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That (eventually lost) battle of attrition led to a hearty reread of the section. I'm pretty sure I ran it right, which was as Planar Binding, Lesser and not Summon Monster. This is implied by the fact that they're bound to make sure that door isn't found. On that logic, my "Fridge Solution" was that the devil put them down (not stabilizing anyone), took the keys, locked the door, and Greater Teleported them to some other safe place. All the players stabilized, but their hour passed before they could regain consciousness, so guards were called and found them. They got searched, re-awoken, then busted out by Valsin.
A fun scenario, but a baaaaaaad choice to play up. Hopefully the lower player who was the decider to play up won't leave it to a die roll. If he had better hex selection (read: Slumber Hex), they'd've probably been golden, but that's a different caveat.
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I had a great time running it with my players, and enjoyed the general "Mission: Impossible" feel of the scenario. The combat difficulty definitely makes it newbie friendly, and should provide a welcome break for some of the local players who have been complaining about the meatgrinders that Season 4 scenarios have been until now.
Definitely a fair amount of preparation should be done prior to running; there's a lot of rooms in the embassy proper, and it's very important to know what each of the rooms is filled with as you go, until you get to the Paracountess's chambers. From the Paracountess's chambers on, it's pretty straightforward; I'd just read the player handouts in advance to get an idea of how they're supposed to figure things out. The two probable combat encounters require zero preparation.
One minor quibble I had is that the scenario doesn't provide GMs with translations for the various player handouts. Not really a big problem, but I wanted to know what precisely was in the notes before my players did. (I and my players decided to run it on the spur of the moment, so I was unfortunately running it cold. And without handouts. *wince*) Anyway, the translated player handouts are below.
Here are the two handouts in more of a graphic form. Too bad they didn’t have layers on this pdf.
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I have a question about the success conditions (as I've had a problem with that with previous season 4 scenarios).
In order to receive the prestige point, the PCs must successfully obtain the evidence concerning Zarta and get out without alerting the guards. If they either fail to obtain the evidence or alert/fight the guards they do not earn the point of prestige. (Naturally, a Cheliax faction member would still receive their faction prestige point as long as they obtain the evidence, regardless of whether the guards become involved.) Is this correct?
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Dust Raven, I understood it to be that getting out with the intel was the only success condition, and that Cheliax PCs get both Prestige Points from accomplishing the mission. Alerting the embassy to the infiltration changes the fluff but does not remove prestige.
That's the way I want to interpret it, but like with other scenarios I've run recently, the success conditions seem to indicate otherwise:
If the PCs make it out of the embassy with the Chelaxians none the wiser about their intentions and with the necessary information about Zarta’s situation, they have succeeded fully and earn 1 Prestige Point each. If they gain all of the information and evidence but have to fight their way out, they have succeeded, but are reprimanded by their leaders among the Society. If they are captured and their stolen information and evidence are confiscated, the PCs have failed the mission.
This seems to say "succeed fully" earns 1 PP, and "succeeded, but" does not. Well, that is exactly what it says actually, but I'm not sure if it is what it means or what the author intended.
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I think the intention was...
That's my take, though.
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I just keep coming back to a question the PCs may ask, "Where is the Records Archive in relation to the area of the Chelish Embassy?” and I would not have an answer. It says it is secured behind several DC 30 locks and the alarm (which is never specified) on the main door. I understand it is level 1-5 but it is also very open ended except the information surrounding the final goal.
Has this effected any tables so far?
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Just did the first pass of my prep:
ERRATA:
Error: Page 21 -- Both handouts are named "Player handout #3"
Correction: I'm guessing the bottom handout should be called "Player Handout #4: Record Archives Map" to match the box text on page 13 ("On an easel in one of the aisles is a map of the room.")
COMBATS:
I know I'm running subtier 1-2, so I'm not looking forward to either the imp fight or the animated chair...ESPECIALLY the animated chair--if run correctly, I could see that thing outright killing someone.
Round One
Slam for 1d6+3 into free Grab (CMB +9 (5 plus 4 from grab)). If grab is successful, that's an automatic constrict for 1d6+3.
Hopefully that knocks them unconscious because, if not, they're most likely at low single digits going into:
Round Two
Maintain Grapple to do damage (CMB +14 (9 plus 5 for controlling)). If successful, that's 1d6+3 for continuing grab damage, 1d6+3 for constricting and 1d6+3 for choosing the damage option for maintaining a grapple. Yikes. (And hopefully it's a PC not suffering from a penalized CMD from the Dex-damage poison from the imps.)
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*snip*As far as I understand, the chair wouldn't continue constrict an enemy that's unconscious. Once a foe falls, it moves to the next one.
The Imp might be a lot more annoying thanks to the DR *and* fast healing.
Deussu, the second round damage is part and parcel of 1 action--it is not 3 separate actions, but 1 action that results in 3 damage rolls.
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I do not believe you deal damage three times on subsequent rounds. At most, once for maintaining the grapple and once for constricting.
This is the thread I'm using for reference at the moment.
