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As I've written before, my group had more fun with this AP than they had ever had in any campaign before. There were many, many great moments and each member of the party had their chance to shine and then some. I've talked in the past about wanting to novelize the group's adventures - something I'd still love to do but the time simply isn't there right now. So instead, at least to give myself an outlet, I've begun picking some moments throughout the AP that were particularly memorable - one from each book and at least one highlighting each individual player, and writing them up from Sandara Quinn's perspective.
Below is how the group dealt with Tidewater Rock. The cast includes:
Sze-Suin (Zay-swan), ship's Captain, a Tian Human Sea-Singer with long white hair and a certain sense of style.
Magnar, Bosun, Master-at-Arms and personal bodyguard to the captain, a Human Invulnerable rager & Urban Barbarian who's tougher than anything on or under the sea.
Ketta, Quartermaster, Master of Coin and the most viscious and daring scoundrel you'll ever meet. She's a Human Knifemaster with a penchant for reckless flair and a tendency to handle the tasks even seasoned pirates might find distasteful.
Athis, our Pilot, a Master Summoner who's eidolon resembles an ethreal fey girl who serves as our scout both beneath the waves and high above them. He only summons elementals, favoring those of air and water.
The Siege of Tidewater Rock
Conversation had been deliberately casual as we ate, the Lady of the Rock doing most of the talking for her house as her sergeant-at-arms eyed the rest of us suspiciously. She asked after our adventures and of news from the mainland and even after some of the gossip that we had gathered from this port or that but steered clear of the reason for our visit until the last of the dinner plates were cleared away and a thin wine poured for each of us. Sze-suin smiled archly and lifted her glass in toast.
"To our gracious host, the Lady Smythee - this table was set finer than we deserve as little more than humble strangers at your door. We thank you for receiving us and for your hospitality this eve."
We all responded sincerely and those of us seated at the table drank to her health, her guards drumming their knuckles against their breastplates.
"And now we come to the business behind our visit," Sze-suin said, setting her glass down and sitting back, relaxing as one might in their own home, as if Smythee and the guardsmen positioned in the corners of the room were her guests rather than the other way 'round. "I've come to take possession of The Rock from you and of Windward Isle as well."
The sergeant, McCleagh was his name, leapt to his feat, sword half-coming from his sheath but Ketta was quicker, her blade at the Lady Smythee's throat in a literal blink of an eye - the guardsman had deliberately seated himself between his Lady and Magnar, presuming the big man to be the greater threat. Magnar for his part belched and wiped his mouth with a muscled forearm, his eyes moving from McCleagh to the guards that flanked Sze-Suin. They too were frozen with their blades half-drawn - the captain's safety was his task, and if those men moved, they would die. We all had our orders - Ketta's real responsibility should things go south would be to occupy the guards at her end of the room and Sze Suin would handle the captain with magic, at least long enough for us to gain the upper hand. Athis would do his thing, taking care of the guards outside. The captain had made it clear that the Lady was not to be harmed if it could be at all prevented. She had a thing when it came to other women, looking after their safety and dignity insofar as she thought it practical.
Smythee proved as tough as her reputation had suggested, reaching out with one hand to forestall her sergeant even as Ketta slowly turned the blade at her throat over to catch the light from the fire, emphasizing the threat.
"You cannot be serious," she spoke, her voice with nary a tremble to it, "Tidewater Rock has been in my family since -"
"-since your family, or your husband rather, took it by force from its previous tenants the Allisters." Sze-Suin cut her off with a tone that equaled hers in steel and was far sharper. " They in turn took it by force from the reaver Silvergrin who himself won it in a game of cups from Dobraine the Red and on and on all the way back to when Magna Stormeyes first laid its foundation. Your 'family' has no more claim upon this piece of rock than I - the claim of sword and sea."
"But your hostage... surely you would want to harm to befall that fey child -" The Lady cut off once more, realizing that she had been deceived in some fashion - and she was correct. No doubt the sea sprite that served Athis had already disappeared into the ether from which he had summoned her.
