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Greetings and smellutations, ladies and gentlecritters. Your friendly neighborhood carnivorous hobbit cultist of the Great Old Ones is slated to begin a joyful romp through the Carrion Crown Adventure Path with "the old gang".
Cast of Players
K_GM, Haru, Agent J, le Artiste (the group's designated 'flake').
There is a possibility that other players may or may not join in the foolishness, mayhem and violence as the campaign progresses.
House Rules
This is as close to old school as the Pathfinder rules allow. A 15-point buy for ability scores for characters of the normal races as the APs are theoretically written for a group of 4 15-point-buy PCs. We will put this theory to the test.
The Ground Rules
You will create your player characters on a 15 point buy (page 16, Core Rulebook) for your ability scores. Starting wealth is the average for your class.
Races: as follows.
- Aasimars are docked 4 points from their point buy & may only pick a Carrion Crown campaign trait. (Thus, aasimars begin with 11 points instead of 15 with which to buy their ability scores.)
- Tieflings are docked 2 points from their point buy & may only pick a Carrion Crown campaign trait. (Thus, tieflings begin with 13 points instead of 15 with which to buy their ability scores.)
- Dwarves, Dhampir & Changelings are at full point buy – these races may only pick a Carrion Crown campaign trait.
- Elves, Gnomes & Half Elves – 1 APG trait of choice + pick a Carrion Crown campaign trait.
- Hobbits (Halflings) & Humans – 2 APG traits of choice + pick a Carrion Crown campaign trait.
- Half Orcs, Orcs & Lizard Men – 3 APG traits of choice + pick a Carrion Crown campaign trait.
Traits are in the APG – they are broken down by category and you can only select one trait for each category. The campaign traits in the APG are not available for Carrion Crown.
Dhampirs, lizard men, orcs and tieflings are usually considered very near to monsters – the townsfolk are loath to deal with you. Diplomacy checks are at a – 4 penalty and you are charged 20% more on all purchases. Reduced starting wealth by 20%, and then buy your starting gear at book prices.
Aasimar, Changelings and Half Orcs are disliked by the townsfolk. Diplomacy checks are at a – 2 penalty and you are charged 10% more on all purchases. Reduce starting wealth by 10%, and then buy your starting gear at book prices.
Clerics and Paladins *must* choose a deity – druids, oracles and rangers do not have this restriction. (Druids and rangers often have a patron deity, but there is no requirement for them to do so.)
Permitted Books: Core Rulebook (CRB) & Advanced Players’ Guide (APG).
Traits: each PC selects 1 campaign trait from the Carrion Crown Players’ Guide to explain why they are in the campaign. This is true for replacement characters. Your race determines if you get to choose any additional traits from the APG.
1 bonus skill rank is awarded at character creation in one of the following skills: Craft [choose one], Heal, Perform [choose one] or Profession [choose one] skill of the character’s choice to explain what they did for a day to day living before they got the summons to attend Professor Lorrimar’s funeral in Ustalav.
Replacement characters arrive the next day in game time, late to hearing what the good Professor bequeathed to them for assisting him in years past before his untimely demise.
The local human language is Varisian – this is in addition to Common. Excepting lizard man characters, everyone begins the game knowing these two languages as part of their native language set.
- The players have to have their characters “bite” on the plot hooks to make the campaign work. This is true for any AP and campaign. You may think the hooks suck donkey balls, but they are what they are.
- You can feel free to play Chaotic Evil Psychopathic Murder Hobos if you wish. I recommend that you find a way to have your murder hobos cooperate with each other to survive longer than the 30 seconds or less that it would take for you to kill each other off. Note that in a campaign featuring various ‘horror’ tropes, many Evil characters are less than effective – to put it politely – in killing the bad guys and taking their stuff as compared to Neutral and Good characters.
- Don’t be a jerk. If one of you is playing a Paladin, the rest of you shouldn’t be playing CE psychotic murder hobos. If everyone starts off playing CE psychotic murder hobos, don’t make your replacement character a Paladin or other goody two–shoes. Well, not unless you want to fight each other instead of the monsters and bad guys. (If you go this route, bring another non–jerk character too.)
- If you do not have something on your equipment list, you do not have it. If it’s safe, you can make your way back to “town”, buy what you forgot and go back. If you are getting munched on by an Eldritch Horror, your characters obviously have other things on their minds. Such as bleeding, squealing like a cute little desert frog and trying not to get eaten or killed.
- Encumbrance is part of the rules – it is not an optional subsystem. Track your encumbrance and be honest about it. You really don’t want me to track it for you. (Helpful Hint: This starts with “heavy encumbrance” and gets worse.)
- Cost of Living – worthwhile to understand, although you won’t have to worry about it at the start of the campaign.
- The campaign tracks XP on the Medium Advancement Track. In order to advance a level you only need to secure a proper night’s rest or sleep in game time and do your morning ablutions (whatever those may be) once you have earned enough XP.
- The Carrion Crown Players’ Guide is chock full of information as to what you can expect to be stabbing with sharp pointy metal bits and collecting loot from.
- I am not using the Harrow Points subsystem presented in the Carrion Crown Players’ Guide.
- In case you are ‘TL; DR’ disposed, the campaign’s starting premise is simple: your characters’ broke first level asses have been summoned to a sinkhole of a town by the name of Ravengro in Ustalav, a land renown for all kinds of horrors and often apathetic pseudo-feudal governments. The local yokels are superstitious and prone to the “pitchfork and torch mob” mentality, especially when things are not going well. You need money, your last job finally got boring and of course you have better things to do than polish knobs / whatever it was you’ve been doing for a meager living when you get the word that some serious money awaits you. Of course, there is the minor matter of actually being one of the pallbearers, planting the old fart’s ass in the ground and figuring out what’s going on from there.
- I will let a PC ‘cheat death’ once per character level. This must result in the character having outright died despite the abilities and efforts of the rest of the PCs (such as receiving a breath of life spell that did not bring your character to a low enough number of negative hit points to otherwise survive). Doing so still results in being ‘dead for the fight’, the precise consequences will vary. If you ‘cheat death’ in a lava flow, you’re going to be looking like Darth Vader before he got the fancy cybernetics. If you ‘cheat death’ after getting hacked into chunky salsa by a big ass sword, something got lopped off. And so on. There are game mechanical penalties of course. How severe depends on how far past “dead” you went. If you only went a little bit past dead, maybe you had a finger or toe lopped off. If you took an arrow, crossbow bolt or bullet to the brain, you lost an eye and maybe some cognitive function (Int and/or Cha penalties) depending on how far past ‘dead’ your character went. If you were killed by a big arsed sword, your disemboweling leaves you permanently weakened but alive (Con penalty), or you lost a hand, an arm or a leg. If you did the Darth Vader Dive into a lava pit, you are missing both of your legs, an arm, a hand and are sucking on some serious internal organ damage – but you survived! The “darth vader dive” assumes that your character’s immersion in lava is what killed him.
- The first part of the scripted campaign is … well, about as exciting as farming a patch of sand for cigarette butts. To spare ourselves the boredom, I will need certain particulars of your PCs so I can e-mail out the goodies you get/know before we get down to brass tacks.
- Specifically you need to e-mail me the following information about your characters: race, ability scores, alignment, class, feats, the campaign trait chosen and Knowledge skills (with bonuses) are all I need for this purpose. In return your characters will start with additional XP – how much XP depends upon how good your characters are at research – i.e. your characters’ collective Knowledge skills among arcana, history, local and religion.
Below are the non–standard races: aasimar, changeling, dhampir, lizard man, orc, and tiefling.
Aasimar Characters
+2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Aasimars are insightful, confident, and personable. They are often attractive by human standards, although not necessarily the near-guaranteed eye candy that changelings are.
Native Outsider: Aasimars are outsiders with the native subtype.
Medium: Aasimars are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Aasimars have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Skilled: Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Perception checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Aasimars can use daylight once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to the aasimar's character level).
Celestial Resistance: Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5.
Languages: Aasimars begin play speaking Common, Celestial and Varisian. Aasimars with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan.
The following favored class options are available to all aasimars who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
Bard: Choose one bardic performance; treat the bard as +1/2 level higher when determining the effects of that performance.
Cavalier: Add +1/4 to the cavalier's bonus on damage against targets of his challenge.
Cleric: Add +1/2 to damage when using positive energy against undead or using Alignment Channel to damage evil outsiders.
Inquisitor: Add +1/2 on Intimidate, Knowledge, and Sense Motive checks made against outsiders.
Oracle: Add +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation.
Paladin: Add +1/6 to the morale bonus on saving throws provided by the paladin's auras.
Sorcerer: Add +1/4 to the sorcerer's caster level when casting spells with the good descriptor.
Summoner: Add DR 1/evil to the summoner's eidolon. Each additional time the summoner selects this benefit, the DR/evil increases by +1/2 (maximum DR 10/evil).
Aasimars have access to the following feats. They are not FREE; you must select them with your general feats at 1st level, 3rd level, etc.
Angelic Blood
Your blood is infused with holy power.
Prerequisites: Con 13, aasimar.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws made against effects with the evil descriptor and on Constitution checks made to stabilize when you are reduced to negative hit points (but not dead). Furthermore, each time you take bleed or blood drain damage, each undead creature or creature with the evil subtype that is currently adjacent to you also takes 1 point of damage.
Angelic Flesh
Your skin shines like burnished metal.
Prerequisites: Angelic Blood, aasimar.
Benefit: You take a –2 penalty on Disguise and Stealth checks but gain one of the following benefits, depending on the metallic affinity of your flesh (choose one).
Brazen: You gain fire resistance 5 and a +2 bonus on saving throws made against fire effects.
Golden: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws made against blindness, dazzling, patterns, and effects with the light descriptor. When you cast spells or use spell-like abilities that are from the illusion (pattern) subschool or have the light descriptor, you do so at +1 caster level.
Silver: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws made against paralysis, petrification, and poison, and your unarmed strikes or natural weapons count as silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Steel: You gain a +1 natural armor bonus to AC, and your unarmed strikes or natural weapons count as cold iron for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Angel Wings
Feathered wings sprout from your back.
Prerequisites: Angelic Blood, aasimar, character level 11th.
Benefit: You gain a pair of gleaming feathered wings that grant a fly speed of 30 feet (average maneuverability) if wearing light armor or unencumbered, or 20 feet (poor maneuverability) with a medium or heavy load or medium or heavy armor. Fly is a class skill for you.
Metallic Wings
Your wing feathers are made of gleaming metal.
Prerequisites: Angelic Blood, Angelic Flesh, Angel Wings, aasimar, character level 13th.
Benefit: You gain two wing attacks. These are secondary natural attacks that deal 1d4 points of slashing damage (or 1d3 if you are Small).
Celestial Servant
Rather than being a normal animal or beast, your companion or familiar hails from the heavenly realms.
Prerequisites: Aasimar, animal companion, familiar, or mount class feature.
Benefit: Your animal companion, familiar, or mount gains the celestial template and becomes a magical beast, though you may still treat it as an animal when using Handle Animal, wild empathy, or any other spells or class abilities that specifically affect animals.
Channel Force
Your channel is bolstered by your faith, allowing you to move and damage your foes.
Prerequisites: Aasimar, channel energy 2d6.
Benefit: When you channel energy to deal damage, you may choose to affect only a single target within 30 feet. In addition to dealing damage, if that single target fails its saving throw, you may pull or push (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 303) the target up to 5 feet for every 2d6 points of channel energy damage you are capable of dealing.
Improved Channel Force
You move your enemies within a beam of righteous energy.
Prerequisites: Channel Force, aasimar, channel energy 4d6.
Benefit: When using Channel Force, you can affect all creatures in a 60-foot line or a 30-foot cone-shaped burst. You must choose to either push or pull all creatures within the affected area that fail their saving throws.
Greater Channel Force
Your eruptions of divine power move your enemies.
Prerequisites: Channel Force, Improved Channel Force, aasimar, channel energy 6d6.
Benefit: When using Improved Channel Force, you can affect all creatures in a 30-foot-radius burst.
Heavenly Radiance
Your heavenly light can be used in a variety of ways.
Prerequisites: Aasimar, daylight spell-like ability, sufficiently high character level (see below).
Benefit: You gain one additional use per day of daylight as a spell–like ability. Choose one spell from the table below; by expending a use of daylight, you may use this spell as a spell-like ability. To select a spell, you must meet the minimum character level for its listing in the table. The save DC for this spell is Charisma-based.
Spell-Like Ability
Minimum Character Level
Flare burst
1st
Wake of light
3rd
Searing light
5th
Wandering star motes
7th
Sunbeam (one beam only)
9th
Special: You may take this feat multiple times (up to five times total). Each time you select this feat you gain an additional use of daylight and may select another spell from the table.
Changeling Characters
Changelings are defined by their class levels—they do not possess racial Hit Dice. All changelings have the following racial traits.
–2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Changelings are frail, but possess a sharp wit and unnatural beauty. Changelings are always female, tall, and slender. A changeling’s hair is typically dark and her skin abnormally pale, but she otherwise looks for all practical purposes like a member of her father’s race. A frequent but not universal trait of changelings is their mismatched, different-colored eyes. Upon reaching puberty and adulthood, the average changeling stands approximately 5-1/2 feet tall and weighs about 110 pounds. They are Medium size humanoids with the changeling subtype.
Hag Trait: A changeling possesses one of the following traits, depending on the type of hag her mother is.
Hulking Changeling: A changeling who was born of an annis hag is much more physically formidable than other changelings. You receive a +1 trait bonus on any damage you inflict with a melee attack.
Green Widow: A changeling of green hag descent is naturally able to lure in potential mates and effectively trick them into pursuing her. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks made against characters that might be sexually attracted to you.
Sea Lungs: A changeling with a sea hag mother can survive underwater for longer than usual. You gain the ability to hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to three times your Constitution score instead of two.
Claws: A changeling’s hands and fingernails tend to harden and become sharp as she reaches adolescence. This gives her two claw attacks (1d4) as primary natural weapons.
Natural Armor: Hags and their offspring have uncommonly tough skin. A changeling begins play with a natural armor bonus of +1.
Darkvision: Changelings can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Languages: Changelings begin play knowing the Common and Varisian languages. Changelings who have high Intelligence scores can choose from among the following bonus languages: Aklo, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Orc. Note that Gnolls are not found in Ustalav.
The following favored class options are available to all changelings who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
Oracle: Add +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of the oracle's curse ability.
Rogue: The rogue gains 1/6 of a new rogue talent.
Witch: Add one spell from the witch spell list to the witch's familiar. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level she can cast. If the witch ever replaces her familiar, the new familiar knows these bonus spells.
