of favored enemy.
Valashmai Controller (CR 12)
XP 19,200
LN Huge monstrous humanoid (psionic)
Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent
hp 168 (16d10+80)
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +12
DR 5/magic; Immune mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, sleep; Resist acid 10, electricity 10; SR 23
Speed 40 ft.
Bite, 2 claws, & tail primary melee (when not wielding manufactured weapons) plus poison like serpentfolk; natural attacks and weapons wielded count as magic for overcoming damage reduction; Constrict
Noxious Breath (as Ydersius, Serpent's Skull #6)
Toxic blood (as Ydersius)
Str 27, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
BAB +16; 8 Feats; 112 skill ranks; Racial Modifiers +8 Escape Artist, +8 Perception, +4 Spellcraft to identify psionics or psychic spell effects, +4 Use Magic Device
Languages Aklo, Annunaki, Common, Draconic, Undercommon, Valashmaian; telepathy 120 ft
SLAs: plane shift at will (self plus 50 lbs. only), plus others
Third Eye (Ex) & Gaze: Charm/Hold/Hypnotism effect, possible see invisibility with third eye
Frightful Presence aura
Giant Reptilians: These Valashmaians also count as dragons, giants, and reptilian humanoids for the purposes of favored enemy.
Scent Immunity (Ex): These Valashmaians are immune to all scent effects except those created by specially designed synthetic hormones/pheromones.
Valashmai Imperial (CR 15)
XP 51,200
LN Huge outsider (native, psionic)
Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, see invisibility, true seeing
hp 250 (20d10+140)
Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +15
DR 10/magic or 5/epic; Immune mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, sleep; Resist acid 10, electricity 10; SR 26
Speed 40 ft.
Bite, 2 claws, & tail primary melee (when not wielding manufactured weapons) plus poison like serpentfolk; natural attacks and weapons wielded count as magic for overcoming damage reduction; Constrict
Noxious Breath (as Ydersius, Serpent's Skull #6)
Toxic blood (as Ydersius)
Str 33, Dex 10, Con 25, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 19
BAB +20; 10 Feats; 200 skill ranks; Racial Modifiers +8 Escape Artist, +10 Perception, +4 Spellcraft to identify psionics or psychic spell effects, +4 Use Magic Device
Languages Aklo, Annunaki, Common, Draconic, Undercommon, Valashmaian, Vudrani; telepathy 200 ft
SLAs: plane shift at will (self plus 50 lbs. only), plus others
Third Eye or All-around sight (Ex) & Gaze: Charm/Hold/Hypnotism effect; Frightful Presence aura
Giant Reptilians: These Valashmaians also count as dragons, giants, monstrous humanoids, and reptilian humanoids for the purposes of favored enemy.
Scent Immunity (Ex): These Valashmaians are immune to all scent effects except those created by specially designed synthetic hormones/pheromones.
Unalterable Genetics (Ex): These Valashmaians are treated as mortals for all effects which target genetics, but they are immune to all effects that attempt to alter them (including all polymorph effects).
That's all I have for right now on these guys. Definitely open to suggestions and critique. More to come...
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After Book One takes the PCs from Tian Xia to Garund and back again, there will be a great deal of exploration and world-travel, at the very least between southern Tian Xia and southern Garund. Book Two will focus on the relationship between these regions and the much deeper discoveries in southern Garund and Nagajor. Book Three will extend to Vudra and Casmaron. Book Four will extend to the Valashmai Jungle and the outlying regions of the slumbering empires. Book Five will focus on the extension beyond the ancient Taumata lands of Minata (Tian Xia), into Sarusan, and beginning the links to other planes and worlds (including Castrovel). Book Six will finalize activities on Castrovel, include a stint in the First World (to make contact with the Eldest, Imbrex), and focus on nailing down the foundations of the empire at home and the connections to regions abroad.
While much of the XP is going to come from discoveries and story rewards, the remaining XP for all levels will feature a relatively linear progression of specified foes/dangers and random encounters for the regions where exploration occurs. I will try to make the maps for all the temples and bases in different regions of the world the same or similar, so that it isn't a total cluster of new media and can be re-used without too much hassle. In addition, I will be placing possible mass combat scenes in each book at major points of conflict, between discoveries, and to try and flavor all aspects of the storyline and cultural interactions.