Sze-Suin ignored Smythee's now-toothless threat.
"Out of respect for your family's prior claim, in gratitude for the fine meal you have laid before us and because I honor the custom of parley, I would prefer this not come to bloodshed. Were we all to draw blades here I have no doubt that those on both sides would die but by the time the sun rose tomorrow my crew would have set siege to this place and I can assure you that they are far better provisioned... should harm befall me, they have orderts to burn this keep to the ground." She paused then, watching the Lady Smythee for a time.
"We were allowed entry into Tidewater Rock under the protection of parley and that is how we intend to leave it." She gave the slightest of nods to Ketta and the blade disappeared as quickly as it had come into her hand, the one-eyed woman still tense, as if waiting for the opportunity to disprove the captain's words. "I shall give you until dawn to think on my offer - that you and all of your house may collect whatever of value you can carry from this place and depart safely for your port of choice... or you may fight and defend this barren isle, whereupon every man, woman and child that calls this place home will die."
She rose then, the guards tensing at the sudden movement.
"I beg you, good lady, to make the sensible choice. There is nothing here that cannot be replaced - even the memory of your husband lives on in Shackles legend. Do not throw your lives away needlessly."
It was then that a guardsman burst in, causing nearly everyone in the room to jump, before freezing in the doorway, sensing the threat that loomed.
"M'Lady - the prisoner..." he trailed off, glancing back and forth in apparent confusion, voice going quiet, "...she's disappeared."
"You have until dawn," Sze-Suin repeated before gesturing and we all rose as one, filing out the door with Ketta in the lead once she had drained her cup, Magnar's broad frame bringing up the rear.
As we made our way out of the front gate, stalked the entire way by guards with weapons drawn, I leaned in and murmured, "think she'll listen?"
Sze-Suin glanced back, the wind whipping her long white hair about her beautiful face as the gate was slammed shut, the sound of its heavy bar falling into place. Her violet eyes shone in the moonlight.
"That one? No," she shook her head, "right now she's battening down the hatches and preparing to unleash holy hell on me and my crew for daring insult her in her house and at her table. She'll fight until she's given reason not to."
"What, then, do we do next?"
The captain turned her gaze on Athis as he ambled quietly up the path before us.
"Give her reason."
------
When dawn came, it found us on the beach, astride the path that led up to the Rock, deliberately just out of bowshot, but still near enough to be heard. Sze-Suin was dressed in the same sleek finery she had worn the night before, and lounged in an over-sized chair that had been carried down from the ship, the morning sun kept from her by an umbrella that had been erected, wine and fresh fruit laid out on a small table within easy reach. I, Magnar and Ketta flanked her while Athis stood just before and to the side - the entire rest of the crew had been ordered to stay aboard and had gathered at the railings to watch what the captain had in store.
"Have you come to a decision then? What is your answer, my Lady?"
She spoke softly, but her voice carried, glamoured so that all could hear aboard ship and upon the battlements.
"You shall never take this fortress, my home, not so long as I live and breathe." The words were shouted back bravely, defiantly, "Come and seek your end against these stone walls."
Sze-Suin smiled and spoke again, this time more to herself.
"Stone walls..."
Shifting in her seat, she reached out to pour herself a glass of wine, her voice caught between annoyance and amusement.
"Athis, if you please."
I was well aware of Athis' talents - he had saved us more than once, most notably against the Chellish dreadnaught Dominator, but even I wasn't prepared for what came next. Spirits of air had tangled the sails of our prey, water spirits had defended us beneath the waves at his command... but this...
He began gesturing in exaggerated fashion, differently from what I had recalled in his conjurations before - perhaps it was for the benefit of those watching from the keep, perhaps greater efforts were required of him... but the ground began to rumble gently and slowly creatures of stone emerged from the rock beneath our feet. First one, then another, then another appeared, more and more of them, each as wide as they were tall and vaguely humanoid in shape with fissures for eyes and spurs of stone marking one different from the next. Before long more than a score of the creatures had appeared, and at the spoken command of Athis in some rough, gravelly sounding language, they lurched forward as one towards the Rock.