Changelings have access to the following feat. It is not FREE; you must select it as one of your general feats.
Mother's Gift
You inherit a special boon from your hag parent.
Prerequisite: Changeling.
Benefit: Your dark legacy manifests in one of the following ways. You choose the manifestation when you choose the feat, and once selected it cannot be changed.
Hag Claws (Ex): You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with your claws.
Surprisingly Tough (Ex): Your natural armor bonus increases by +1.
Uncanny Resistance (Su): You gain spell resistance equal to 6 + your character level.
Special: You can gain this feat up to three times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, you must select a different manifestation.
Dhampir Characters
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Constitution: Dhampirs are fast and seductive, but closer to death than most mortals. Blade wanna-be’s start here. Dhampirs are Medium size humanoids with the dhampir subtype.
Senses: Low-light vision and darkvision 60 feet.
Manipulative: +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Perception.
Undead Resistance: Dhampirs gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.
Light Sensitivity: Dhampirs are dazzled in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Negative Energy Affinity: Though a living creature, a dhampir reacts to positive and negative energy as if he were undead—positive energy harms him, while negative energy heals him.
Spell-Like Ability: A dhampir can use detect undead three times per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability equals the dhampir's character level. *
* Fangs: On occasion, a dhampir may inherit his father's lengthy canines instead of figuring out how to detect undead. (Guess mommy really didn’t want to get knocked up by a vampire again, eh?) Whenever the dhampir makes a grapple combat maneuver check to damage an opponent, he can choose to bite his opponent, dealing 1d3 points of damage as if using a natural bite attack. As a standard action, the dhampir can bite a creature that is bound, helpless, paralyzed, or similarly unable to defend itself. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.
Resist Level Drain (Ex) A dhampir takes no penalties from energy draining effects; though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels then he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a dhampir takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw.
Languages: Dhampirs begin play speaking the Common and Varisian languages.
The following favored class options are available to all dhampirs who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
Alchemist: Add +10 minutes to the duration of the alchemist's mutagens.
Cleric: Add +1 to the cleric level of any channeling feat used to affect undead.
Fighter: Add a +2 bonus on rolls to stabilize when dying.
Inquisitor: Add a +1/2 bonus on Intimidate checks to demoralize humanoids.
Rogue: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks and Perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
Sorcerer: Add +1/2 point of negative energy damage to spells that deal negative energy damage.
Wizard: Add +1/4 to the wizard's caster level when casting spells of the necromancy school.
Dhampirs have access to the following feats. They are not FREE; you must select them with your general feats at 1st level, 3rd level, etc.
Blood Drinker
Consuming blood reinvigorates you.
Prerequisite: Dhampir.
Benefit: Choose one humanoid subtype, such as "goblinoid" (this subtype cannot be "dhampir"). You have acquired a taste for the blood of creatures with this subtype. Whenever you drink fresh blood from such a creature, you gain 5 temporary hit points and a +1 bonus on checks and saving throws based on Constitution (such as Fortitude saving throws and Constitution checks made to stabilize when dying). The effects last 1 hour. If you feed multiple times, you continue to gain hit points to a maximum of 5 temporary hit points for every three Hit Dice you have, but the +1 bonus on Constitution-based skill checks and saving throws does not stack.
Normally, you can only drink blood from an opponent who is helpless, grappled, paralyzed, pinned, unconscious, or similarly disabled. If you have a bite attack – typically by way of the Fangs racial trait –, you can drink blood automatically as part of your bite attack; otherwise, you must first cut your target by dealing 1 hit point of damage with a slashing or piercing weapon (though you may feed upon a creature with severe wounds or a bleed effect without cutting it first). Once you cut the target, you can drink from its wound as a standard action. Drinking blood deals 2 points of Constitution damage to the creature you feed upon.
The blood must come from a living creature of the specified humanoid subtype. It cannot come from a dead or summoned creature. Feeding on unwilling intelligent creatures is an evil act.
Blood Salvage
You do not need to drink blood from a living creature to gain healing benefits.
Prerequisites: Blood Drinker, dhampir.
Benefit: You can use your Blood Drinker feat on a dead creature of the appropriate humanoid subtype. The creature must have died less than 6 hours beforehand.
Normal: You only benefit from the Blood Drinker feat if you consume fresh blood from a living creature.
Diverse Palate
Your taste for blood is broader than that of other dhampirs.
Prerequisites: Blood Drinker, dhampir.
Benefit: Choose a humanoid subtype or the monstrous humanoid type. You may use your Blood Drinker feat on creatures of this subtype or type.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you select it, choose a new humanoid subtype or the monstrous humanoid type.
Blood Feaster
Consuming blood gives you superhuman strength.
Prerequisites: Blood Drinker, base attack bonus +6, dhampir.
Benefit: If you use your Blood Drinker feat to drain 4 or more points of Constitution from a living creature, you gain a +2 bonus on damage rolls and a +1 bonus on Strength-based skill checks. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your total Hit Dice.
Natural Charmer
You possess some of the dominating powers of your vampire progenitor.
Prerequisites: Cha 17, dhampir.
Benefit: You can take 20 on any Charisma-based skills to charm, convince, persuade, or seduce humanoids whose attitude is at least friendly to you. Taking 20 still requires 20 times the normal time to perform the skill (2 minutes instead of a round; 20 minutes instead of a minute; etc).
Normal: You cannot take 20 on any check where you incur penalties for failure.
Lizard Man Characters
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution: Lizard men are excellent physical specimens of reptilian machismo.
Swim speed: 30 feet; base land speed: 30 feet. Lizard men are Medium size humanoids with the reptilian subtype.
Alernatively, a lizard man hails from the mountainous terrain of Ustalav instead of the fetid swamps near Illmarsh. These lizard men have a Climb speed equal to half their land speed (15 feet) with the attendant benefits. This replaces the swim speed of 30 feet and its attendant benefits.
Claws and Fangs: Lizard men have 2 claw attacks (1d4) as primary natural weapons and a bite attack (1d3+ ½ Strength bonus; –5 attack penalty) as a secondary natural weapon.
Natural Armor: Lizard Men player characters begin play with a natural armor bonus of +1.
Language: Lizard Men being play knowing the Draconic language. You will need to either take ranks of Linguistics and/or start with a 12 or higher Intelligence score in order to learn either Common or Varisian to play a lizard man.
Lizard Men may select several monster feats as general feats:
Improved Natural Armor (up to 4 times, giving a racial +5 natural armor bonus).
Improved Natural Attack (once for claws [improving damage from 1d4 to 1d6], and once for bite [improving damage from 1d3 to 1d4]).
Multiattack (making your secondary bite attack at only a –2 attack penalty instead of the normal –5 attack penalty.
As with all race-specific feat options, they are not free and must be selected with the character’s general feats.
Orc Characters
+4 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Orcs are brutal and savage.
Orc: Orcs are humanoids with the orc subtype.
Medium: Orcs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Light Sensitivity: Orcs are dazzled in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Ferocity: Orcs can remain conscious and continue fighting even if their hit point totals fall below 0. Orcs are still staggered at 0 hit points or lower and lose 1 hit point each round as normal.
Weapon Familiarity: Orcs are always proficient with greataxes and falchions, and treat any weapon with the word "orc" in its name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Orcs begin play speaking Common, Orc, and Varisian. Orcs with high Intelligence scores can chose from the following: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Undercommon. (Given the Int penalty, many orcs don’t know these additional languages.)
The following favored class options are available to all orcs who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
Alchemist: Add +10 minutes to the duration of the alchemist's mutagens.
Barbarian: Add +1 to the barbarian's total number of rage rounds per day.
Cavalier: Add +1 to the cavalier's CMB when making bull rush or overrun combat maneuvers against a challenged target.
Druid: Add +1/2 to the damage dealt by the druid's animal companion's natural attacks.
Fighter: Add +2 to the fighter's Constitution score for the purpose of determining when he dies from negative hit points.
Ranger: Add +1 hit point to the ranger's animal companion. If the ranger ever replaces his animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus hit points.
Witch: Add one spell from the witch spell list to the witch's familiar. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level she can cast. If the witch ever replaces her familiar, the new familiar knows these bonus spells.
Orcs have access to the following feats. They are not FREE; you must select them with your general feats at 1st level, 3rd level, etc. Those marked as (Combat) may also be selected as a Combat feat by Fighters and other classes that gain bonus combat feats.
Born Alone
You are so tough and vicious that you killed and ate the rest of your litter while still in the womb.
Prerequisite: Orc.
Benefit: Whenever you kill or knock unconscious an opponent with a melee attack, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution bonus (minimum 1) until your next turn. These temporary hit points do not stack. You do not gain this bonus if the opponent is helpless or has less than half your total Hit Dice.
Bullying Blow (Combat)
With a simple hit, you more easily intimidate an opponent.
Prerequisites: Intimidate 1 rank, orc.
Benefit: As a standard action, you may make a melee attack with a –2 penalty on the attack roll. If the attack damages your opponent, you may make an Intimidate check to demoralize that opponent as a free action.
Normal: Intimidating an opponent is a standard action.
Ferocious Action
You ferocity is quick but shorter lived.
Prerequisites: Ferocity racial trait, orc.
Benefit: When you fall to 0 hit points or fewer, you lose 2 hit points each round, but you are not staggered. If you are in a rage (such as that caused by the barbarian rage class feature), you instead only lose 1 hit point per round.
Foment the Blood
You can unleash a wave of energy that drives orcs into frenzy.
Prerequisites: Channel energy class feature, orc.
Benefit: When you channel energy, instead of creating its normal effect, you can give orcs a bonus on weapon damage and critical hit confirmation rolls until your next turn. This bonus is equal to the number of dice your channeled energy normally heals or harms. Your channel has its normal effect on other creatures in the area.
Grudge Fighter (Combat)
You feel great anger at anyone who dares to attack you, and this fury makes your own attacks that much stronger.
Prerequisite: Orc.
Benefit: You gain a +1 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls made against any creature that attacked you in the current combat.
Orc Weapon Expertise (Combat)
You can do more with the weapons orcs favor the most.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, orc.
Benefit: When you take this feat, choose one of the benefits below. Whenever you wield a weapon that has "orc" in its name, you gain the benefit you chose so long as you are actually proficient with that weapon.
Bully: Gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls against creatures at least one size smaller than you.
Defender: Gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC (or +2 if wielding a two-handed weapon).
Disrupter: Add +3 to opponents' concentration checks to cast a spell within your threatened area. This only applies if you are aware of the enemy's location and are capable of taking an attack of opportunity. If you have already used all of your available attacks of opportunity for the round, this increase does not apply.
Killer: Gain a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls made to confirm critical hits.
Thug: Deal +1 point of nonlethal damage with the weapon.
Trickster: Gain a +2 bonus on a single type of combat maneuver check that you can perform with that weapon.
This feat has no effect if you are not proficient with the weapon you're using.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you must choose a different benefit. You may only apply one of these benefits per round (chosen as a free action at the start of your turn).
Resolute Rager
Fear passes quickly while you are raging.
Prerequisites: Orc, rage class feature.
Benefit: While raging, when under the effect of a fear effect that allows a saving throw, you can make a new saving throw against that fear effect at the start of each of your turns before acting. If you make the new save, the fear effect ends.
Reverse-Feint (Combat)
You can goad an opponent into attacking you in order to make your counter attack all the more powerful.
Prerequisites: Toughness, base attack bonus +1, orc.
Benefit: As a move action, you can leave a gap in your defenses for one adjacent opponent to use. If the opponent attacks you on its next turn, it gains a +4 bonus on its attack roll. Whether or not the opponent successfully hits, you may attack it as an immediate action with a single melee attack, gaining a +2 bonus on your attack roll.
Trap Wrecker
You can smash traps instead of disarming them.
Prerequisites: Power Attack, Disable Device 1 rank, orc.
Benefit: You can attempt to disarm a trap by striking it with a melee weapon instead of making a Disable Device check. As a full-round action, make
a melee attack against an Armor Class equal to the trap's Disable Device DC. If you miss, the trap activates. If you hit, roll damage. If this damage is at least half the trap's Disable Device DC, you disable the trap. If this damage is less than half the trap's Disable Device DC, the trap activates. You can only attempt this on nonmagical traps. You must be able to reach some part of the trap with your attack in order to use this feat. At the GM's discretion, some traps may not be susceptible to this feat.
Teifling Characters
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: Tieflings are quick in body and mind, but are inherently strange and unnerving. They are fiendish in appearance and severely mistrusted as baby-eating semi-demons. Their tails don’t help this perception much.
Native Outsider: Tieflings are outsiders with the native subtype.
Medium: Tieflings are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Tieflings have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Tieflings see in the dark for up to 60 feet.
Skilled: Tieflings gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Stealth checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Tieflings can use darkness once per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability equals the tiefling's character level.
Fiendish Resistance: Tieflings have cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.
Fiendish Sorcery: Tiefling sorcerers with the Abyssal or Infernal bloodlines treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer class abilities.
Languages: Tieflings begin play speaking Common and either Abyssal or Infernal. Tieflings with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Infernal, and Orc.
The following favored class options are available to all tieflings who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the class reward.
Alchemist: Add +1/2 to the alchemist's bomb damage.
Cleric: Add a +1 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome the spell resistance of outsiders.
Druid: Add a +1 bonus on wild empathy checks made to improve the attitude of fiendish animals.
Inquisitor: Add a +1/2 bonus on Intimidate checks and Knowledge checks to identify creatures.
Magus: Add +1/4 point to the magus's arcane pool.
Paladin: Add +1 to the amount of damage the paladin heals with lay on hands, but only when the paladin uses that ability on herself.
Rogue: Add +1/2 to sneak attack damage dealt to creatures with the outsider type.
Sorcerer: Add +1/2 to the number of times per day a sorcerer can use the corrupting touch infernal bloodline power, or +1 to the total number of rounds per day the sorcerer can use the claws abyssal bloodline power. The sorcerer must possess the applicable power to select these bonuses.
Summoner: Add +1 hit point or +1 skill rank to the summoner's eidolon.
Witch: The witch's familiar gains resistance 1 against cold, electricity, or fire. Each time the witch selects this reward, increase the familiar's resistance to one of these energy types by 1 (maximum 5 for any one type). If the witch ever replaces her familiar, the new familiar has these resistances.
Wizard: Select one arcane school power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the wizard's Intelligence modifier. The wizard adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that arcane school power.
Tieflings have access to the following feats. They are not FREE; you must select them with your general feats at 1st level, 3rd level, etc.
Armor of the Pit
Your fiendish traits take the form of a protective scaly skin.