Major villains/antagonists and encounter foes for each of the books 2-6 (excluding the major 18th-level encounter in Book Six) include the following:
Book Three (A Legacy of Bloodshed): Along with serpentfolk infiltrators/spies, assassination attempts, cultists of demons/qlippoth/Old Cults, and undead within the major base site, it will also include a standard vampire serpentfolk with class levels and optional mythic tiers (CR 13/MR 5), and a vetala vampire Valashmai Warrior with class levels and optional mythic tiers (as above; CR 14/MR 6).
Book Four (Creations of Blood and Scales): Valashmai Armies (CR 10-14, with optional mythic tiers 6-7), plus Valashmai Leaders (CR 15-16, with optional mythic tier 7). It will also continue the theme of criminals, cultists, and assassins, and begin the encounters with dragon kindred (including cyber-enhanced and genetically enhanced serpent-kin), up to CR 15.
Book Five (Destiny in the Stars): Dragon Lord (Serpent-kin leader, CR 17, optional MR 7), Draconic Cyber-soldiers and robots (CR 16-18), Robotic dragon (CR 16), ancient underworld dragon (CR 16) in the tunnels to Sarusan, Valashmai Lord (CR 18/MR 7), foes from parallel Material Plane worlds (CR 15-17), and a Ha-naga (currently being drafted/updated from SRD - CR 15, optional MR 7). Castrovelian cultures will be included (lashunta, formians, elves, and serpentfolk). Dealing with the Primal Lords of Sarusan will include CR 16-18 or similar foes.
Book Six (Return of the Ancients): Along with the major final arrival event, the activities begun in Book Five will be wrapped up, such as the trip to Sarusan (ending with the land being "lost" once more at the direction of an ancient time dragon [CR 20]), Castrovel natives (CR 17-18, optional MR 7 foes), and the dealings with the draconic serpent-kin foes. It will include one Blaspheme, CR 17 and optional MR 7 (similar to a Yuan-ti abomination from 3.5 Fiend Folio), and at least one psi-tech robot which is enhanced with the aggregate template (modified by the major AI foe, the NAAK Intelligence). When dealing with Imbrex, dream/nightmare foes (CR 16-17, with optional MR 7), and includes themes of meditation, communing with nature and Overmind, self-reflection, and connection/service to higher powers (these could include very specialized and personal challenges). Finally, the concluding adventure portion will feature the Overlords (Annunaki Council of Twelve, wearing the Divine Mantles of the Pantheon), their devotees and followers, the AI and its robotic/genetic resources, and any final foes that wish to take down the PCs before the uber-BBGs show up (CR 18-20, optional MR 8).
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Now that all my appetites have been satiated by Paizo's dispersal of a heaping pile of AMAZING, I think this adventure has pretty much written itself, at this point. I will still need to outline the basic differences between the"Anunnaki" as presented in Bestiary 5 and my own purposefully mis-named "Annunaki," but the basic premise is still the same. Plus serpentfolk.
Also, after looking at the Fiendish Transformation ritual in Occult Realms, I think it's pretty clear at this point that Abraxas was probably a serpentfolk (or similar reptilian) who performed the ritual to become a demon, eventually rising to the power of a demon lord (I don't know if this is explained more fully in the Emerald Spire mega-dungeon adventure - but I do know Abraxas is a favorite of some drow noble houses from all the way back to Second Darkness). Plus technology. ......and the ancient wars between various aberration factions, the serpentfolk, humanoid proxy races, and whatever the heck is going to be arriving with the mind-doom that will most certainly be the Strange Aeons AP after Hell's Vengeance. I think the Abraxas-Ydersius tie makes sense, especially with how much fun it can be when the fall-out between the two CE factions plays out in a campaign. And Unity became a god of his own virtual realm, so who really knows? The way I see it, nothing is safe anymore.