Once they came within range arrows and ballista bolts began to fall amongst them , most falling short or shrugged off - what is an arrow to a creature made of stone? Then, when the stones hurled by catapults began to rain down, the creatures simply disappeared into the ground. They could move through the earth! No wonder the Lady's stone walls had amused Sze-Suin - they would serve only as a prison to trap those within.
It was not long before the sounds of battle reached us, of metal clashing, of shouts of alarm and rallying cries. The crew aboard ship began letting out whoops and catcalls towards the defenders of the Rock who even now were desperately battling for their lives against the creatures summoned by Athis while their captain took her lesirue upon the beach. I, myself, looked upon the Conjurer with a new sense of awe as he stood there, his gaze fixed silently on the keep.
After a time - it seemed to go on forever but couldn't have been more than a few minutes - everything fell silent. Athis' conjurations did not last overlong and I imagined his creatures had disappeared, returning to their elemental home in the earth.
"Athis."
The captain whispered his name this time, a command given quietly, and the half-elf began again his gesticulations even more exaggerated than before. From where she lounged before us, I heard Sze-Suin murmuring her own words of magic, unheard and unseen with the distraction of our pilot. Once more, exactly as before, a legion of stone spirits began to emerge from the ground before us, but this time there were twice as many... and I realized that the ground did not rumble nor the pebbled beach scatter as it had before. This new army was illusion, but one that only we who were so near would know. Either Athis had reached his limits or the captain wished for him to keep some magics in reserve...
Sze-Suin rose, flanked by we, her officers, and surrounded by a phantom army that must look a terrifying sight to the defenders of the Rock. She spoke clearly, this time in her normal voice which was carried on the wind.
"I trust now that you understand what you face, that you understand your fate should you continue to defy me. Open your gates now, and we shall see to your wounded, see to it that no more are harmed. You have the Maiden's Promise. Refuse me, and not even the rats in your cellar will survive my wrath."
She spoke with powerful conviction and there was naught but silence for long moments. Even the crew dared not speak after what they had witnessed. Finally, there was a cry from the battlements, and the heavy gate of the Rock swung open, the Lady Smythee emerging, supporting her sergeant at arms who's armor was as battered and broken as the loyal retainer himself seemed to be, limping along, sword still held weakly in his grasp. Behind them were the servants whom had seen to us the night before, cowering fearfully, protective of the teenage boy between them... and after that just two guardsmen - the only survivors of our assault or so it seemed. The captain ceased her magic and the illusory creatures retreated back into the earth just as their real precursors had when the siege began.
Sze-Suin turned and spoke to the crew, ordering water and clean cloths be brought before she turned to me and asked if I would see to the worst of their wounded. I suspected that while Besmara might not normally be inclined to squander her divine power on victims rather than victors, too I doubted that she would refuse a request on behalf of our captain, a woman who's guile and leadership had just won us the legendary Rock without a single crewman lost or even wounded.
We healed them and allowed them to take their dead along with provisions and the clothes they wore aboard the small ship they kept, but nothing else. They had had their chance to leave with what treasure they could and had refused - Sze-Suin remained firm on that point. The Maiden's Promise, as always, once given was kept. She did, however surprise us all by taking the boy as a hostage. She had never had a cabin boy, she said, and that if he worked hard he would learn a trade that ensured he never cower within walls of stone while those with daring, those blessed by the sea reaved hearth and hall. The parents' wailing could be heard as the ship put to sea, but to the boy's credit he faced the captain bravely and asked what she would have of him.
Ketta snickered and began striding towards our new home, if ever a place on land could be considered so, while Magnar bellowed orders to the rest of the crew, establishing watches aboard ship and directing all others to begin an inventory of what booty the Rock might hold...
Hope you enjoy half as much as we did. I'll post others as I get time to do so.