Prerequisite: Tiefling.
Benefit: You gain a +2 natural armor bonus.
Expanded Fiendish Resistance
You gain extra fiendish resistances.
Prerequisite: Tiefling.
Benefit: You gain resistance 5 to acid.
Fiend Sight
Your eyes develop keener sight in dim light and darkness.
Prerequisites: Darkvision 60 ft., tiefling.
Benefit: You gain low-light vision and your darkvision improves to 120 ft.
Special: You can take this feat twice. When you take it a second time, you gain the see in darkness universal monster ability.
Grasping Tail
Your tail becomes more useful.
Prerequisite: Tiefling.
Benefit: You can use your tail to grab stowed items. While you cannot wield weapons with your tail, you can use it to retrieve small, stowed objects carried on your person as a swift action.
The Gunslinger, Ninja and Samurai base classes (from Ultimate Combat) are also allowed for Carrion Crown.
The feats, magic items and spells from Ultimate Combat are not allowed excepting the following feats: Amateur Gunslinger, Cleaving Finish / Improved Cleaving Finish, Gunsmithing, Horse Master, Prone Shooter; Deft Shootist, Extra Grit, Leaping Shot, No Name, Richochet Shot Deed, Secret Stash Deed, Signature Deed.
Each character gets to "cheat death with consequences" once per level at the player's discretion. Inspired by the success of a similar rule being used in my Shattered Star campaign, this permits a PC to return from a messy demise post-combat. How severely messed up a PC is depends on how far past dead they wound up.
d10+ (# hp past Con)
1-5 . . . . . . . . Minor Scar, interesting tale to tell
6-8 . . . . . . . . Moderate Scar, a cut on the face (1)
9-10. . . . . . . . Major Scar, severe facial laceration (2)
11-14 . . . . . . . Loss of a finger or toe (3)
15-16 . . . . . . . Impressive wound (4)
17. . . . . . . . . Lose an eye (5)
18. . . . . . . . . Lose a leg (6)
19. . . . . . . . . Lose a hand (7)
20+ . . . . . . . . Lose an arm (8)
- (1) A moderate facial scar, granting a +1 bonus on Intimidate skill checks.
- (2) A major scar, imposing a -1 penalty on Diplomacy skill checks except when interacting with NPCs that are disposed to be impressed by a collection of battle scars. Typically such NPCs are members of the criminal/violent elements of society such as Sczarni, thieves' guilds, pirates, mercenaries, Vikings and certain adventurers. With such groups the major scar instead grants a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks.
- (3) The loss of one or two fingers/toes, in game terms, is not a major hindrance. Every 3 lost fingers/toes is a -1 penalty to Dexterity.
- (4) -1 Con penalty.
- (5) -4 penalty on all vision-based Perception checks and when determining the DC necessary for a Feint to succeed against you; -2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls.
- (6) Reduce climb, land and swim speeds by half; cannot charge nor run.
- (7) Cannot use two-handed items and weapons, including loading projectile weapons that require two hands to do so (certain weapons can be pre-loaded prior to combat, such as hand crossbows, light crossbows and firearms); using many items will either take longer or also be impossible. Losing one hand or arm does not deny a spellcaster the ability to cast spells with Somatic components - losing two hands or arms (or an arm and a hand) does.
- (8) -1 Strength; cannot use two-handed items and weapons.
Getting a new body (such as by reincarnate) or receiving a regenerate effect removes all missing appendages and scars. At higher levels, what was already missing remains missing as a general rule of thumb.
Because the campaign is only going to play one session a month, there is a vested interest in shaving off as much of the roleplaying gobbledegook as possible. The desire is to cram as much of the campaign into six sessions as humanly possible. I am hoping to be wrapping up Wake of the Watcher (Chapter 4) as of the October session. In an ideal scenario, we would wrap up the entire campaign in six months, but that strikes me as overwhelmingly optimistic.
As such, I requested that the players send me the pertinent particulars.
So far we have:
- Tuco Benedicto Pacífico Juan María Ramírez aka "the Rat", male Dwarf Fighter, Charisma 5
- Bennie of the Hills, male Human Wizard, 8 Str, 8 Wis, 7 Cha
- Skilus, male lizard man Oracle of Life
- The Hobbit with No Name, male Hobbit Ninja "Burglar" who used the lion's share of his Rich Parents trait to begin play with a combat-trained riding dog
- The Gnome with No Name, male Gnome Cavalier
K_GM wrote up roughly 16 PCs for this campaign (at least in bullet point style).
There has been some entertaining e-mail roleplaying going on prior to the commencement of actual table-play. To quote a previous CJ post (by Macharious IIRC): "E-mail, where all the real role-playing takes place". This also serves as an excellent method by which to cut out the time-intensive investigative blather-all prior to commencing with messy character deaths .. er, beginning game play all proper-like.
The next posting will detail the e-mail-based roleplaying that has taken place thus far, edited to adhere to the board's PG-13 standards.
And now for the translation of the e-mails that have been flung back and forth like so much monkey poo:
Skilus, Agent J and le Artiste,
Can you state your willingness/unwillingness to go with my two characters to attempt to catch the "splatter man" (real deal or phony wanna-be) in the act of painting letters in blood on the memorial? There will likely be combat, and the possibility for fatalities among our ranks probably exists.
Bennie & Tuco
Bennie & Tuco,
I have nothing to go on concerning you. I was essentially born and raised in this town and pretty well know who's local and who's not. You two have really not disclosed any details on either of characters concerning their place in the town. Are you travelers? Locals? Mercs? Give me something to work with.
Skilus
Skilus,
What kind of information do you want? Our proctology exam results? We're not locals, we are broke (financially), we're looking to make dough. Benny has been looking into some of the same sorts of inquiries as you have, and they've encouraged you to go with them to attempt to view an individual who is likely going to start waxing people. Is your distinguished scaliness inclined to go along or not?
Regards, Benny & Tuco
Skilus looks up suddenly at Benny from a dusty tome on Harrowstone's History. "I think there maybe an answer to this whole situation surrounding Splatter Man." Skilus, after a brief pause to reflect continues speaking. "See, it has been 67 years since the fire that claimed so many lives happened at Harrowstone. Since then it has become a place fraught with evil and death where who knows what lurks now within the ruins of Harrowstone. Members of my temple and I chased off an Orc Raider not too long ago. He shrugged off our attacks easily and showed great skill. The raider retreated to the ruins of Harrowstone and he is likely still there. If Splatter Man has returned is likely the Orc has gotten himself possessed or perhaps Splatter Man still walks in undeath and has killed the Orc Raider sparking him to once again terrorize the town. In either case this must be stopped immediately before any innocent townsfolk are slain." Skilus stands up urgently, "I am not a skilled in combat but I am very adept with the ways of healing and preserving life. I will go with you to investigate but we need more than just the three of us. Let us go find some more help."
Benny and Tuco are in agreement with Skilus. We also need to figure out when we do that. We have a 2-week detour to take the books to town and get our reward. We will each need the dough to get needed equipment for tackling the Harrowstone prison, which reportedly has incorporeal undead there.
Given the generally craptastic weather and road conditions at this time of the year, especially with a dwarf on foot, it will take 32 days' round trip to collect your inheritances - not counting that you have to twiddle your collective thumbs in Leipstadt for roughly a week before making the return trip.
You can go collect your inheritances before tackling Harrowstone - but you're going to let whomever it is do whatever it is that they're doing here in Ravengro for about 40 more days of game time.
Skilus glares at Tuco and Benny rather annoyed. He speaks in a raised tone and says, "Reward! How can you possibly even be considering such things?!?" Skilus turns toward Harrowstone with a concerned look on his face. "No, the reward can wait. This is my home and although not everyone cares for my kind I care for them. We are going to Harrowstone now and deal with whoever this Splatter Man is." Skilus looks back at Tuco and Benny still annoyed and says, "Incorporeal Undead? How pray tell do the two of you know anything of them? I don't remember the Wizard our town being the expert on the matter and soldiers even less so. I would imagine your knowledge of them is less than adequate to truly know how they should be dealt with. In any case if we happen to find such undead we can avoid them. I don't see Incorporeal Undead being able to paint things with blood. So I am quite sure we are dealing with something corporeal."
Skilus,
I don't mind waiting on the reward for the books and focusing on the Splatter Man first. That is PRECISELY WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING WE DO. Hello. And that if you and the others don't help me, we will likely have more problems following the return trip. D'uh.
Quite snippy for a lizard man aren't you. Oh well, in the event of your unfortunate passing, I hear Alligator shoes are in this year. I reckon you can be drafted into helping me in that venture.
Respectfully,
Benny & Tuco
A burly fellow sitting at a nearby table overhears your conversation. He flicks the crumbs off of his fingers from one gloved hand as he finishes washing down his breakfast, setting down the ceramic mug on the table, freeing both hands to act if the need should arise.
The man is built like a dwarf half again as tall yet just as wide, seemingly made of solid muscle. Piercing blue eyes stare out from a full salt-n-pepper beard beneath his broad-brimmed hat, his hair crudely cropped just above the collar of his well-worn winter clothing. While not appearing to be wearing any armor, he has a large, curved metal shield leaning against the back of his chair. Blue-black scale-and-leaf patterned accessories complete his winter traveling outfit: a thick belt, bracers, gloves, a bandolier and quiver, rucksack, scabbard, the hat with headband (with a grinning bronze skull front and center) and a full-length heavy cloak. Polished bronze pauldrons depicting fanged serpents perch atop his shoulders while a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles perch atop his many-times-previously-broken nose. A dozen ceramic flasks are attached to the bandolier - in sixes crossing either direction from shoulders to waist - while the well-worn handle of a falcata indicates the weapon in his scabbard. Six of the flasks have odd wicks sticking out of their tops. A silvery brooch depicting an "American Rude Eagle" secures the cloak about his shoulders.
"Out-fricking-standing. What do have here? A bunch of comedians. The best parts of you ran down the cracks of your mothers' rears to become brown stains on the mattresses, didn't they? The troubles in this buttermilk-sucking hole of a village are surely within your dubious capabilities. Or are you just a bunch of craven, grubastic, amphibian turds?
"The terms of the Professor's estate were clear, sweethearts. Your days of molesting yourselves through your pretty pink panties are over. Act like you at least collectively have a pair and solve whatever the problems are that are causing you scumbags to soil your panties. The longer you give the bad guys to mess this sucking hole of a village up, the harder things will be when you scumbags return from collecting your inheritances."
Skilus eyes the stranger at the table and cracks a sliver of a smile. "Well I would say the stranger indeed has a good grasp on the situation at hand." He looks back at Tuco and Benny still smiling ever so slightly and says, "I am sorry for misinterpreting your collective well meant intentions toward dealing with this Splatter Man fellow. I indeed plan on helping you both. As I said before, Ravengro is my home and I will defend it with my life if need be. I too am unable to handle this alone since my combative training is very much lacking. With that said, my true skill is in the healing arts and I am very capable in that area. Many people in Ravengro are alive this day because of my prowess as a healer." Skilus pauses and looks back at the stranger at the table. "Sir, rest assured my comrades here will show you their true metal in the coming days. I am certain then your opinion of them will change for the better once this situation is dealt with." Skilus turns his head slightly toward Tuco and Benny eying both of them and the stranger saying, "isn't that right you two?" Skilus stands and walks toward the door. Without turning around he utters with cheerful but concerned tone, "now let's get down to finding two more people willing to help the three of us."
Luggage (Skilus),
My PCs are thrilled that your skills of putting band aids on children's knees have saved countless lives. We'll look forward to your efforts to cure us when we need it. I think the comments of whoever this dude at the table is, were primarily directed at you, rather than us. As for drafting two other heroes into the group, it is my hope that the hobbit and gnome can stop fondling the gnome's steed/mount long enough to actually say something useful in this conversation, specifically that they agree to help us try to observe, or outright apprehend the d-bag masquerading as the Splatter Man.
Semi-Respectfully,
Benny & Tuco
"I would hit the three of you with a clue-bat, except your thick skulls would break the clue-bat."
Skilus shoots Benny a rather annoyed glare and says in an angry tone, "there is only one person I tolerate calling me Luggage to my face and neither of you are him. Let me be crystal clear with you both on one thing since we will be traveling together." Skilus raises his right index finger, "let's not forgot the old proverb, do not bite the hand that feeds you lest you starve. The application of said proverb applies nicely to my skills as a healer. Skilus pauses and looks at Benny and Tuco with a very deadly serious glare. He continues to speak slowly in a very low angry tone, "be kind to those whose hands hold the key to your well being." Skilus pauses briefly as a slight smile forms and says in a whisper, "lest you die." With that, Skilus stands straight with a big smile going back to his jovial attitude and tone saying, "now that we understand each other let's go get this Splatter Man fellow shall we."
Mr. Skilus,
Perhaps you ought to switch to decaffeinated coffee, brother. We have a business arrangement between party members. You are as dependent on us as we are on you. You lofty healing skills won't help you if we don't keep the bad guys from turning you into swiss cheese. You get stingy with the healing, we get stingy keeping the bad guys from carving out your spleen. Let's keep our partnership the way is is meant to be, and we'll all be happy. Otherwise, you'd better call your fellow lizard at Geico, and get some insurance quick.
B & T
Skilus nods in agreement and with a smile and says, "everything will be fine so long as you do not address me as Luggage again." He continues walking onward and says with a jovial chuckle, "besides all I really have to do if I was being threatened by an enemy trying to, as you put it, carve out my spleen is simple outrun Tuco. It always seemed I was quite a bit faster than smaller races. But that's besides the point, we're all friends here." Skilus lets out a hearty laugh.
K_GM had also inquired as to the availability of hirelings. Naturally, Ravengro has no one so foolishly inclined to die for petty coin from strangers.
Ia! Ia!
The Old Ones crave fresh blood and meat!
Ia! Ia!
The Old Ones crave fresh blood and meat!
The Old Ones shall feast very well during this campaign, oh sane one.
~squiggle~
No one is going to be feasting period if I've got anything to say about it. The fact that I've got Moe, Larry & Curly for fellow players however certainly bodes well for Turin...
How about reading your e-mails? :P
I read 'em & respond quicker than the other three jokers.
I read 'em & respond quicker than the other three jokers.
My demon kittehs meow-meow read and respond to e-mails faster than Larry, Moe, Curly and Shemp. Put together. It's embarrassing.
Hey all, have you considered making a Google group type thing?
That way it'll log everyone's contributions & be easier to read/collate than a bunch of email conversations.
Plus, the journalling transcription to Paizo.com would be easier.