I will try and put up a basic outline of my ideas that I have running in the draft for Ecology of the Naga-kin sometime not too far off, and include the ha-naga revision concept basics I have working. I am actually very busy right now making another completely separate adventure idea as amazing as possible, but I do want to get back to this as soon as I can manage. Between the Elohim in Bestiary 4 and the Anunnaki now in Bestiary 5, I feel like these creatures are describing me - way too far ahead of myself, and grappling with my own limitations. Damn convergences....! :P Occult Adventures, why did you have to re-open the rifts in space-time manifested by Aleister Crowley during the Babylon Working? We were just beginning to heal ourselves....!
Lastly, thank you to whomever included the Syricta in Bestiary 5. NICE. That is what I was hoping for, in place of the Yuan-ti aberration thing from 3.5, and now I have the perfect precedent to work against. Grays (they really should be Medium sized, like dwarves, at a CR 4 - but close enough - I can make variants later), Reptoids, and a vast plethora of Vudrani-styled everything to spice up those trips between Tian Xia, Southern Garund, and Vudra (all wonderfully covered partially in many aspects within Distant Shores, another must-have for anyone actually looking to run this sort of campaign. Paizo works faster than I do. I can barely keep up. But I love it.
In any case, all I can say is MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
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I gotta say, this whole campaign arc looks fantastic!
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Thanks, Simeon. I'm hoping I can come to back this soon. I have so much organized for it, and now I just need to go back through it and see which parts are best updated to the newest rules and ideas. We have some NPCs in level 2 and level 3 segments which would be modified by the rules in Pathfinder Unchained and Bestiary 5, and I haven't yet found a satisfactory online host space for the maps I made for those levels. I was stopped mid-project by so many new releases related directly to this content that I needed to put it on hold for very good reasons, and now to come back to it, I need to wrap up the things I started between then and now. ;)
The biggest thing I should finish up is the Ecology of the Naga-Kin (nagas, nagaji, hotai-najiri "scaly halflings", lesser naga-kin such as the bottom-feeding naji-gralza, the powerful ascended ha-nagas, and ancestral progenitor races, plus the relations with other reptilian races/factions). I think this would help set the scene for most people to take on the entire first three levels.
Also, I am thinking about splitting the whole thing up in a different way, now that a lot more material is out that will help fill in the gaps. I suspect people would enjoy Minatan Pirates, but not many. Regardless, I think the first three levels and all beginning support could constitute an AP segment, and could warrant extending the whole AP by another segment (moving up to the unheard-of SEVEN AP CHAPTERS). Also, I should probably devote a little more support to the vehicles, which were not originally factored in, for some reason - this will span from the water-bikes and ships of level 2, all the way up to the vimanas of later chapters, which can be massive aerial/space-ships. This section would get expanded in AP book #2, when the PCs find an abandoned saucer-shaped vimana in the dungeons below their region of Southern Garund, which they can repair over the course of the adventure, and use it to take on rivals using their own vehicles and futuristic advantages against the PCs or other locals.
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Well if there's anything I can help with I'd be glad to do that.
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Do you have a finished product yet? Because I was skimming all your guys posts and this campaign looks amazing. Forgive me if I missed something super obvious... But if you wouldn't mind do you think you could put up some links to all the stuff you've finished? I would love to read over it, I a huge fan of all the "Ancient Alien" and serpentfolk mojo!
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I put together a Player's Guide, and a PDF of the 1st-level adventure content. Much of the 2nd-level and 3rd-level content was playtested, but I haven't had a chance to compile and publish it as a PDF.
The Outline and Published PDFs
The Playtest Campaign previously compiled on Obsidian Portal (up to near the end of 3rd-level)
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There has been so much new and supplemental content to support this campaign thread between when it was began and now, that it's a massive undertaking to compile and revise, but I may do just that by compiling it all in a new, renamed thread specifically for the campaign (and even including the correct transliterated English spelling of Anunnaki - putting the emphasis back onto the sky deity, Anu, who yet remains a central focus of the long-term campaign concept).
I still have no idea where I want to host the maps, images, and wiki content, but I am still working on it. At the very least, I can set up a basic website to compile and organize the content, and host it from my own personal gmail account.
To be honest, there are some elements which may now seem redundant in the long-run because of the obvious similarities between the BBEGs in both Iron Gods and this campaign. HOWEVER, I want it noted that I came up with this way before Iron Gods was even becoming controversial on its own. (And THANK YOU to Crystal Frasier and the rest of the AP team for going out on a limb to do that!)