JJ's reply, linked to further downthread, muddies things.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I've put the cypher, with the letters the party can derive from the note here (It should be accessable to anyone.)
It also includes the linguistics note at the top of the page. Please let me know if I made a mistake.
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Here is a GM sheet for keeping track of the party’s time at the embassy
Many thanks for posting this. How is it supposed to be used (the right side in particular)?
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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They got the data, but got burned. The fighter went back to the room, and was horrible at attempting to bluff. But he won init *sigh* and was under the effects of expeditious retreat so he was able to get out by playing Barry Allen.
So for the first time in my history of that spell, it was used to run from combat, rather than towards it.
We had a 10 year old at the table, so the Paracountess' special room became described as "This room is full of things we will not describe at this table."
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I ran this yesterday, and it went extremely well, until the group got into Zarta's room. They took only about 20 minutes getting that far, but then spent 10 minutes meticulously searching through everything, casting detect magic in every direction, etc. Granted, the detect magic probably helped it take less time because no one gave the vent a second glance until the sorcerer detected magic on the other side of it. Once in the records room, the group spent another 15 minutes (in addition to the 5 just getting there, leaving only 10 to get back to the waiting room. It Since it takes 5 to get back through the vents, and 15 to get from Zarta's room to the waiting room (baring any clever actions) it seemed hopeless.
They arrived back in Zarta's room in time to get a frantic message from Amara Li who hadn't been able to talk to them for the past 10 minutes she'd been trying to, and informed them the ambassador was on his way to see them and if they weren't back in the waiting room within minutes they'd be found out.
Then they remembered they had a pouch of dust of disappearance. Covering the whole group, they simply ran full speed from Zarta's room back to the waiting room, bumping into just about everyone along the way and not caring. I gave a DC 20 acrobatics check to avoid a strike from bumping into people, which only one of them made. That saved the group from the guards and I ruled running back took only 5 minutes instead of 15, and they got there just as the ambassador was walking in the other door.
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Owner - Enchanted Grounds, President/Owner - Enchanted Grounds
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Does a pouch of dust cover more than one person? 3500 for a single person, and random unknown time, always seemed prohibitively expensive, so it's something I've always wondered about. But I've never been able to confirm anything beyond a pinch being meant for one target (and even that's not explicitly stated, I think).
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Owner - Enchanted Grounds, President/Owner - Enchanted Grounds
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The dust of appearance correlation is a good point. Only thing against it, I think, is that greater invisibility is also rounds per level.
Regardless, the Society giving out a packet seems like an invite to have exactly what went down in your game to happen: a breathtaking run to beat the clock. I like it.
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I don't know why it gives a flat 15 minutes to return to the waiting room. I allowed my party to make the same checks they made on the way there, and it took far less than that even with the stealth. Is the servants hall locked up or does something about the occupancy change that forces them to take longer?
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I don't know why it gives a flat 15 minutes to return to the waiting room. I allowed my party to make the same checks they made on the way there, and it took far less than that even with the stealth. Is the servants hall locked up or does something about the occupancy change that forces them to take longer?
I'm curious about this too. Is it there for sessions where time is limited and it's merely a fast-forward method?
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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The time it took to complete some of the encounters seemed artificially long. 1 2 minute perception check? 10 minutes for a quick bluff?
Was this just to run down the timer on spells and abilities or what?
The two minute perception check to get past the servants made sense to me. (need to observe long enough to see patterns) a 10 minute bluff was a bit much. Then again, role playing out the bluff took a while. I had some intimidate builds and they were shocked to find out that functionaries of Cheliax, in the Chel embassy, were immune to intimidate. (end sarcasm).
When it comes to the paracountess' rooms, I think the best option is (for lack of a better term) split the party. Let them decide who's working on cracking the cypher/translating and then ask what the other characters are doing in the interim. (aside the first: I read it as the dc 15 linguistics check 'cracks' the cypher, so I told them the cypher matches the first two lines. Then gave them a 'free' letter when they asked for it for every iteration of five).
One thing about the doorway though.
Big Damn Heroes moment: The bearded devil, seeing the meatshield dropped to 8 HP, dropped his weapon and did the claw claw claw bit. The first claw hit, the second missed, and the hasted claw hit, so I figured since he didn't connect with both claws (just one claw twice) he couldn't do the beard thing. The oracle healed the meatshield (now out of AoO range since the devil dropped the polearm.) I figured the devil would claw him back to zero with the AoO from standing, move action to pick up the bardiche, then waste an action doing a funky Darth Maul pose.
So my dice hate me. I roll a 3 to hit. I needed a four. Andoran hero stands up, and one shots the already wounded devil. He should have learned from Darth Maul and Toad that that trick never works. :-(
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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@nosig
Re: The timer and role playing.
I also put Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen, but I don't think they got the joke.
I'd also note that we did the scenario in 3 hours, and I'd be willing to run it again.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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It also comes down to style variation.