I second the recommendation of infernal forces! I do some RP with a group online, and we have found Google Drive to be a godsend, for exactly the reasons Crazed Cultist has mentioned.
In any case, I too eagerly await the grisly beginning of Carrion Crown.
A week from today the carnage begins in earnest.
Who will claim the most heads?
Will it be "the Splatter Man", spelling out his hapless victim's name in blood on the Harrowstone memorial?
Will it be the 'orc raider' mentioned by Skilus?
Will it be foes or forces not yet reckoned with by the Four Stooges?
Or will the Four Stooges make the brain-addled decision to throw down with Adventurer Hartman for trashing their honor?
A week's time will tell the tale of foolishness, mayhem and violence that will unfold on the grounds of Harrowstone, around the memorial and/or throughout the sucking hole of a village that is Ravengro.
Update: word from Agent J is that the Gnome with No Name will be a gunslinger, most likely packing a musket.
A week from today the carnage begins in earnest.
Who will claim the most heads?
Will it be "the Splatter Man", spelling out his hapless victim's name in blood on the Harrowstone memorial?
Will it be the 'orc raider' mentioned by Skilus?
Will it be foes or forces not yet reckoned with by the Four Stooges?
Or will the Four Stooges make the brain-addled decision to throw down with Adventurer Hartman for trashing their honor?
A week's time will tell the tale of foolishness, mayhem and violence that will unfold on the grounds of Harrowstone, around the memorial and/or throughout the sucking hole of a village that is Ravengro.
Update: word from Agent J is that the Gnome with No Name will be a gunslinger, most likely packing a musket.
I think I only qualify as a Half-Stooge, so edit that to 3.5 stooges.
I'm inclined to say "All of the Above." I'll bring an extra character sheet for Agent J. Show me a 1st level gnome gunslinger riding a poodle with a firearm, and I'll show you a useless character that's going to get the rest of us greased along with himself. If you're going to play a mounted combatant, then use weapons (like maybe a LANCE) that you can use on a charge attack. Sounds reasonable. Apparently not... And when he buys the farm, I'll be donating that poodle to the local Chinese restaurant. Kung Pao Poodle anyone?
Gunslingers don't start with a mount (nor get one later). If he is riding a poodle, he's doing it the same way that le Artiste is doing it.
Gunslingers don't start with a mount (nor get one later). If he is riding a poodle, he's doing it the same way that le Artiste is doing it.
Word before was J was playing a gnome cavalier. I assumed he was playing a cavalier with a musket. If he's dropping cavalier for Gunslinger, then it makes a little more sense. Unfortunately, it fills the 'archer' roll, which means the expectation will be that I will be the 'front line fighter.' Given the disposition of Tuco, I don't think I'll be bailing the gunslinger out of any messes when he ends up overwhelmed, unable to reload, and ends up becoming orc-chow. Even more so, given J's past stint of running from Baba Yaga's Hut when I was getting crushed trying to save his buddy. Orc chow indeed.
I look forward to several helpings of orc chow being served up. ^_____^
As I recall, Haru fled first, then Agent J. Tuco is likely to have some challenges ahead of him remaining alive, sane, and non-dismembered...
To quote a previous CJ post (by Macharious IIRC): "E-mail, where all the real role-playing takes place".
Yup, that was me. Those exchanges are hilarious!
Turin, KGM, and any other players that show up here since I recall some posted in your CoT/Kingmaker journal, I'm very much looking forward to how this proceeds.
To quote a previous CJ post (by Macharious IIRC): "E-mail, where all the real role-playing takes place".Yup, that was me. Those exchanges are hilarious!
Turin, KGM, and any other players that show up here since I recall some posted in your CoT/Kingmaker journal, I'm very much looking forward to how this proceeds.
As am I, good (Sir) Macharius. K_GM may not be given the on-again, off-again capacities of two of the other players. ;)
Never fear though, Agent J is a very capable player.
I miss running tabletop...
I just might have the opportunity coming soon...work schedule may be changing to accommodate a more regular free-time block.
Carrion Crown or Skull & Shackles? Decisions, decisions...
Carrion Crown. ;)
;) This has the added advantage of letting me slide you some tasty, tasty stat-blocks on the side.
Huzzah!
Now I just gotta get that new job and start GM'ing again!
Gibbs got an overhaul, as has Vrood. Just sayin'. ;)
I look forward to several helpings of orc chow being served up. ^_____^
As I recall, Haru fled first, then Agent J. Tuco is likely to have some challenges ahead of him remaining alive, sane, and non-dismembered...
That's true, Haru bravely ran away also. Well, we'll see how his sorry lizard man does in Carrion Crown when the going gets tough and he tries to run away. My prediction: He's Luggage.
That's true, Haru bravely ran away also. Well, we'll see how his sorry lizard man does in Carrion Crown when the going gets tough and he tries to run away. My prediction: He's Luggage.I look forward to several helpings of orc chow being served up. ^_____^
As I recall, Haru fled first, then Agent J. Tuco is likely to have some challenges ahead of him remaining alive, sane, and non-dismembered...
I would take favorable odds on your prediction.
A first-ever double TPK day today for a total of TEN (10) CHARACTER DEATHS in a single session.
First TPK
Names: The Man With No Name (Agent J),Tuco "the Rat" (K_GM), Oloron ("OJ"), Dien'go (le Artiste), Skilus (Haru)
Races: Human, Dwarf, Human, Hobbit, Lizard Man
Classes/levels: Gunslinger (Musket Master) 1, Fighter 1, Wizard 1, Ninja 1, Oracle (Life) 1
Adventure: The Haunting of Harrowstone
Location: The Harrowstone Memorial
Catalyst: Not staying up all night as a group; GM dice hatred of the PCs courtesy of a revised Gibbs Hephenous (re-tooled as a CR 3 4th level Summoner)
The Gory Details: Thanks to sleeping in shifts in the cold, cold night, the Splatter Man possessed Gibbs Hephenous on the 9th day of game time. In this case, the possession reconnects Gibbs with his "youthful roots" as a minor Summoner and devotee of the Great Old Ones. His Eidolon - which is the transformed Old River that occurs when Gibbs is possessed by the Splatter Man - was accompanied by an unseen servant.
What I thought would be the death knell of the party were Gibbs' two bundles of three fuse grenades - the fuses entwined together - which the PCs handily took care of while three of them were entrapped in Gibbs' create pit.
Despite attempting to take it a bit easy on the players, three of the group fell over due to Old River-as-an-eidolon, while Gibbs (half-elf, waving his masterwork elven curve blade with a bull's strength and an enlarge person pushing his STR from 14 to 20) dispatched the other two PCs and Dien'go's trained riding dog. As a result, there was a TPK with Tuco's doom spelled out by his 20 ft. speed against Old River's 40 ft speed and Gibbs' 30 ft speed. Tuco went out swinging, decapitated by Gibbs' attack of opportunity. The rest of the group was bled out and 5 more letters (total of 7) added to the Harrowstone Memorial. The Splatter Man needs just 3 more letters to vanquish his jailer and unleash a small slice of Hell onto Ravengro.
Gibbs Hephenous (CR 3 [800 xp]) when he is not possessed by the Splatter Man, use the printed stat block and CR/XP
CE --/old ghost-possessed Male Varisian half–elf Summoner 4 (CL 5 for summoning spells & his (Sp)) {To advance to 5th level would require that Gibbs kills 15 1st level PCs - a highly unlikely event} 1st Encounter: Init 19 / init 15 for Old River; initial Perception = 27
Init +1; Senses: low-light vision; Perception +6, Sense Motive +0; Feint DC 13; Intimidate DC 16
enlarge person = space 10 ft, reach 10 ft & Intimidate DC 20; Sense Motive DC 20 to notice the possession
Speed 30 ft = 60 ft w/ haste [_] [_] [_] [_]; Stealth +5 (+1 w/ enlarge person) [90’ = DC 20/27; 45’ = DC 15/22; 30’ = DC 14/21]
DEFENSE
hp: 32 ___________\___________________________________________ (24 [4d8] +8 Con | dies at –11 hp)
AC: 20, 19 ff (+3 armor, +2 natural via barkskin) | Incorporeal Touch AC: 15, 14 ff (+4 shield) | Touch AC: 11, 10 ff
AC w/ enlarge person: 19, 18 ff; incorporeal touch AC 14, 13 ff; touch AC 10, 9 ff
Haste: AC 21, 16 incorporeal touch, 12 touch
Enlarge person + haste: AC 20, 15 incorporeal touch, 11 touch
Fort +3, Reflex +2 = +3 w/ haste, Will +4 = +6 vs. enchantments (= bane, beguiling gift, charm person, command, daze, hypnotism, ill omen, memory lapse, unwitting ally)
Immune: magical sleep
CMD: 18, 20 = 19, 21 w/ haste vs. attempts to sunder his elven curve blade; enlarge person = CMD 19, 21 = 20, 22 w/ haste (10 +3 bab +4 Str +1 Dex) <CMD 16 w/o bull’s strength>
OFFENSE
base attack +3
melee +8 mwk elven curve blade (1d10+6, 18-20 = 2d10+12) [atk base +3 +1 enhancement +4 Str] <w/o bull’s strength = +6 melee (1d10+3, 18-20 = 2d10+6)>
haste +9/+9
enlarge person +8 (2d8+7, 18-20 = 4d8+14)
haste + enlarge person +9/+9
cestus +7 (1d4+4 B or P, 19-20 = 2d4+8)
cestus w/ haste +8/+8
cestus w/ enlarge person +7 (1d6+5, 19-20 = 2d6+10)
cestus w/ haste & enlarge person +8/+8
ranged +4 = +5 w/ haste touch via acid splash (1d3 acid, 35 ft) or fuse grenades [_] [_] [_] | [_] [_] [_] [full-round action to light and throw | 10 ft. increment vs. touch AC 5 as a splash weapon | detonates 1d3 rounds after landing = 2d6 bludgeoning +1d6 fire in a 10-ft. radius burst @ DC 15 Reflex half per grenade); the fuse grenades are done in two bundles of three, resulting in detonating at the top of his next turn [3 DC 15 Reflex saving throws for each victim inside the pit]
14 Str (+2) = 18 (+4) w/ bull’s strength, 12 Dex (+1), 14 Con (+2), 12 Int (+1), 10 Wis (+0), 18 Cha (+4)
Feats: EWP (elven curve blade) (B), Expanded Arcana (+1 known 1st), Quick Draw; proficient with light armor & simple weapons
Languages: Aklo, Common, Elven, Terran, Varisian; Trait: Second Tongue (+1 CL for his summoning spells & (Sp))
Skills: Knowledge (planes) +7, 1 rank Linguistics +5, Perception +6, Profession (farmer) +4, Stealth +5
SA: bonded senses (standard action to activate, free action to end, 6/day), summon monster II (Sp, 35 ft range – he prefers to summon Small earth elementals 1 at a time, 6/day [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_], cannot perform while his eidolon remains, CL 5th), unfettered eidolon (eidolon can venture >100 ft away from him without penalty)
SPELLS KNOWN – Concentration +7
Cantrips (at will, DC 14): acid splash, arcane mark, daze [35 ft, ench. – comp; Will negates daze for 1 rd – cannot use against a humanoid that has saved successfully for 1 min], detect magic, guidance [lasts 1 min. = +1 competence bonus on a single attack roll, saving throw or skill check – this must be used before the die roll to which it applies], and read magic
1st Level (4/day [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ], DC 15): daze monster [140 ft range – living creature of not more than 6 HD = Will save or take no actions for 1 round], enlarge person [4 minutes], rejuvenate eidolon – lesser [1d10+4 eidolon hp cured by touch], shield, and unseen servant [lasts 5 hours - can carry 20 lbs’ at his direction; destroyed by 6+ points of area effect damage, base speed 15 feet, maximum distance away from him is 35 feet]
2nd Level (2/day [ ] [ ], DC 16): create pit [140 ft; Reflex negates – DC is 14 for those that end their turn in squares adjacent to the pit to also not fall in; 10 ft x 10 ft x 20 ft deep (2d6 damage from falling in; DC 25 Climb to get out) for 5 rounds], and haste [4 rounds’ duration]
EIDOLON – “Old River” [favored class = +1 evolution pool = 8 points]
Medium Quadruped base form – CE Medium Outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar)
hp: 20 (17 [3d10] +3 Con) || If Old River is reduced to – 10 hp, it cannot be called upon again until the Splatter Man possesses Gibbs once more.
Speed: 40 ft., climb 40 ft (+16), swim 40 ft (+16); Stealth +8
AC: 18, 16 ff / Touch AC: 12, 10 ff (+6 natural, +2 Dex), CMD 17 || haste = AC 19, Touch AC 13, CMD 18
Darkvision 60 ft; Perception +6 [+10 to track by scent]; Languages: Aklo
Fort +4, Reflex +5 – evasion || haste = +6, Will +3 | Feats: Iron Will, Multiattack | 15 Str, 15 Dex, 13 Con, 7 Int, 10 Wis, 11 Cha
BAB +3, CMB +5 = gore +5 (1d6+2); full-round attack = gore +5 (1d6+2), bite +3 (1d6+2), 2 claws +3/+3 (1d4+2); charge w/ pounce = gore +7, bite +5, 2 claws +5/+5 = AC drops to 16/touch 10 natural weapons are not blocked by protection from chaos/evil spells
haste = gore +6/+6, bite +4, 2 claws +4; charge w/ pounce & haste = gore +8/+8, bite +6, 2 claws +6/+6
Evolutions: (3 +1 +1 +3) – claws, climb, improved natural armor, pounce, scent, swim, gore
Gibb’s Gear (2,400 gp)
1 spell component pouch [5 gp; 2 lbs]; 10 gp miniature shovel (F for create pit)
CL 3rd arcane scroll of barkskin (+2 natural armor for 30 min.), bull’s strength (3 min) and extended shield (6 min.) in a watertight tube – 1 he will use as part of pre-combat buffing [902 gp; 1 lb – its wooden tube is sealed with a pound of wax]
1 mwk elven curve blade (380 gp – sold = 190 gp) [7 lbs, hardness 10, 10 hp]
1 mwk suit of studded leather armor (175 gp – sold = 87 gp & 5 sp) [+3 armor, 0 check penalty, 20 lbs, hardness 10, 15 hp]
2 cestus (10 gp – both can be sold for 5 gp) [unarmed strikes do not provoke & deal damage as above; hardness 10, 5 hp each]
6 potions of cure light wounds (1d8+1)
6 fuse grenades (in bundles of 3) & 2 tindertwigs (move action to light, standard action to throw for each bundle) (random fuse burn time combined with the fuse grenades being in bundles of 3 *should* result in each bundle going off at the top of his following initiative count) [1,3,3] & [1, 1, 2] = both bundles will indeed detonate according to schedule
Waterskin and war razor for getting the blood he needs to write the letters with.