It was an enjoyable read. I am running this campaign now. We just started the first adventure.
It was an enjoyable read. I am running this campaign now. We just started the first adventure.
Oh, good - I wasn't sure anyone had actually read it. I'll start putting together some of the others as soon as I can. The next two will probably be how the party dealt with Tsadok's 'tests' in Raiders of the Fever Sea and then the showdown between Avimar Sorrinash and our party brute at the banquet in Island of Empty Eyes after his insult of our captain...
I'm weighing which scenario to include from the first book - the best by far was when the women (Ketta, Sze-Suin, Rosie and Sandara) planned and executed the murder of Master Scourge for his rape of Sze-Suin, but I wasn't sure how well such an adult theme would play on the boards. It was important for the story because her character (new to Pathfinder but not role-play) really evolved, going from a shy and unsure girl to one of the most feared and respected captains in the Shackles, even as the player went from an unsure noob to the unquestioned leader of the party over the course of the AP - and that scene played a big part in both.
It was definitely an interesting read, especially the description of the summoner summoning a small hoard of small earth elementals! They would definitely do a number on the opposing crew. Not sure how he got 20+ with only getting 1d3 per casting and getting 3+charasma bonus for his number of castings. They have no DR against arrows that I can see though. It did make for a nice affect! Look forward to further reading when you have the time.
Our group is at day three at Rickety's having just faced the young Naga. They did go boar hunting on day one and cooked it up taking up then rest of the day and part of day two.
It was definitely an interesting read, especially the description of the summoner summoning a small hoard of small earth elementals! They would definitely do a number on the opposing crew. Not sure how he got 20+ with only getting 1d3 per casting and getting 3+charasma bonus for his number of castings. They have no DR against arrows that I can see though. It did make for a nice affect! Look forward to further reading when you have the time.
Our group is at day three at Rickety's having just faced the young Naga. They did go boar hunting on day one and cooked it up taking up then rest of the day and part of day two.
5th level Master Summoner can Summon Monster III about 10-12 times a day (5 base for archetype + 3-5 Charisma mod + 2 Extra Summoning feats). Let's just say 10.
A Summon Monster III spell can summon 2-4 small elementals with each casting (assuming Superior Summoning) which would result in an average of 30 augmented small earth elementals once he was done, which would be more than enough to take The Rock I would think. And that number would spike significantly by the time he hit 7th and it became 3-6 per casting. Can't tell you anything about DR though, as I don't think Elementals get any until they are at least Large - maybe it was just dramatic license?
That's one of the great things about Master Summoners in this AP - there are plenty of one-battle days where he can blow his load if he chooses and the ability to summon aquatic creatures makes underwater combat a lot less inhibiting.
I have to admit I don't know that much about Summoners. Our two experiences with them didn't go over very well as both players abused their eidelons to the point the group decided not to allow them at least at present. As a result I have gone back to core classes and slowly introducing non-core to the groups comfort level. In our campaigns now we have a witch, inquisitor and an alchemist that are working out ok.
I have to admit I don't know that much about Summoners. Our two experiences with them didn't go over very well as both players abused their eidelons to the point the group decided not to allow them at least at present. As a result I have gone back to core classes and slowly introducing non-core to the groups comfort level. In our campaigns now we have a witch, inquisitor and an alchemist that are working out ok.
Yeah, definitely a difference between the way a Master Summoner and a standard Summoner are played. They are both actually two of my favorite character options (ironically the Brood Master and the Synthesist are two of my least favorite, for very different reasons). I get the confusion/abuse associated with Summoners and the occasional hate that results, but a well-made, well-played Summoner is both a joy and a boon to any party.
As an aside, I've definitely seen Alchemists abused as badly ro worse than Summoners in the past...
On your aside, the jury is still out on the Alchemist, but will be more willing to allow more witch and inquisitor characters.
We had a Summoner/Rogue add to one of our parties and the death toll went through the roof for the party. Was mostly the player. We went from 1 dead to 12 in three months, none since he left in four.