When the fighter came into the 'holding room' wearing a servant's outfit (hat of disguise) and with the papers. I laughed and said "I want to hear this bluff check." That's my style, when someone wants to bluff/diplomize/intimidate, I ask for what they're saying, and add/subtract circumstance modifiers. Some might say that I penalize poor role players playing face characters. I look at it as getting them to play the character, and rewarding them.
It can also be easy to suck our players into consuming time, because someone wants to role play.
It can also allow you to *shorten* the time. A well phrased intimidate in A12 for example, might allow us to shorten the time. A diplomacy check however would add to the time.
The conversation in A12 went like this.
PCs: We're just passing through. Just ignore us.
S: I can't do that, you're in trouble!
PCs: You're sevants right? How would you like to be free? (diplomacy)
S: *eyes darting back and forth* We are very happy serving CHeliax, and would never think of fleeing for our lives.
PCs: Well would you ignore us for copper?
S: We would never take a bribe to hide you from the great and benevolent nation of Cheliax.
PCs: *finally frustrated* Look, we're going through here, and if you rat us out we'll tell everyone you were our Andoran contact. So forget about us. (rolls intimidate)
S: Um, forget about who, sir? Have a good day!
Edit: Oh, and in continuing the Andoran tradition, they bribed the door guard 50 GP. At least for once they did not have a net loss on the Scenario :-)
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Halfling Life Oracle 2
Human Sorcerer 1
Human Fighter 1
Elven Magus 1
Human Priestess of Sarenrae 1 (pre-gen Kyra)
with two absolutely brand-new-to-Pathfinder PCs (Kyra and Samurai
I played up the in-game time limit, while cautioning the PCs that they did not have to rush in real-time (muchos thankos to TOZ for this GM note ahead of time). I played the Mission: Impossible soundtrack (1996 movie) during the entire scenario, turning the volume up and down as needed to heighten tension.
What a response! The group got totally into the sneaking aspect of the game, attempting to role-play infiltrating spies as much as they could. (The PC playing the fighter truly tried sneaking and bluffing, but her character's build was one of a good-natured lummox, and she failed with glorious gusto multiple times, being pulled out of the fire a few times by creative solutions by the team.)
The key to their success was discovered by the PC playing Kyra.
The group had brief difficulty with the imps, and then had serious problems with the chair, largely because the group split up into 2 groups - the advance team and the tech support team (solving the cypher). The tech support team spent most of the second half of the scenario in the ducts, crawling around looking for other vents to enter and working through the cypher. That was unfortunate, as the only PC to have contact with Amara Li was in the vents, unreachable for the majority of the encounter until they solved the cypher with twelve minutes left and descended into the records room.
I role-played that Amara was furiously whispering into the ear of the PC (replete with ear-piece hand gestures), trying to let them know that they had 12 minutes remaining. Up into the ducts again they went, came down, and flat-out ran across the foyer (garnering one strike for every PC save the cleric impersonating the night-duty officer attempting to bluff by calling out "Official Duty. Nothing to see here. Party on."
They landed back in the waiting room with 30 seconds left, and then realized that they were all wearing servant livery (and one PC was disguised as a Chelish officer). I had each "servant" PC roll a DC 15 Reflex save (or DC 15 Acrobatics check) to tear off their livery and stash it under the couch. I had Kyra make a DC 15 Bluff check to successfully respond to Wilhelm Armitage (thanks for the name) when he said "You look awfully familiar. Have we met before?"
Music crescendos. The PCs look at each other in surprise as they're let out onto the alley, and once out of sight of the Chelish guards, break into a mad-dash for the Grand Lodge.
And, scene.
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Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant
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How did everyone else's runs go time-wise? I ran this last Thursday with a full party of 6. We ran low tier since we had mostly 1st levels with one 4th and a 3rd.
They only lost time on one or two things. As soon as I handed them the code, the two bards set to deciphering it.
They roleplayed quite a bit with the npcs, but we got done right around 2 hours. I felt pretty bad since one of the players had driven a couple of hours to play it, but there really wasn't anything I could see that would have drawn it out much more.
It turned out to be a good things as the store owner was sick and his employee sent him home early but then needed to close early to be somewhere. <shrug>
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I ran two groups of 5 this weekend... the first took 4 hours (It was 15 minutes before they figured out the cypher on the letter even with 19 letters from the check). The second took 2 hours (just figured out the cypher on the names/prisoner record, didn't even look at it on the letter after the linguistics check).
both groups finished with under 5 minutes game time left
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Here is a GM sheet for keeping track of the party’s time at the embassyMany thanks for posting this. How is it supposed to be used (the right side in particular)?
As stated before the right side are some small standees. Whenever strikes came up the little folded counters were hung on my GM screen. It allowed the tension to grow as they made their way through the embassy. It also allowed me to keep track of which room which players were in.
On the left side timer I forgot to add at 30 minutes that the ambassador will be talking with Amanda Lee in the foyer.
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I am unable to locate the new Chelish ambassador’s name? If it is there can someone point it out to me please. The start of the game a player asked what is the ambassador’s name and I spent several minutes looking without success for it. Seemed like a major screw up when a main character is not even named prominently in the text.