10 gp
1 cold weather outfit
Second TPK
Names: The Man With No Name (Agent J), Krabby Pete (K_GM), Oloron ("OJ"), Dien'go (le Artiste), Skilus (Haru); Fido (pet of Dien'go)
Races: Human, Dwarf, Human, Hobbit, Lizard Man; combat-trained riding dog
Classes/levels: Gunslinger (Musket Master) 1, Cleric of Desna 1, Wizard 1, Ninja 1, Oracle 1 (Life); combat-trained riding dog
Adventure: The Haunting of Harrowstone
Location: The Warden's House on the grounds of Harrowstone
Catalyst: Standing up and fighting instead of bravely running away; GM dice hatred of the PCs courtesy of a CR 4 orc skeletal champion Fighter (Viking) 3
The Gory Details: Resting against the northern face of the derelict Warden's House outside of the ruins of Harrowstone proper lay the bones of a mighty orc "raider" from Belkzen that had been driven off from the Temple of Pharasma while Skilus was away on holiday being initiated into the church. Our Heroes elected to scout the house first thing upon entering the grounds of Harrowstone.
The distance penalties on Perception checks are brutal. Our Heroes noticed the bones of the orc raider moving about the north face around towards the eastern face of the house.
When they could perceive the creature in full, they beheld an orc skeletal champion Fighter 3 (Viking) clad in breastplate, heavy shield, cold iron battleaxe and 5 chakram. The bloodbath was furious, the gunslinger missed one shot by 1 point (which was their best weapon against the thing, since its touch AC is half of its regular AC). Sadly, the PCs failed to pull a Sir Robin. This resulted in the orc skeletal champion slaughtering the entire group and their pet dog too.
Skeletal Champion Advanced Orc Fighter (Viking) 3rd CR 4 (1,200 XP) – stands 7 ft tall; 164 lbs of solid bone
CE Medium undead (moderate aura of chaos and evil)
Initiative +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Perception +10, Sense Motive +10
This orc’s bones move with menacing grace in its mail-and-cuirass armor. Fell blue lights flicker in its eye sockets. A cold iron battle axe compliments five steel chakram while its battered heavy steel shield is clearly quite serviceable. A half-dozen crossbow bolts are buried fletching-deep in its cuirass. Its weapons and armor are somewhat corroded as if they had lain exposed to the elements of winter for a short time.
Offense
Tactics the nameless orc skeletal champion, upon realizing that fresh victims are nearby [he will hear walking PCs at 100 feet – note that at that distance the Perception DC to likewise note his presence and location is initially a 28], proceeds to Stealth around the east side of the house in order to either drive foes into the derelict building or further onto the grounds – anywhere but across the gate and out of the prison grounds, if he can help it. He will get as close as possible. Assuming 100 feet as the initial encounter distance, the initial Perception DC opposed by his Stealth is a net of 28 as he begins to move. This drops to a DC of 23 when he closes to 50 feet, 20 at 25 feet. If he actually attains surprise, he executes a partial charge using Power Attack, preferentially targeting those in close proximity to each other or that are sporting holy symbols of Pharasma - both are ideal. Any obvious paladins are the prime target of choice – if the other PCs are accompanying one or more Paladins, he will attempt to slaughter the Paladins outright (dropping them to negative hp is sufficiently equivalent) as his priority targets. Given his initiative bonus of +8, there is a good chance that, if the orc catches the group with their pants down and sufficiently bunched together, he can cleave/cleaving finish the lot without the group getting in a lick in return! Foes that attempt to flee he attempts to mow down either via charge (if they’re close enough for him to do so) or chakram (if they’re not within 40 feet). Foes that flee into the ruins of Harrowstone are ignored – the orc instead sets up shop in the ruined gatehouse. If he completely annihilates the PCs, he will instead attempt to massacre the Pharasman clerics in the temple in town at night.
SA Intimidate +16 (move action to demoralize one target within 30 feet) {DC = 10 +# HD +Wisdom modifier +specific bonuses vs. fear; success = shaken for 1 round +1 round per +5 > target’s DC || A 1st level PC is not going to have a DC higher than 18 <10 +1 HD +2 trait +1 race/luck +4 Wis> – and most likely quite a bit lower than this, so the orc will take advantage of a situation that permits both Cleave and Intimidate in the same round. It won’t attempt to demoralize a “holy man”, saving this ability for “mental runts” that are not holy men, scrawny folk wearing robes and pointy hats or the like.}, Cleaving Finish {1/round when he drops a target to 0 or fewer hit points as a result of a melee attack, he makes another melee attack at his full attack bonus against another foe within reach}
Speed (30 ft) 20 ft. in his breastplate; Climb +11, Stealth +8
Thrown: chakram +8 @ 30 ft range increment (1d8+7 S) (5 carried) [ ] [ ] [_] [_] [_] {+8 @ 25’; +6 @ 30-55’; +4 @ 60-85’; +2 @ 90-115’; +0 @ 120-150’)
Melee: mwk cold iron battleaxe +12 (1d8+7 / x3 = 3d8+21) or 2 claws +11 (1d4+7; confirmed critical hit = 2d4+14).
Power Attack w/ mwk cold iron battleaxe +10 (1d8+11 / x3 = 3d8+33) (–2 attack / +4 damage)
Power Attack w/ 2 claws +9 (1d4+9) (–2 attack / +2 damage)
Cleave w/ mwk cold iron battleaxe +12; +12 vs. adjacent target if the first attack connects (1d8+7/x3) standard action to Cleave
Power Attack & Cleave w/ mwk cold iron battleaxe +10; +10 vs. adjacent target if the first attack connects (1d8+11/x3)
Power Attack & Cleave w/ claw +9; +9 vs. adjacent target if the first attack connects (1d4+9)
Defense
AC 28, flat-footed 24 (touch, +4 natural, +6 armor, +4 shield)
Touch AC 14, flat-footed 10 (10 +4 Dex)
Cleave AC 26, flat-footed 22 (–2)
Cleave Touch AC 12, ff touch 8
hp 36 (5 HD; 2d8 [9] +3d10 [22] +5 Cha) recovers hp @ 5 hp for 8 hours’ uninterrupted rest or 10 hp for each day and night of uninterrupted rest
CMD 17 [25] (10 +4 base attack +7 Str +4 Dex)
Fort +4 (3+1 Cha), Ref +5 (1+4 Dex), Will +5 = +9 vs. channel energy (3 +2 Wis); channel resistance +4
DR 5/bludgeoning; Feint DC 20
Immune cold, undead traits [ability damage to Str & Dex, ability drain, bleed, death attacks, disease, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, mind–affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale, patterns & phantasms), nonlethal damage, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning], not subject to attacks and effects that require a Fortitude saving throw unless that attack or effect can also affect objects
Weakness - Arrogant: The orc skeletal champion is an arrogant piece of work. He never takes attacks of opportunity. Until such time as he survives a combat encounter with PCs that successfully use combat maneuvers against him, he does not apply his Dex bonus to his CMD and only applies half of his Str bonus to his CMD. If he learns the lesson (surviving a combat during which multiple combat maneuvers are successfully used against him), he applies his full CMD thereafter. If he similarly learns to take attacks of opportunity when they present themselves, he will thereafter take such attacks of opportunity during subsequent combat encounters.
Statistics
Str 25 (+7), Dex 19 (+4), Con —, Int 12 (+1), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 12 (+1)
Base Atk +4 (1+3); CMB +11 (4+7); CMD 25 (10 +4 base attack +7 Str +4 Dex)
Feats Cleave, Cleaving Finish, Improved Initiative(B), Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack (–2/+4), Shield Focus; proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor and shields (excluding tower shields)
Skills: Climb +11 (5 ranks +3 class +7 Str –4 check penalty), Intimidate +16 (5 ranks +3 class +1 Cha +7 Str), Perception +10 (5 ranks +3 class +2 Wis), Sense Motive +10 (5 ranks +3 class +2 Wis), Stealth +8 (5 ranks +3 class +4 Dex –4 check penalty)
Gear: masterwork cold iron battleaxe (320 gp) [6 lbs], masterwork breastplate armor (350 gp) [–3 check penalty; 30 lbs], masterwork heavy steel shield (170 gp) [15 lbs, –1 check penalty], 5 chakram (5 gp) [5 lbs], ruined traveler’s outfit [5 lbs], whetstone [1 lb]; 1,560 gp of plunder
SQ: fearsome (move action to Intimidate a foe to demoralize), shield defense +1, weapon familiarity (“orc” weapons)
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Orc, Varisian
Knowledge (religion) check results:
DC 12: This orc appears to have arisen as a skeletal champion, an undead horror that retains its intellect and skills from life while imbued with additional strength and grace in undeath. As a skeleton, bludgeoning weapons are required to deal full weapon damage. A magic stone imbues projectiles that are especially destructive to the undead.
DC 17: These creatures are immune to cold yet not vulnerable to fire.
DC 22: These creatures are quite resistant to channeled energies meant to command or destroy them.
Knowledge (local) check results:
DC 5 – these are the bones of an orc, presumably from Belkzen to the west.
DC 15 – based on the remnants of its garb, this particular orc hails from one of a few clans among the orcs of Belkzen that have a ferocious reputation as border raiders. They are as legendary for their ferocity in combat and their intimidating prowess.
Heal check result:
DC 10 – the creature appears to have been slain by several dozen light crossbow bolts and sling bullets based on the damage to its armor and shield – and the half dozen bolts still lodged in its cuirass. Interestingly, none of the wounds delivered by the projectiles would have been fatal.
Ability Scores: Heroic Melee (15/13/14/10/12/8) +4 all (19/17/18/14/16/12) plus Orc (23/17/18/12/14/10)
Needless to say, the PCs didn't even enter the ruins of Harrowstone proper.
I gotta tell you, after today‘s session, I felt like the Wil E Coyote, at the end of a Road Runner (Warner Brothers) cartoon. If I was ever a ‘killer GM,’ I need to surrender the title to one greater than myself. I was happy to be playing Pathfinder again, and very pleased to have Turin behind the Monkey's Screen once again. Personally, I don't mind the Two TPKs, but I‘d have preferred if we’d had slightly more than a snow-ball‘s chance in hell of winning. The problem with the TPKs was mainly the perception amongst the other players that they had no chance of winning. While that may not technically be true, neither encounter was remotely close. We did all of 4 HP of damage to the first villain in encounter #1, and the Gunslinger did legit damage 11 HP to the orc skeleton. After reading the lovely stat blocks for the two villains we came across, I can't honestly tell you that we had any significant chance of winning, particularly against the Orc Skeleton Champion. Why didn't we run away? From the moment we saw the skeleton champion (who looked very normal and run of the mill), he nailed the rogue and dropped him to Negative HP straight out of the gate. During the entirety of the 2nd fight, all I did was heal other characters, before I got greased in one hit. Every single character the orc skeleton champion hit went down in 1 hit, with possibly one exception. There really wasn't a chance to run away, unless that meant leaving several fellow player characters to die. I try to avoid that, but arguably should have done so. I actually would have, had Turin not had the orc skeleton charge me, and drop me and one other character in one hit, IN THE SAME ROUND! The combo of a 28 AC, 36 HP, Attacks rolls of +12 or higher, undead traits, and Damage rolls of a d8+11 (NOT including Power Attack damage, which Turin always did IIRC), against five 1st level characters simply put this encounter out of reach. I am unaware whether the other players heard any suggestion by Turin to target the orc skeleton with CMB attacks, though he reported that he did advise it. If they did hear Turin advise them to try combat maneuvers, they didn’t do it. I didn’t hear any suggestion. That said, the orc skeleton had a CMD of 25. My cleric’s CMB is a Plus ONE (+1). Not much I could do there. During the fight, given the orc’s clear high strength and Dex, I determined that none of use could realistically use Combat Maneuvers effectively. Whether or not Turin mentioned to try Combat Maneuvers, he did NOT mention even to me afterwards that he stated that the orc skeleton willingly applied penalties to his own rolls. At 1st level, as a player, I really didn’t think my comrades, or myself even considered that we needed to try to assist one another in grappling a single orc skeleton. Understand, I don't entirely object to "unwinnable" encounters, but there was NO way of escape from the First encounter. I moved 20'/round, the bad guys moved 30-35'/round. In the 2nd fight, I was charged, hit (while at full HP) and dropped in 1 Hit. The second encounter would have meant leaving several downed Pcs, and after the 3rd round, Not much of a chance to withdraw...
You and the rest of the critics had best sit down and review the following facts from the extensive amount of time leading up to the session.
22nd March: The ground rules e-mailed out; clear forewarning given to have 4-5 PCs ready to go for the first session per player.
About this time frame I made it as plain as day that the first chapter alone held the potential for 3 or 4 TPKs if the group didn't have its act together. This was done across multiple phone calls and in person in addition to e-mail.
10th April, 3 am EST time frame: "What You Know" e-mails sent to K_GM and Haru. Flavor text sent to le Artiste as his 'burglar' was given no significant knowledge skills. Everyone, all four (4) players, were sent the reading of the will - and the contents of the Professor's journal. Apparently, no one could be bothered to read this very important e-mail.
(19th January 4711)
I see now just how ill prepared I was when I last set out for Harrowstone. I am lucky to have returned at all. The ghosts, if indeed they were ghosts (for I did not find it prudent to investigate further) prevented me from transcribing the strange symbols I found etched along the foundation—hopefully on my next visit I will be more prepared. Thankfully, the necessary tools to defend against spirits are already here in Ravengro. I know that the church of Pharasma used to store them in a false crypt in the Restlands at the intersection between Eversleep and the Black Path. I am not certain if the current clergy even know of what their predecessors have hidden down below. If my luck holds, I should be able to slip in and out with a few borrowed items.
Everyone got this e-mail, pointing out the presence of a cache of goodies ripe for the taking in the graveyard on the opposite side of town from the Harrowstone Memorial - and even exactly where the false crypt is located. Quite a few important pieces of information were included in the reading of the will and more importantly within the Professor's journal. The false crypt, accounting for the intended compression of combat encounters, had correspondingly beefed up goodies sitting therein.
What you all quickly learn (DC 10 Knowledge checks):
1.) Harrowstone is a ruined prison on the southern side of town, lurking atop a hill past a 25-foot-tall stone memorial to the Warden, partially destroyed by a fire some 67 years ago. The prison has stood vacant ever since. The locals suspect that the place is haunted, nor do they enjoy discussing the place.