Plus, there will always be a central tie-back to the Sumerian pantheon deities (specifically presented much as they were in Dragon vol. 329), and making sure that it cooperates well both with draconic history/beliefs, the historical actions of serpentfolk and nagas, the ancient Valashmai of southern Tian Xia, and the modern Golarion at least up to the beginning of Iron Gods. Along with that, I made the concept for the new goddess, Amaditi-teratsu, a very Golarion-oriented female deity-avatar, and her interactions with the core pantheon are uniquely of that mythos (plus, she was born as a Tien human and a Castrovelian elf, on Golarion, in two separate incarnations). So this is made-for-Golarion, and will likely stay that way. As I said before, to try and retrofit this to an ancient Earth setting would be a nightmare in some respects, but it could be made for a generic fantasy-hybrid world, but who really wants that? Nobody. Paizo - keep it, it's all yours. Just keep us playing what we enjoy.
The many and sundry ways in which the AIs of both of these storylines could potentially work for/against one another is too numerous to even include, save for possibly ending the campaign series with a summary of how best to incorporate the elements of past APs that now merge up against these (often potentially mythos-/world-unbalancing) campaign factors.
Yeah, so there! :P :P :P
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Well if there's anything I can help with I'd be glad to do that.
So, I was thinking of something that would be nice to develop, but for which I have no extra time or focus.
A sorcerer bloodline based on the Aberrant type, varied to be more naga-oriented (much like the Naga Aspirant nagaji druid archetype in Advanced Race Guide), set up to also be a Bloodrager bloodline.
Would you have any interest in putting together something like that, and posting it up here to consider?
-Will
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Hotai-Najiri Racial Traits
Hotai-najiri (sometimes vulgarly called 'scaly halflings,' 'lesser nagaji,' and even mistaken for kobolds on occasion, especially by outsiders) are humanoids with the reptilian subtype, and possess the following traits. Hotai-najiri are defined by their class levels – they do not possess racial Hit Dice.
6 Racial Points (from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide, Race Builder; listed as # RP after each entry)
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength: Hotai-najiri are nimble and strong-willed, but their small stature makes them weaker than other races. (0 RP)
Small: Hotai-najiri are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. (0 RP)
Slow Speed: Hotai-najiri have a base speed of 20 ft. (-1 RP)
Darkvision: Hotai-najiri can see in the dark up to 60 ft. (2 RP)
Scent: Hotai-najiri have the scent universal monster ability. (4 RP)
Fanatic (Ex): Hotai-najiri receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against all mind-affecting effects except for those originating from reptilian creatures. They suffer a -4 penalty to all saves against reptilian creatures. (1 RP)
Note: For the sake of this campaign, creatures which are always likely treated as possessing the reptilian subtype include lizardfolk B1, nagas B1/B3, ophiduans Ps, reptoids B5, serpentfolk B2, troglodytes B1, the ancient race known as the Valashmai, creatures with the Anunnaki subtype, and even intelligent snakes or reptiles (such as those affected by an awaken effect); at the GM's discretion, other primordial and reptilian creatures that may count for this purpose might include Anunnaki B5, couatls B1, lillend azatas B1, awakened dinosaurs, dragons, elohim B4, hypnalis B4, nephilim B2, and possibly some ancient half-blooded giants with scaly skin, or other ancient/reptilian-themed intelligent creatures.
Scaly: Hotai-najiri have a +1 natural armor bonus. (2 RP)
Sure-Footed: Hotai-najiri receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks. (4 RP)
Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light blinds hotai-najiri for 1 round, and dazzles as long as they remain in the affected area. (-2 RP)
Languages: Hotai-najiri begin play speaking Common and Draconic (Nagaji B4). Hotai-najiri with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Halfling. (0 RP)
This content is developed by Justin P. Sluder and myself (R. William Thompson). It is free to use under Paizo's Community Use License. The following notations are used.
B1 = Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary
B2 = Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2
B3 = Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3
B4 = Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4
B5 = Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 5
Ps = Psionics Unleashed or Ultimate Psionics by Dreamscarred Press