2.) The Whispering Way is a sinister organization of necromancers that has been active in the Inner Sea region for millennia.
3.) The night of the reading of Professor Lorrimor’s Last Will and Testament to Skilus and Bennie, someone or something had gone and drawn the letter “V” in blood upon the memorial monument on the south side of town on the direct land route to the ruins of the Harrowstone prison. On the 4th night after the initial reading of the Will, the letter “E” was drawn in blood upon the monument next to the V. Any night now a third letter should be drawn upon the monument. No one has seen anything happen at the monument, although the local teenagers are currently avoiding the monument like a plague.
Not a big deal, this lets the PCs know that someone or something is doing stuff in early February. This also provides incentive for the PCs to do some research.
Ironically, you are native to the small town of Ravengro, county of Canterwall, nation of Ustalav. As we discussed, you were raised by Vauren Grimburrow, the head of the temple of Pharasma (7th level Cleric), who raised you from when you hatched amongst the backwards, insular humans and half-humans of the small town of Ravengro, population 311 (12 hobbits, 8 elves, 7 dwarves, 3 half-elves).
Ravengro was established a mere 117 years ago to support the prison of Harrowstone which was built to answer a growing need to house extremely dangerous criminals (for a suitable price) in addition to the county’s general criminal populace. Ravengro was to house the prison’s employees and provide for all of the supplies that the prison would need - food, water, tools, weapons and anything else necessary.
Unfortunately, the prison was destroyed in a horrific fire 67 years after the town’s founding - and only 9 years before the general regional, bloodless uprising against the oppressive ruling class that used to govern Ustalav. Historians often point to Harrowstone’s destruction as one of the triggering events that led to that uprising. The loss of the prison combined with the Count’s inability / lack of interest - and subsequently the same lack of interest / inability on the part of the government of Canterwall - disenfranchised your town’s citizenry, who were all too eager to embrace the new democracy 9 years later.
Harrowstone remains a constant reminder of darker times, squatting atop the southern hill overlooking the town. The town itself has recovered remarkably well, today considered a healthy farming community blessed with fertile fields and orchards. The chief exports are barley, corn and wheat. The town is close to “The Great Blue Dot” - Lake Lias - so locals often supplement food stores with fishing. The Dot does not begin to approach supporting more than the local demand. It is perhaps your favorite place to get away from the insular townsfolk.
You know that while the townsfolk are often hesitant to talk to strangers, they’re certainly have no problem flabberjawing about strangers amongst themselves. Gossiping and rumormongering are traditional pastimes amongst Ravengrans, especially regarding strangers.
Current Rumors that you are aware of
1.) Now and then, if you venture close to Harrowstone near or after sundown, you can hear the ghost of the warden’s wife wailing and sobbing from somewhere within the ruins. Some say that she has haunted the ruins since the fire claimed her, forever mourning the loss of her husband and attempting to frighten anyone who intrudes upon the prison.
2.) You heard from Vauren Grimburrow that a crazed orc raider snuck into the temple just after supper one night while you were gone for your initiation. He and the other 12 acolytes (including yourself) of Pharasma were able to drive the raider off in a hail of sling bullets and crossbow bolts. The cretin made good his escape from the temple grounds and into the ruins of Harrowstone. No one Vauren knows of is aware of the orc’s fate, although Vauren suspects that he ultimately succumbed to his wounds on the grounds of the prison.
Areas of Ravengro that you are familiar with
A.) Town Square - Gibbs’ hound Old River is considered the town dog. The mutt watches out for the children - to the point of mauling would-be kidnappers and ne’er-do-wells intent on doing bad things to the kiddies - and is something of a town mascot. Old River often follows the smaller children if he spots the little pinkskins running off alone or in small groups During the day Old River often zonks out on or about the gazebo, returning to Gibbs’ shack on the southern outskirts of the evening hours, about sunset.
B.) The Posting Poles are Ravengro’s version of the criers and boards you have seen in other towns and cities. Generally all five of them have identical notices. The oldest son of the tavern owner has been post boy for the past 3 years. At the posting poles the locals leave news of nuptials, job postings for farmhands, or notices of missing pets. The most popular local item is the “Wednesday Parchment”, a weekly posting written by councilman Gharen Muricar who lives in a generously-sized house on the northwestern outskirts of town not far from the temple.
C.) The Laughing Demon - Ravengro’s only tavern, run by Zokar Elkarid. He holds the philosophy that the best way to meet the horrors of the world is with humor. The menu has humorous names for his drinks and meals, with offerings such as: vampire steaks (cuts of beef skewered on thick wood spikes - you order yours rare), wolfballs (lamb meatballs served on plates painted to look like the face of the full moon), corpse chowder (a thick stew with red broth and chunks of meat) and liquid ghosts (a sweet pale ale that glows faintly with a greenish tint). The regulars enjoy telling visitors tall tales about what’s really served in the food here.
D.) Town Hall - off of the town square. This is an all-purpose facility for damn near everything: council meetings, wedding receptions and - when it rains - the annual town cook-off. Council meetings are generally scheduled on the first Monday of the month, often lasting well into the night.
E.) Temple of Pharasma - your home and the most elaborate building in town. Its eastern facade displays an intricate stained glass mural depicting a stern Pharasma judging the infamous Count Andachi (a previous ruler of the province). The day to day tending of the sheeple, maintenance of both temple and the Restlands - the large moorland reserved for interring the town’s dead - are largely seen to by yourself and 11 other acolytes. The sale of minor magic items - particularly holy water and potions of cure light wounds & potions of restoration - lesser - is also the acolytes’ responsibility.
You also know that the temple offers the following: 1 piece of incense of meditation (4,900 gp) a +1 silver morningstar (2,308 gp), a wand of cure moderate wounds (19 remaining charges = 1,710 gp) and a scroll of restoration (1,700 gp - this does include the M component) from the temple’s vault, to which only Vauren carries the key. He normally does not ever mention these items as available for sale to anyone at all. None of these prices reflect purchase by the “less acceptable” races.
F.) Ravengro General Store - off of the town square. Everyday items and tools are procured here by the married proprietors and their five daughters. The store caters to local needs, but they also carry most of the adventuring gear, tools and skill kits in the Core Rulebook. They do not carry armor, shields or weapons, let alone magic items. They do have a display suit of masterwork full plate armor that stands guard at the back of the store - persuading them to sell it is a task in and of itself, by your suspicion at least.
G.) Ravengro Forge - a middle-aged female dwarf (approaching dwarven old age) has lived and run her forge for so long that she is seen more as an institution than as a neighbor. She arrived only a month after the town was founded and has been here ever since. She keeps a good selection of armor and weapons on hand, including masterwork varieties. She let slip just before you left for your initiation that she has a +1 blade and a +1 light steel shield for sale to any interested buyers that you happen to come across.
H.) Jominda’s Apothecary - she keeps a well-stocked supply of pharmacological provisions - both herbal and alchemical. She provides all of the special substances and items listed in the Core Rulebook as well as most common M spell components and a good selection of potions that she will sell to those she trusts. She doesn’t trust you, scaleface. Rumors persist that she crafts and sells dangerous alchemical items like drugs or poisons.
I.) Ravengro Jail - a small jail, typically not occupied by the incarcerated for more than a few days. The sheriff is Benjan Caeller, who has four part-time deputies (Leromar, Riff, Trestleblade and Vrodish). Each deputy spends a few days a week working as farm hands on the outlying farmsteads. Most of the police work involves keeping order at the tavern or inn and making sure everyone stays calm and honest when the tax collectors come riding through town from Caliphas.
J.) The Silk Purse - moneylenders, a married couple that employ 8 humans for security. You are not welcome there.
K.) The Outward Inn - board and breakfast, owner is reputed to be a retired singer from Caliphas.
L.) The Unfurling Scroll - a retired Wizard turned tutor runs the place for the “lucky” children. He teaches history, arithmetic and reading/writing as well as basic magical theory. He is a notoriously strict tutor, so few tutors enjoy the lessons. He supplements his income by buying and reselling minor magic items - primarily scrolls. You suspect that he has a fairly decent selection of magic items available for purchase.
N.) The Lorrimor Place - where the fit hits the shan. The Last Will and Testament are read here and Professor Lorrimor’s heir and only daughter resides here.
O.) Harrowstone Memorial - a 25 foot tall moss-covered stone statue that overlooks the river that runs through the town, it is the most distinctive landmark other than the prison-ruins of Harrowstone itself. The statue depicts Warden Hawkran of Harrowstone. 25 names - those who died in the fire of 4661, including the warden’s wife Vessorianna - are chiseled into the statue’s stone base. The memorial is also a popular meeting spot for late-night trysts among the YDFC crowd of the town due to the “right mix” of tragic romance and spooky ambience without actually being on the supposedly haunted grounds of the prison proper.
P.) The Restlands - town cemetery, generally well maintained, very large. Tradition dictates that whenever one passes by or through, one must first always draw a spiral over one’s heart as a sign of respect to ward against the risk of your passage disturbing the sleep of the dead.
Q.) Gibbs Hephenous’ Shack - a ramshackle building home to the town’s most foul-tempered retired farmer, owner of the far more benevolent dog Old River. His land lies on the most direct route from town to the memorial and thence to the ruined prison of Harrowstone.
R.) The southern approach to Ravengro inevitably comes across the looming ruined prison of Harrowstone from atop its bleak hill, a constant inspiration for bad dreams and tall tales. THE MAP IS SEPARATE.
Your research after the initial reading of Professor Lorrimor’s Last Will and Testament
You conduct three days’ research at the Temple of Pharasma, uncovering the following additional information:
1.) Agents of the Whispering Way often seek alliances with undead creatures, or are themselves undead. The Whispering Way’s most notorious member was Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, although the
society itself has existed much longer than even that mighty necromancer of old.
2.) The Whispering Way itself is a series of philosophies that can only be transferred via whispers — the philosophies are never written or spoken of loudly, making the exact goals and nature of the secretive
philosophy difficult for outsiders to learn much about.
However, one notes a discrepancy between Skilus' time frame and K_GM's Wizard. At this point in time, "OJ" joining the game seemed a pipe dream. Instead, K_GM's Wizard 'Bennie of the Hills', with some very nice Knowledge skills at his disposal, racked up ...
In addition to the scraps of general information, Bennie learns the following information via access to the records of the Temple of Pharasma, courtesy of Skilus:
Regarding the Whispering Way
1.) Agents of the Whispering Way often seek alliances with undead creatures, or are themselves undead. The Whispering Way’s most notorious member was Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, although the
society itself has existed much longer than even that mighty necromancer of old.
2.) The Whispering Way itself is a series of philosophies that can only be transferred via whispers — the philosophies are never written or spoken of loudly, making the exact goals and nature of the secretive
philosophy difficult for outsiders to learn much about.
3.) Exact details on the society are difficult to discern, but chief among the Whispering Way’s goals are
discovering formulae for creating liches and engineering the release of the Whispering Tyrant. Agents often travel to remote sites or areas plagued by notorious haunts or undead menaces to perform field research or even to capture unique monsters. Their symbol is a gagged skull, and those who learn too many of the Way’s secrets are often murdered, and their mouths mutilated to prevent their bodies from divulging secrets via speak with dead spells and similar abilities.
Regarding the prison of Harrowstone:
1.) Harrowstone was built in 4594 (the current year is 4711). Ravengro was founded at the same time as a place where guards and their families could live and that would produce food and other supplies used by the prison. The fire that killed all of the prisoners and most of the guards destroyed a large portion of the prison’s underground eastern wing, but left most of the stone structure above relatively intact. The prison’s warden perished in the fire, along with his wife, although no one knows why she was in the prison when the fire occurred. A statue commemorating the warden and the guards who lost their lives was built in the months after the tragedy—that statue still stands on the riverbank just outside the southern side of town.
2.) Most of the hardened criminals sent to Harrowstone spent only a few months imprisoned, for it was here that most of Ustalav’s executions during that era were carried out. The fire that caused the tragedy was, in fact, a blessing in disguise, for the prisoners had rioted and gained control of the prison’s dungeons immediately prior to the conflagration. It was only through the self sacrifice of Warden Hawkran and 23 of his guards that the prisoners were prevented from escaping—the guards gave their lives to save the town of Ravengro.
3.) At the time Harrowstone burned, five particularly notorious criminals had recently arrived at the prison. While the commonly held belief is that the tragic fire began accidentally after the riot began, in fact the prisoners had already seized control of the dungeon and had been in command of the lower level for several hours before the fire. Warden Hawkran triggered a deadfall to seal the rioting prisoners in the lower level, but in so doing trapped himself and nearly two dozen guards. The prisoners were in the process of escaping when the panicked guards accidentally started the fire in a desperate attempt to end the riot.
Regarding the Five Infamous Prisoners of Harrowstone:
1.) Originally, Harrowstone housed only local criminals, but as the prison’s fame spread, other counties and distant lands began paying to have more dangerous criminals housed within this prison’s walls. At the time of the great Harrowstone Fire, the number of particularly violent or dangerous criminals imprisoned within the dungeons below was at an all-time high.
2.) The five most notorious prisoners in Harrowstone at the time of the great fire were Father Charlatan, the Lopper, the Mosswater Marauder, the Piper of Illmarsh, and the Splatter Man.
2a.) Father Charlatan (Sefick Corvin): Of the five notorious prisoners, only Father Charlatan was not technically a murderer, yet his crimes were so blasphemous that several churches demanded he be punished to the full extent of Ustalavic law. Although he claimed to be an ordained priest of any number of faiths, Father Corvin was in fact a traveling con artist who used faith as a mask and a means to bilk the faithful out of money in payment for false miracles or cures. He became known as Father Charlatan after his scheme was exposed and his Sczarni accomplices murdered a half-dozen city guards in an attempt to make good the group’s escape.
2b.) The Lopper (Vance Saetressle): When the Lopper stalked prey, he would hide in the most unlikely of places, sometimes for days upon end with only a few supplies to keep him going while he waited for the exact right moment to strike. Once his target was alone, the Lopper would emerge to savagely behead his victim with a handaxe.
2c.) The Mosswater Marauder (Ispin Onyxcudgel): Only 5 years before his hometown of Mosswater was
destined to be overrun and ruined by monsters from the nearby river, Ispin Onyxcudgel was a well-liked artisan and a doting husband. When he discovered his wife’s infidelity, he flew into a jealous rage and struck her dead with his hammer, shattering her skull and his sanity with one murderous blow. Wracked with shame and guilt, Ispin became convinced that if he could rebuild his wife’s skull she would come back to life—but unfortunately, he could not find the last blade-shaped fragment from the murder site. So instead, Ispin became the Mosswater Marauder. Over the course of several weeks, the cunning dwarf stalked and murdered nearly 20 people while searching for just the right skull fragment. He was captured just before murdering the daughter of a visiting nobleman from Varno, and was carted off to Harrowstone that same night.
2d.) The Piper of Illmarsh (real name unknown): Before he snatched his victims, the Piper taunted his
targets with a mournful dirge on his flute. He preferred to paralyze lone victims by dosing their meals with lich dust and then allowed his pet stirges to drink the victims dry of blood.
2e.) The Splatter Man (Hean Feramin): Professor Feramin was a celebrated scholar of Anthroponomastics (the study of personal names and their origins) at the Quartrefaux Archives in Caliphas. Yet an accidental association with a succubus twisted and warped his study, turning it into an obsession. Feramin became obsessed with the power of a name and how he could use it to terrify and control. Soon enough, his reputation was ruined, he’d lost his tenure, and he’d developed an uncontrollable obsession with an imaginary link between a person’s name and what happens to that name when the person dies. Every few days, he would secretly arrange for his victim to find a letter from her name written in blood, perhaps smeared on a wall or spelled out with carefully arranged entrails. Once he had spelled his victim’s name,
he would at last come for her, killing her in a gory mess using a complex trap or series of rigged events meant to look like an accident.
One may ask "why does Skilus have six days' game time to kill after setting up K_GM's Wizard in the Temple of Pharasma?". The answer, gentle readers is very, very simple.
So the local could ask some questions! Yes, the e-mails containing what the PCs' knew did not prohibit further questions of the NPCs. No one asked any further questions in the FIVE (5) WEEKS prior to the session.
12th April: K_GM notes the drawing of the first two letters upon the Harrowstone Memorial. Between 12th April and 2nd May I know for a fact that, at least twice, I advised Haru and K_GM to share the information that they gleaned from their individual e-mails with the entire group. This would have provided at least two more pairs of eyes to pass over each others' information.
More later as time permits.
K_GM,
The first encounter was the culmination of a series of bad decisions specifically by you and Haru as outlined in my previous post.
Clue-bat #1.) Not one of the four recipients of the e-mail containing the Professor's journal apparently could be bothered to actually read it. The most important journal entry plainly describes a false crypt that the Professor liberated some items from for his second venture into Harrowstone. The false crypt's precise location is provided. I upgraded the contents of the false crypt to account for the bad guys you might come across. This information was available to all of you five WEEKS prior to the session.
Clue-bat #2.) Neither you nor Haru, despite at least two suggestions by me, could be bothered to share the information that you uncovered / were individually sent with the other three players. Again, this information was available and could have been shared had either of you two bothered to spend the, what, ten seconds it would have taken to forward the e-mail to the rest of the group. Additional sets of eyes perusing your two's information might have noticed details that you and Haru missed. Instead, you and Haru kept the information sent to you and decided not to disseminate the information to the rest of the group.
Clue-bat #3.) Haru, being the only local PC and having six days of game time before your Wizard would be done, had a cornucopia of local information to start asking questions with via e-mail. Sadly, Haru did not ask any further questions based on his information. Other than perhaps a question of his mentor/adoptive parent regarding Harrowstone.
Clue-bat #4.) Having five (5) weeks of real time with which to digest the information and perhaps share it, I even had an obnoxious NPC berate the PCs in an attempt to get you and Haru to re-examine all of this previous information and perhaps share it with Agent J and le Artiste. Once again, neither of you saw fit to share the information, nor did any of you attempt to use these several weeks' real time to ask further questions of the locals.
Before the session even began, you and Haru electing not to share your information and everyone apparently not being bothered to read the e-mail containing the Professor's journal did not bode well for the group's viability. As it turned out, your two's decisions not to forward two e-mails to the rest of the group resulted in the doom that could have been avoided.
Regarding the combat encounters in question.
1st encounter, Gibbs Hephenous, Summoner 4 (CR 3): In the daytime he was a sitting duck. I deliberately played him up as a curmudgeon worthy of being whacked where there were no witnesses, especially knowing that at least one of the initial PCs was Chaotic Neutral and could fairly easily justify, at a minimum, pummelling the grumpy old fart into a bloody pulp. I even slathered on the smack talk, attempting to goad at least one of the players into pasting the old bugger into a comatose lump. K_GM, your instinct to grease the old man was spot on.
Clue-bat #5.) The old man and his dog knew that you were there. I even had him come back around again at dusk, whapping you with this clue-bat TWICE. You guys could have relocated away from the Memorial, using the dim light to observe the goings-on. Just on this basis alone the fight was wholly avoidable. Yet the group stayed put in the SAME SPOT all day and all night.
Clue-bat #6.) The PCs knew that the 'Splatter Man' was probably going to be drawing more letters on the Harrowstone Memorial that night - and knew that the villain in question was probably going to show up.
Clue-bat #7.) The PCs went ahead and took watches instead of sucking it up and staying awake until dawn. The group had no need to take watches with their characters since the Wizard didn't need to worry about it until his spells were depleted - and the Oracle simply needs an hour of rest to replenish his spells after a decent sleep.
Clue-bat #8.) The old man is a half-elf. The moon was out, resulting in dim light for the PCs for him and his eidolon to use Stealth to close upon the group.
As a result, Gibbs completed all of his pre-cast spells with at least two minutes' duration remaining on the lot, snuck up to very close range (the first Perception check - which was Clue-bat #9 - to rouse the others due to 'hairs standing up in me beard' or some such), quietly cast his haste spell, and snuck up to within the range at which the encounter began in earnest.
Having attained surprise, Old River-as-eidolon charge-pounced Suitcase and put him into low negative hit points. Gibbs plopped a create pit where it made sense: to catch as many PCs as possible, entrapping The Man with No Name, Tuco, Dien'go's dog Fido and nearly catching Dien'go (who made the DC 16 Reflex save with the penalty from an effective DEX of 0 on a very nice d20 roll) in the pit.
Olahorn - "OJ's" Wizard and stand-in for Bennie of the Hills - remained outside of the immediate carnage simply due to positioning relative to Gibbs' fence and angle of approach. Despite two attempts to lob "presents" (bundles of three fuse grenades, the first delivered by Gibbs' unseen servant into the pit; the second was lit and simply tossed in on Gibbs' last round of haste) into the pits to gibletize the PCs. Cleverly, and simply, they extinguished the fuses before there was any chance for the bundles of fuse grenades to detonate.
Olahorn attempted to sleep the eidolon - which almost worked except for the critter succeeding on its Will saving throw. Olahorn's magic missile pinged off of Gibbs' extended shield spell. Old River did not give Olahorn the opportunity to paste it with any other spells.
The PCs put 16 points of damage into Old River, not quite matching the mutt's 20 hit points. Old River put down 3 of the 5 PCs as well as Fido, all due to charge-pouncing or 5-foot-stepping and full attacking. Old River was under haste for most of the fight, gaining an extra attack each time. The critter's +5 Reflex saving throw bonus barely saved its heiny from a 20' plummet into the pit with a nat 9 rolled on the table.
The last round of the pit saw readied actions to shoot by the Man with No Name , to hack the Man with No Name by Gibbs with his elven curve blade and a move-to-engage by Tuco that got his head lopped off by Gibbs on the reach-provided attack of opportunity.
Gibbs - possessed by the Splatter Man - draws five more letters on the Harrowstone Memorial that night before patching up Old River via rejuvenate eidolon, his last spell, - before zonking out in his shack that night. Natural rest cured Gibbs and Old River of the few points of remaining damage, while possession-induced-amnesia took care of the memories.
Excepting Tuco, the rest of the PCs exercise their option to cheat death. This results in Gibbs, on his late-morning walk (natural rest removing the 4 hp that he had taken) discovers the grisly scene around the Memorial. Horrified by what he discovered, Gibbs stabilizes Fido and the four non-decapitated PCs before getting them into the care of the Temple of Pharasma. The surviving PCs wind up with an assortment of scars, with Olahorn apparently having attempted to stop the mauling by Old River-as-eidolon by way of shoving a hand in the critter's mouth, losing four fingers on his off hand in the process.
Regrouping, the Fearsome Fivesome plus Fido head into the grounds of Harrowstone. They elect to investigate the ramshackle, dilapidated, near-to-collapsing former home of the Warden of Harrowstone (and his wife) instead of either scouring the perimeter or ignoring a nearly collapsing house to enter the ruined prison proper.
This was one of the encounters I had forewarned the players about well in advance. Specifically, that there existed the possibility of taking the wrong combination of turns or just that left turn an Albuquerque into a TPK-waiting-to-happen.
Clue-bat #10 was the description and subsequent Knowledge (religion) & (local) checks, as well as the Heal check, aced by Haru's Oracle. They knew they were facing a skeletal champion of a formidable orc warrior. Not a simple skeleton, a skeletal champion. They could all see that it was wearing breastplate armor, had a heavy shield and was clearly fairly nimble. What was the clue? Haru's own reaction combined with the detailed description I read aloud to the group and promptly shared by Dien'go. The PCs could have kited the monster or simply out ran it, returning the next day and taking a wide berth around the house. It was wearing Medium armor, telling the group its Speed. Dien'go has a riding dog - he could outrun the rest of the group.
Clue-bat #11 was when, after the orc viking skeletal champion flung a chakram into Dien'go, putting him down (but hardly out) in one shot thanks to the monster's +7 Strength bonus, before taking its move action back around the corner of the house. This was a non-verbal clue bat to "kite or run".
Clue-bat #12 was given out when Dien'go started doing what used to be this group's hallmark: thinking outside of the box. The problem here was the players' talking over the GM when the GM is giving out information. Enough of the players still heard that (12a) the monster would not take any attacks of opportunity; and (12b) that it was so arrogant that its CMD was heavily penalized.
What could the group have done differently?
First, they KNEW that they had a guy with a musket available to them in the person of the Man With No Name. He only had to hit the creature's touch AC of 14. "Kiting" (moving away from a creature while peppering it was ranged attacks and spells) was a perfectly valid method of blowing this creature away/driving it away from Harrowstone.
Second, they did not even try the very simple actions that have been a part of 3.0/3.5/Pathfinder since inception. Aid another actions (whether to boost AC or to boost attack rolls); fighting defensively - - and - in Pathfinder - combat maneuvers. The TWO (2) divine casters both had access to guidance orisons. The oracle had fired off a bless, which stacks just fine with guidance. The poor Wizard didn't take Clue-bat #13 after being made shaken by the monster's move-action-to-demoralize and just ... run away.
Combat Maneuvers would have been remarkably effective against the monster's CMD of 17. What would have worked? Dirty tricks to blind or entangle the monster; sundering its armor and shield; tripping it to make it easier to hit in melee.
These three maneuvers alone would have trashed its AC. The dirty tricks would have further penalized its CMD, making sundering that armor and shield almost a guarantee).
In the monster's flavor text was Clue-bat #14 - the corroded armor and shield, with two successful Sunders these items were ripe to "pop" immediately to the broken condition. I didn't put this in the monster's stat block because I already knew it was there. A strong enough Sunder or series of Sunders could have destroyed the armor and shield outright, but merely imposing the broken condition on each would have been phenomenally effective, especially in combination with a couple of dirty tricks 'kept up' over a few rounds.
To demonstrate how nasty combat maneuvers can get, and why it is not always the best idea to continually "kick in the door and start chopping", here is a simple outline for perusal.
Blinded via Dirty Trick - this one dirty trick option would have dropped its AC and CMD by SIX (6) points, putting its CMD to 11, a near-guarantee of kicking its keister, even for 1st level characters.
Entangled via Dirty Trick - the biggest factor here is the -4 penalty to DEX, further reducing its CMD and its AC (by 2 each, respectively). Now it's down to a CMD of 9 and an AC of 22.
Trip - against a CMD of 11 or 9, even the Oracle and Wizard with no buffs could have pulled this off. +4 to hit it with melee attacks, effectively dropping its CMD to 5 and its AC to 18.
Sunder - done twice, once against the breastplate, once against the heavy shield, would have further reduced its AC by 5 points, resulting in an AC of 13 and a CMD of 5. Three of the characters would have been able to keep the monster ineffective and prone while the two beefy guys [i]beat it into powder with clubs[/b], especially the 'burglar' (taking sneak attack on with each hit against that 13 AC).
In hindsight, the second monster could have been relocated elsewhere. Knowing my luck, the PCs would have walked right into it's new 'spot'.
The 15 point stat block rule is built into the encounter design system by default. What is being overlooked for Gibbs is the effects of his age category, the effects of being possessed by the Splatter Man and his +2 racial bonus for being a half-elf. All of these factor into his CR.
The math on the orc is the same and spelled out: heroic melee array (15 points) + advanced simple template (increasing CR from 3 to 4) + orc ability score modifiers +1 STR from gaining 4th HD.
Having already acknowledged that I should have relocated the CR 4 monster elsewhere, I have yet to see from either you or K_GM any sort of acknowledgement on the series of mistakes made by you two leading up to game day (outlined above).
In a site-based encounter paradigm such as this one, you of all people know full well that you can take the proverbial wrong turn at Albuquerque and find yourselves being fed feet-first into a meat grinder. I warned everyone of this possibility nearly two months in advance.
Speaking of nasty encounters though, one of the things you taught me back in the day was the same thing I prodded you on (which would have applied to the second encounter in your specific case): never be afraid to run away. Another thing you taught well was the value of teamwork. Prior to this session the players had ample time to "talk" to each other, rifle off questions to me, and so on. The players - as outlined above - could, at great risk, have kited or maneuver-spanked the second encounter so bad it wasn't even funny.
All of the advice above only scratches the surface of the options that were at this group's disposal had the group followed up on its previous, well-established tradition of thinking so far outside of the box that the box looked like a shoebox tucked away in a closet somewhere.
Was I the a-hole for the critter to begin with? Should I have run it differently? Absolutely. This was my one mistake.
This does not absolve you and K_GM of your roles in weakening the group's starting positions as badly as you did. Nor does it absolve the group of thinking in a fashion other than "kick in the door and swing".
Until such time as you two acknowledge your own culpability in this affair, there is no further need for discussion.
It may be somewhat hypocritical for me to agree with Pheonixhawk on several of his points, given I am not always kind on players when I GM either, but a few observations:
The twenty thousand dollar question is, why did you (Turin) feel the need to ramp these two opponents up above and beyond what (I assume) the standard scripted version listed in the AP/module text provides? Your handiwork is evident, otherwise you'd hardly post the stats of both villains in question, if they were already printed the same in the AP/module text. Particularly after we were oblitterated by the first encounter, I think you could have concluded that the second encounter was way over our heads to the point of not even being possible.
Furthermore, we hardly "kicked in the door and swung." We were totally outgunned and pretty much ass-surfed the moment that Create Pit spell went off and the Dog that got 5 attacks per round after a Charge & Pounce started tearing people apart. No body charged your critters, save me, after everyone else was deceased in encounter #1, and you told me I couldn't outrun either the ghost, or the 'Dog with FIVE attacks per round.' When could I cast 'Bless' or 'Guidance?' I was too busy healing already unconscious characters:)
I don't think it mattered whether we "shared e-mails" with Agent J and the Resident Artist or not. Neither one of them sent ANY emails in reply to what they were sent as it was. I don't know that either player even read any of the emails that went back and forth between all of us. Should it have mattered anyway? Either the info is there and easily able to be understood by Haru and myself, or it isn't. I think it is usually problematic when I as a GM ASSUME the players know exactly what I meant. They usually don't, and get hammered when I assume they'll take precautions. When I read the emails, it appeared to me that the Splatter Man needed to be priority one. My conversation with you seemed to confirm this. After we got greased for the first TPK on Saturday, the inference I took listening to you and Pheonixhawk (and others) was that we needed to go to Harrowstone right away. Clearly the wrong choice.
Just a suggestion, but if we're about to unknowingly do something suicidal, please advise other options, rather than gleefully watch as we ignorantly walk off the cliff to our dooms. I'm not suggesting you bail us out of our own stupidity, but if our poor decisions are due to a failure on our part to understand the basic options, it seems reasonable for the GM to call the players attention to major oversights? If that was done in the email, then you'd merely be restating what was already sent, and not giving us extra help.
I think, with 1st level characters, it is rather ridiculous for us to have to contemplate using multiple Combat Maneuvers or aiding other checks in the first two encounters of the campaign. 1st level is usually confined to smashing 4 HP Kobolds. This was a clear departure from that. And ultimately, if it's just a question of figuring out how to defeat a major opponent at 1st level, why stop with an advanced orc skeleton champion. Go ahead and chuck a Lich or two at us, and we'll sink or swim if we can manage to grapple and pin the bastards. Apart from their cold touch and Meteor Swarms...
Lastly, All the "sharing of emails, info and 'clues,' in the world, wouldn't have ultimately helped us win either of these enconters. How about not creating encounters with 28 ACs for 1st level characters, or using multiple 3rd level spells/spell effects on a group of sleeping 1st level characters. I'm no saint, but in my most egregious moments, I don't think I've ever creamed any group this lopsidedly. And granted, these examples don't eclipse the Total and Absolute ass surfing you gave the group in the Styes/Weavers with the CR 34 Kraken Dardap...(I forget how to spell it) when the PCs were 10th level... (admittedly, I was smiling at the time, but I wasn't a player:) I'm no beacon of kindness to my players, but heavens' my friend, I at least try and give them a fighting chance. You did mention the possibility for up to 4 TPKs in Chapter 1, but if it was to be that deadly, did you really need to make things even tougher by upgunning the Skeleton Champion to an AC of 28? If he was to be a major boss, maybe, but this to all appearances was a mook graveyard guardian...
Regards, KGM
I see.
Both encounters, in your own words at that session K_GM, were quite avoidable.
You two are hardly the only ones burning a candle at both ends.
Presuming that the gang is still up for the Carrion Crown Adventure Path, there are two options as I see things.
- A. New 1st level PCs, 20 point buy, CRB and APG only, start Chapter 1 from scratch. No hero points/cheating death, no traits other than a campaign trait. Nothing from any material released after the CRB and APG (as those were the books available to the authors of the Carrion Crown). This means no gunslinger, no samurai, no ninja, no magus. The campaign is written for 4 15-point-buy player characters with average starting wealth, so this should balance out more than fairly in the player's favor.
- B. Leave behind the bitter memories of Chapter 1 and begin anew with Chapter 2. Same character rules as option A, except PCs are 4th level. You will figure out what's going on at the next session.
In either case, what's in the written material is what's in the written material.
I'll strive to entertain with what's in there, but not change the statistics.
The campaign will take however long it will take to play out.
Some replies.
I think you could have concluded that the second encounter was way over our heads to the point of not even being possible.
I have already demonstrated that the second foe was beatable. The second foe was infinitely more avoidable that the first encounter. You stated as such at the table.
Nobody charged your critters, save me, after everyone else was deceased in encounter #1, and you told me I couldn't outrun either the ghost, or the 'Dog with FIVE attacks per round.'
Actually, that was several of the other players that initially told you the obvious speed difference. I merely confirmed it.
I don't think it mattered whether we "shared e-mails" with Agent J and the Resident Artist or not. Neither one of them sent ANY emails in reply to what they were sent as it was. I don't know that either player even read any of the emails that went back and forth between all of us.
Neither do I. Would it have hurt to do so? No. Could it have benefited the players to do so? Absolutely.
Just a suggestion, but if we're about to unknowingly do something suicidal, please advise other options, rather than gleefully watch as we ignorantly walk off the cliff to our dooms. I'm not suggesting you bail us out of our own stupidity, but if our poor decisions are due to a failure on our part to understand the basic options, it seems reasonable for the GM to call the players attention to major oversights? If that was done in the email, then you'd merely be restating what was already sent, and not giving us extra help.
Pot, meet Kettle. You have done worse, many times over, than this as a GM. I suggest you reread your own AoW and other campaign journals.
You got your moment to see me in full Killer GM-mode for an entire session of 3e/Pathfinder.
I think, with 1st level characters, it is rather ridiculous for us to have to contemplate using multiple Combat Maneuvers or aiding other checks in the first two encounters of the campaign. 1st level is usually confined to smashing 4 HP Kobolds. This was a clear departure from that.
The game itself disagrees. This campaign as-written by the publisher vehemently disagrees. You won't find any goblins, kobolds or orcs in this chapter of Carrion Crown as a scripted encounter if you haven't already guessed.
As someone who has on numerous occasions felt free to alter encounters because they weren't lethal enough for your tastes, catching flak from you on doing so is hypocritical.
I'm no saint, but in my most egregious moments, I don't think I've ever creamed any group this lopsidedly. And granted, these examples don't eclipse the Total and Absolute ass surfing you gave the group in the Styes/Weavers with the CR 34 Kraken Dardap...(I forget how to spell it) when the PCs were 10th level... (admittedly, I was smiling at the time, but I wasn't a player:)
You set that up and you know it. The CR 34 was the extrapolation of the written material presented by the author of the adventures in question. To which sentiment you requested that I stat up the monster and GM it for your Styes/Weavers group. This was sold to me as an acceptable encounter for your group. As it turns out, I came in as the "guest GM".
Immediately afterwards, your villains annihilated the entire group with blasphemies of a sufficiently high caster level against which they could not even attempt a saving throw. You got the TPK that day, not my CR 34 monster.
Two players Haru knows were present for that encounter. I am sure Haru would find those discussions particularly enlightening.
And so this version of the Carrion Crown is closed. Perhaps, some day in the future, another group will dare tread upon this unhallowed ground.
Until then, Adventurer Hartman continues his adventures elsewhere.
-- Turin
Disappointing, but given the controversy surrounding recent events outside Harrowstone Prison - hardly unexpected.
Hopefully you are all still friends!
Disappointing, but given the controversy surrounding recent events outside Harrowstone Prison - hardly unexpected.
Hopefully you are all still friends!
Time and light-hearted humor at my expense has worked its magic, Macharius.
We are going into a "get to the fun part already" truncated Jade Regent campaign come June. That campaign shall start with Chapter 4, placing the characters at 10th level.
le Artiste can lust after a red-headed Ameiko with what I presume will be his 10th level ninja, which could possibly make the player's head implode. (Ameiko + ninja scratches all three of le Artiste's itches at one go, which is nice.)
Perhaps, once Jade Regent has concluded, they will want to don the white hats and mow down demons with holy avengers in Wrath of the Righteous. We will see more on that come mid-autumn.
If we are fortunate, le Artiste will make a link-able web comic of the aforementioned light-hearted humor that can be dropped in here. That should be highly entertaining to see! ;)
Perhaps I am missing something, what is the allure of playing in a game with a killer GM?
Perhaps I am missing something, what is the allure of playing in a game with a killer GM?
This particular case of the Killer Turin is an aberration.
What's the allure of playing a game in which the PC is a Mary Sue, able to effortlessly overcome every encounter? Obviously it's not and either/or proposition and most people tend to want something in between, in which characters are challenged and threatened but are able to overcome.
The commentary that follows is 100% speculation based on what's been posted to these forums by [primarily] Turin and one or two of his players:
Having read the entirety of the CoT/Kingmaker mashup it seems that Turin was expecting a similar level of player creativity/inventiveness/adaptability as in the previous game whereas his more-strict character creation requirements suggests that this game would focus more on the theme of the AP rather than having to BAMF the various monsters. On the other hand, a CR 4 encounter at an APL 1 group is APL+3 = Epic encounter, suitable for end-boss fights but probably even more challenging (nominally-speaking) given the limited feats, spells, and hp pool of first-level characters.
I haven't been playing nearly as long as Turin or his players, nor do I have the personal experience to derive any particular insight on the gameplay events of a group of people whom I've never met and that live ~2000 miles away from me - so feel free to take that with a pretty hefty grain of salt. ;)
What's the allure of playing a game in which the PC is a Mary Sue, able to effortlessly overcome every encounter? Obviously it's not and either/or proposition and most people tend to want something in between, in which characters are challenged and threatened but are able to overcome.
The commentary that follows is 100% speculation based on what's been posted to these forums by [primarily] Turin and one or two of his players:
Having read the entirety of the CoT/Kingmaker mashup it seems that Turin was expecting a similar level of player creativity/inventiveness/adaptability as in the previous game whereas his more-strict character creation requirements suggests that this game would focus more on the theme of the AP rather than having to BAMF the various monsters. On the other hand, a CR 4 encounter at an APL 1 group is APL+3 = Epic encounter, suitable for end-boss fights but probably even more challenging (nominally-speaking) given the limited feats, spells, and hp pool of first-level characters.
I haven't been playing nearly as long as Turin or his players, nor do I have the personal experience to derive any particular insight on the gameplay events of a group of people whom I've never met and that live ~2000 miles away from me - so feel free to take that with a pretty hefty grain of salt. ;)
Correct, Macharius. In that entire campaign there was one TPK - and that one was engineered to awaken their unique items (which had a one-time true resurrection built in.
There is a fine line between "doably challenging" and "guaranteed slaughter". Once in a while the characters' and players' capabilites is overestimated or the GM's dice get a serious case of PC hatred. Both happened here. Encounters that by RAW are doable, such as the original Xanesha encounter in RotRL, in practice become a slaughterhouse for many groups.
There are several lessons to be learned here. I wonder how many are going to be picked up on. Not so much for my players, but by the critics. ;)
Aha, so it's like playing on Hard Mode. I understand now. Some of the guys I play with don't usually respond too well to challenging encounters (they are all about story progression and epic lootz), so it's easier to tone things down than to crawl around looking for dice after they throw everything off the table in rage after a TPK. :D
Aha, so it's like playing on Hard Mode. I understand now. Some of the guys I play with don't usually respond too well to challenging encounters (they are all about story progression and epic lootz), so it's easier to tone things down than to crawl around looking for dice after they throw everything off the table in rage after a TPK. :D
^____^ Yeppers!
You set that up and you know it. The CR 34 was the extrapolation of the written material presented by the author of the adventures in question. To which sentiment you requested that I stat up the monster and GM it for your Styes/Weavers group. This was sold to me as an acceptable encounter for your group. As it turns out, I came in as the "guest GM".
Immediately afterwards, your villains annihilated the entire group with blasphemies of a sufficiently high caster level against which they could not even attempt a saving throw. You got the TPK that day, not my CR 34 monster.
Two players Haru knows were present for that encounter. I am sure Haru would find those discussions particularly enlightening.
Actually, my TPK occurred BEFORE your encounter with the Kraken. My encounter using two 11th level characters against Seven 10th level characters, was actually favorable to the Players. I did however use a broken loophole in the rules on the Insence of Meditation to boost my caster level to 19th for using the Blasphemy. And who gave me that idea? YOU did. Who encouraged me to use it? You again:) Hence, I name you as a co-conspiritor on that encounter. Agreed, it wasn't fair on the lads, but your fingerprints are on that along with mine. They had been using broken characters for the entire campaign, and we both agreed they were due for some comeuppance.
I had expected you'd come up with a CR 14 (tough) or maybe a CR 15 Kraken (3.5 rules system at the time). You had a CR 34 Kraken. Not what I was expecting, but the stat block was a thing of beauty. Who am I to stop art from happening when I see it...
Perhaps I am missing something, what is the allure of playing in a game with a killer GM?
A genuine sense of accomplishment. A GM who merely walks you through easy or rigged battles, where the battles are always going to be determined arbitrarily by the GM, rather than by the dice & player mistakes; simply is NOT worth playing. What is the point of playing, if there is no risk of failure? A "killer GM" is more often than not, merely a GM who applies the logical consequences to player decisions, and accepts the dice rolls as they happen.
Unless we're talking about sticking an undead NPC with a 28 AC, has 36 HP, and does a S-load of damage against Five 1st level mooks with bare bones equipment and lousy ability scores...
...The Black Sisters...
'Nuff said, IMO.
;)
Perhaps I am missing something, what is the allure of playing in a game with a killer GM?A genuine sense of accomplishment. A GM who merely walks you through easy or rigged battles, where the battles are always going to be determined arbitrarily by the GM, rather than by the dice & player mistakes; simply is NOT worth playing. What is the point of playing, if there is no risk of failure? A "killer GM" is more often than not, merely a GM who applies the logical consequences to player decisions, and accepts the dice rolls as they happen.
Unless we're talking about sticking an undead NPC with a 28 AC, has 36 HP, and does a S-load of damage against Five 1st level mooks with bare bones equipment and lousy ability scores...
BWMC much? ;)
BWMC much? ;)Perhaps I am missing something, what is the allure of playing in a game with a killer GM?A genuine sense of accomplishment. A GM who merely walks you through easy or rigged battles, where the battles are always going to be determined arbitrarily by the GM, rather than by the dice & player mistakes; simply is NOT worth playing. What is the point of playing, if there is no risk of failure? A "killer GM" is more often than not, merely a GM who applies the logical consequences to player decisions, and accepts the dice rolls as they happen.
Unless we're talking about sticking an undead NPC with a 28 AC, has 36 HP, and does a S-load of damage against Five 1st level mooks with bare bones equipment and lousy ability scores...
Sorry, Couldn't resist a friendly jab.